It is with sadness, but also with the belief in some ways it will be for the best, Kathleen Decker-Szakas will be leaving as our minister on June 30 of this year. After serving us since July 2021 as a co-part-time pastor with the Rev. Priscilla Dreyman, Pastor Kathleen will become the full-time minister at the Union Church of Belgrade Lakes, Maine, on July 1 of this year. The decision was made by New England Conference Bishop Thomas Bickerton and announced at our church on Sunday.

Kathleen is replacing the Rev. Elanor Collinsworth, who is retiring.

Pastor Kathleen came to us after serving as the full-time minister at the Highland Avenue UMC in Gardiner, Maine. She now will return to full-time and live in a parsonage overlooking Belgrade Lakes. For almost the past four years, she has been commuting each week the 66 miles from her home in Winthrop to Cape Elizabeth.

After Pastor Priscilla retired in 2022, Pastor Kathleen served us alone as our part-time minister, but her unwavering commitment to the CEUMC carried far more hours than that.

Our Staff-Parish Relations Committe, led by Dr. Mark Braun, will soon meet with our district superintendent to begin determining who will lead us beginning in July.

Congratulations and Goodspeed, Kathleen!