Jonelle Loehnig
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Interim Minister Selected
Rev. Dr. Dan Smith has been named the designated interim minister for St. Peter's UCC-New Haven. He will be with us for at least three years and plans to join us February 1.
Rev. Smith comes to St. Peter's from Immanuel United Church of Christ in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he has served as pastor for the past nine years. From 2007 to 2012 he was pastor at Zion Evangelical UCC in St. Joseph, Michigan. He served several Methodist congregations in Indiana, Ohio , and Pennsylvania from 1987 to 2007. A graduate of Indiana University, Rev. Smith was ordained in 1995 after receiving his Master’s of Divinity from the Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio. He went on to earn his Doctor of Ministry in 2011 from Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. “I was a United Methodist pastor for almost 20 years, and have loved the transition to the United Church of Christ and the grace they offer all people,” stated Rev. Smith. Rev. Smith was raised in rural Indiana, but has lived throughout the United States. He did not grow up in the church, and became a Christian at the age of 25. “I believe due to this I have a view of spirituality that sometimes gives me an edge in reaching the unchurched population,” he said. “I have a strong desire to reach the people that have not experienced the grace and love that the Body of Christ has to offer. The Church offers a healing and hopeful place to belong.” Rev. Smith has four children. His hobbies include music, reading, genealogy, golfing, and watching Indiana University basketball. ----- ------ NOTE: The difference between a designated interim minister, rather than a traditional interim minister is the length of time. Normally an interim serves a shorter term period such as 1 year, while a designated minister can serve a 3-5 year term. St. Peter's United Church of Christ is in the process of calling an Intentional Interim Minister to provide pastoral leadership until the search process can begin for a new settled pastor. |
