"I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you." (Philippians 1:3-4)
My time at The Presbyterian Church in Morristown has been extremely blessed! In the past 7 1/2 years I have gained valuable experience about how to be a pastor, not only for our particular church, but for the wider Morristown community. I completed Princeton Theological Seminary in 2003 and did not want to disrupt the family with a move. So I applied and was hired by the Morris County Prosecutor's office as the coordinator of the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). This was my first "ministry" post-seminary. Since I had been a psychiatric nurse therapist since 1985 and worked in crisis intervention for assault victims in the past, I was comfortable applying for the SART coordinator. The Prosecutors office also referred to me as their "unofficial" County Chaplin. I enjoyed working with the police departments, hospitals, and advocates from the Morris County Sexual Assault Center.
After nearly 3 years as the SART coordinator, I discerned a "call" to church ministry and became the Associate Pastor of The Presbyterian Church in Morristown (PCM) in May 2006. It has been a full and active ministry both inside the church and out in the Morristown community. Some of my favorite ministry activities involved bringing Christian Yoga, Tai Chi, Stephen Ministry, and a Disaster Response team to the church. I enjoyed developing and leading mission trips to Jamaica, Joplin, MO, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, and Point Pleasant Beach. I am grateful for the devoted and faithful PCM Deacons who were willing to become "shepherds" of neighborhoods to keep the church members in touch with the church since many of our 1000 members live beyond the Morristown area.
As President of the Morris Area Clergy Council in 2010 I became friends with other clergy in the region, our mayor and freeholders, and had the opportunity to be a speaker at many social justice events held on the Green and in our County Administrative offices. Being an advocate for people suffering from Domestic Violence issues, Drug Addiction, Alzheimer's, Human Trafficking, and AIDS was a significant part of my role as a pastor, too. I was a member of the Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center Advisory Board for 5 years and enjoyed reflecting upon my background in healthcare along with my role in pastoral care in my advisory position. As a member of the Minority Concerns committee for the Morris/Sussex vicinage during the past two years, I helped the court system explore ways to be more "user friendly" to the county citizens. Since I had worked at the Prosecutor's office, I often had the honor of being invited by the Morris County Administration to give invocations at memorial services and commemorations hosted by the county.
All of these programs and activities of ministry have aided my development as a community action pastor. I hope this knowledge will also bless the community of Santa Rosa along with The Presbyterian Church of the Roses congregation. There are three hospitals in Santa Rosa and many social justice advocacy organizations with which to make connections to the church. Their church already reaches out to high school students by providing a free breakfast every day of the week for anyone who wants to come to the church hall and eat. They plan to build on this community connection and reach out to the families of these students and to the families of the Rosebud Preschool that is located in the church, too. Churches are great resources for help and support. Like The Presbyterian Church in Morristown, The Presbyterian Church of the Roses is a welcoming sanctuary that promotes healing and wholeness with a history of caring for those in need in the community.
One of the highlights of my time here in Morristown was one of the most difficult times, too. We had a period of nearly 3 years where the head of staff pastor was in transition. There were two interim pastors during this time and me. I had to pick up the reins, fill in the gaps, and make sure the church kept moving forward. As a result of God's grace and through lots of prayer we were able to keep the church stable and growing.
The Presbyterian Church in Morristown's leadership of Elders and Deacons are incredibly gifted and talented. That is why the church has been growing and developing for more than 280 years. They don't give up and they keep their focus on trying to accomplish what God inspires them to do for the community rather than being inward focused. While working with this church family I have been able to see in action what keeps a church persevering and developing rather than perishing: God's love for neighbor.
I am heading West because: The majority of my immediate and extended family now lives in California. The Alloways all moved out of the Midwest to warmer winters closer to the ocean over the past twenty years. After our undergraduate work at the University of Iowa, my husband and I lived in San Francisco for 7 years to attend graduate school at the University of California, San Francisco. We love the SF Bay area. We are going back home to our 49ers with season tickets for 2014.
There have been many tears in this process of leaving. I have bonded very close to our church family and community friends and neighbors. It is painful to say "Goodbye" because I love them all very much. But I trust in the "call" of the Holy Spirit to this new church ministry and to this region of the country that I also love. The Presbyterian Church of the Roses has invited me to join them in sharing the gospel of love, faith, and hope to the world at this time in their history. They want to expand their mission outreach and connections to the community. And I begin preaching the first Sunday in Advent.
I am grateful to God that my time here in Morristown has equipped me well for ministry in Santa Rosa which is the county seat of Sonoma County. Yet, there is always more to learn! I appreciate any and all prayers to bless this new ministry and for churches everywhere.
