I have been ordained over twenty years in the United Church of Christ. I have
worked as head of the cataloging department in the library shared by Eden Theological
Seminary and Wester University in St. Louis, MO. While at Eden, a UCC related
seminary, I took a few courses from faculty there, including the Old Testament
scholar Dr. Walter Brueggemann. My husband, Kerry W. Smart, and father-in-law,
William Smart, are both ordained UCC ministers. While a student at Vanderbilt
University in Nashville, TN for my masters degree in church history, I worked at the
Disciples of Christ Historical Society, a group which has been in relation to the UCC
for many years. I am a member of the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference Ecumenical
Relations Team, and serve on the UCC / EKU (Evangelische Kirche der Union)
Working Group on the national level of the UCC.
I grew up a Lutheran, and was an involved member of LCA (pre-ELCA) church in
Miami, Florida and St. Louis, Missouri. I received my Masters of Divinity from Trinity
Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio.Trinity was in the vanguard of Lutheran
theological education by combining both ALC and LCA students and faculty even
before the ELCA was formed.
worked as head of the cataloging department in the library shared by Eden Theological
Seminary and Wester University in St. Louis, MO. While at Eden, a UCC related
seminary, I took a few courses from faculty there, including the Old Testament
scholar Dr. Walter Brueggemann. My husband, Kerry W. Smart, and father-in-law,
William Smart, are both ordained UCC ministers. While a student at Vanderbilt
University in Nashville, TN for my masters degree in church history, I worked at the
Disciples of Christ Historical Society, a group which has been in relation to the UCC
for many years. I am a member of the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference Ecumenical
Relations Team, and serve on the UCC / EKU (Evangelische Kirche der Union)
Working Group on the national level of the UCC.
I grew up a Lutheran, and was an involved member of LCA (pre-ELCA) church in
Miami, Florida and St. Louis, Missouri. I received my Masters of Divinity from Trinity
Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio.Trinity was in the vanguard of Lutheran
theological education by combining both ALC and LCA students and faculty even
before the ELCA was formed.
| Meet Our Pastor |
Previous to my theological
training, I worked to set up a
library at the Halepaghen Schule
in Buxtehude, Germany. While in
Germany, I was a member of the
St. Cosmi Kirche, an
Evangelische Kirche--which is
the official Protestant Church of
Germany. This was my first
experience with a church that did
not make a distinction between
Reformed and Lutheran
backgrounds. I found I like it
very much. Little did I know that
someday I would become a
pastor and be privileged to serve
one of the twelve shared ministry
churches in our area of
Pennsylvania.
training, I worked to set up a
library at the Halepaghen Schule
in Buxtehude, Germany. While in
Germany, I was a member of the
St. Cosmi Kirche, an
Evangelische Kirche--which is
the official Protestant Church of
Germany. This was my first
experience with a church that did
not make a distinction between
Reformed and Lutheran
backgrounds. I found I like it
very much. Little did I know that
someday I would become a
pastor and be privileged to serve
one of the twelve shared ministry
churches in our area of
Pennsylvania.
| I began serving as the pastor of Huffs Union Church in January 2001. I am excited about being at Huffs because of my strong loyalty to both the ELCA and UCC denominations. Let me share some of my background with you ... |
It is indeed exciting to be doing cutting edge ministry that stands as an
example to others of what true Christian cooperation means, sharing
backgrounds, traditions, and worship experiences in order to make a
more meaningful witness to Jesus Christ. At a recent workshop for
shared ministry congregations, we again heard the prayer of Jesus
"that they may all be one."
At Huffs, we work together, praying that we can be a witness
to our unity in Christ, even while maintaining our diversity
of backgrounds, talents, and worship styles.
example to others of what true Christian cooperation means, sharing
backgrounds, traditions, and worship experiences in order to make a
more meaningful witness to Jesus Christ. At a recent workshop for
shared ministry congregations, we again heard the prayer of Jesus
"that they may all be one."
At Huffs, we work together, praying that we can be a witness
to our unity in Christ, even while maintaining our diversity
of backgrounds, talents, and worship styles.
