Saugatuck Congregational Church Welcomes
Reverend Alison J. Buttrick Patton, Our New Pastor
Read about Rev. Buttrick Patton's debut on WestportNow.com and TheHour.com!
Rev. Alison J. Buttrick Patton
Photo by Jane Mangold
Three months ago our congregation called Reverend Alison J. Buttrick Patton as Saugatuck’s next pastor at the culmination of a joyous candidating weekend and with a unanimous vote by the congregation. She will join Saugatuck Congregational Church on May 1st, and her first service with us will be on Sunday, May 6th at Temple Israel.
Alison will move to Westport in May, and her family—husband Craig and sons Tobey (age 9) and Ian (age 6)—will join her later in June when the boys finish their school year in Simsbury. The family recently visited Westport so the boys could see their new home and they are excited about beginning this new chapter in their lives.
During the past few months Alison has stayed in touch with John Walsh and Betsy Gillespie regarding the church re-building after the fire. Andrea Cross, our vice moderator, has worked closely with Alison on planning for her involvement in upcoming church meetings and events.
Rev. Alison J. Buttrick Patton with her husband Craig and sons Ian and Toby.
Photo by Jane Mangold.
Alison has served at First Church Simsbury since 2007 as Associate Minister for Parish Life and Outreach. She has been active in the wider United Church of Christ and will serve as conference preacher at the Connecticut Conference Fall Meeting in 2012. Prior to Simsbury, Alison was Dean of Community Life and Director of Admissions for eight years at Chicago Theological Seminary. During that time she was interim co-pastor at the Peoples Church of Chicago. She received a Master of Divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary in 1999. She graduated from Bates College in Maine in 1992 where she met her husband, Craig. They married in 1992. Both Alison and Craig grew up in New England. Alison’s parents were both UCC ministers.
Alison’s office will be located at the temporary church offices at 319 Post Road East, Westport. Please join the congregation in welcoming her, and join us at her first service with us on Sunday, May 6 at 10:00 at Temple Israel, 14 Coleytown Road, Westport.
Read Dan Woog’s interview with Alison on his blog, 06880, here:
http://06880danwoog.com/2012/04/29/rev-alison-patton-takes-the-pulpit/
A Message from the Pastor Search Committee
January 26, 2012
Rev. Alison J. Buttrick Patton
Dear Friends and Members of Saugatuck Congregational Church,
We are delighted to let you know that Saugatuck has a new Pastor! Reverend Alison J. Buttrick Patton was called and unanimously approved by the members who attended the Congregational meeting following the worship service on Sunday, January 22, 2012.
A native New Englander, Alison earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Theatre Arts from Bates College and a Master of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary. She joins us from First Church Simsbury in Simsbury, CT. Prior to that, she was Dean of Community Life and Director of Admissions and Recruitment at Chicago Theological Seminary and served at The Peoples Church of Chicago.
Alison has profound gifts of mind, heart and spirit, and ministers from a core of commitment and joy. Energetic in her ministry, she is passionate about missions and social justice. Her family includes two sons, Tobey (age 9) and Ian (age 6) and husband Craig, a fiction writer and full-time parent.
To learn more about Alison and the many gifts she brings to Saugatuck, please click here.
Read Alison's sermon from Candidating Sunday.
We look forward to welcoming Alison as she begins her ministry with Saugatuck on Tuesday, May 1, 2012.
The Pastor Search Committee
Elizabeth Baldwin
Russ Brenneman
Russ Bulkeley
Andrea Cross
Mary Jean Koster
Larry Robinson
Sara Walsh