We are happy to announce the Rev. Loren McGrail has accepted the role of our Interim Pastor. We look forward to her first worship with us on December 18th and welcoming her for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. She will officially begin as our Interim Pastor on January 1, 2023.
Rev. McGrail graduated from Andover Newton Theological School (ANTS) with honors as a Johnathan Edwards Scholar. In addition, she received two certificates: World Mission and Ecumenism from Boston Theological School, and Faith, Health and Spirituality from ANTS for her work coordinating the Reiki Ministry at ANTS from 2002-2004.
She was ordained into ministry as a hospital chaplain in 2007 and worked as a chaplain and clinical pastoral education (CPE) supervisor in training from 2007-2010. In 2011 she volunteered for the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel on the Bethlehem Team. In 2013 she went back as a mission co-worker for the Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ Global Ministries. She served the YWCA of Palestine and the Church of Scotland as an ecumenical partner.
She worked as an interim pastor for Irondequoit United Church of Christ from 2019-2022 and most recently as a Bridge Pastor at University Congregational United Church of Christ in Seattle.
Rev. McGrail serves on the steering committee of the UCC Palestine Israel Network and continues to write and speak on issues related to peace and justice in Israel/Palestine. She is also very committed to racial justice, immigrant rights, creation justice, and affirmation and protection for LGBTQIA plus. She has one daughter who lives in Seattle with her husband. Rev. McGrail is a writer and multimedia artist.
We look forward to Reverend McGrail’s guidance and spiritual leadership as we ready ourselves for the call of a new Settled Pastor sometime after summer of 2024. Rev McGrail expects to be on site in NJ sometime in early December 2022. She is looking forward to getting to know us and is excited to join us during the Christmas Season.