Friends, I am overjoyed knowing that I am now your associate pastor!  I’ll am coming from serving as the Director of Youth and Upward Ministries here Centreville UMC in Northern Virginia.  Prior to moving to Virginia, I grew up in the mountains of Western Pennsylvania and received a degree in religion and American history at Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA before getting my Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC in 2021.  While I have been serving in ministry in one form or another since college, this is my first full-time appointment as a pastor and I’m so glad I get to share this next adventure in life with the community you all already have built at Warwick Memorial!

I have a deep passion for sharing the Gospel in ways that reach people wherever they are in their own walk with God.  I also have a keen eye for where the things we know are holy and sacred blur the lines between what we consider to be ordinary or even profane.  Whenever we try to define where God is or is not, I believe that God constantly reminds us that He doesn’t really care for these arbitrary boundaries we build by knocking them down and I’m always on the lookout for where those boundaries are being pushed!  I’ve found that it is often there, where we least expect it, that God’s love and presence shows up in our lives and in the world around us.  By showing up in those places, church communities like ours have immense potential to make real, tangible differences in the lives of those around us and I’m so excited to join in ministry with you all there!

I will continue to work though my own process to full ordination as an Elder in the UMC while serving with you and I can’t wait to see how much I’ll be able to learn and grow alongside this community.  I now live in Newport News with my 3-year-old black cat, Dunkin’, and a bag full of dreams of what we can accomplish together with God.  Until then, know that I am praying for you and am already nurturing a deep love for each and every one of you!

Grace and peace,

Sean