St. Andrew UCC, Sarasota Welcomes New Interim Pastor- Dr. Mary Alice Mulligan

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community extends a warm welcome to Rev. Dr. Mary Alice Mulligan. We look forward to many lively encounters and and working together with her on future ecumenical worship and ministry celebrations! Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP (From St. Andrew UCC Midweek Update) Welcome Rev. Dr. Mary Alice Mulligan! This week, we welcome Rev. Dr. Mary Alice Mulligan as our Interim Minister.  We are excited to have her lead us over the next year and grow our church family in open minds, open hearts, and open arms!    Mary Alice Mulligan grew up in a Methodist parsonage in Chicago during the Civil Rights Movement, so for her, faith in Jesus Christ has always resulted in striving for a more just world. For about 10 years in her young adulthood she was disconnected from the church, during which time she was active in peace and justice issues and studied world religions. When she came back to the Christian faith, she attended various congregations, searching for a blend of serious commitment to God and to social justice. She joined and was ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), with whom the United Church of Christ is in partnership. She has served churches in Illinois, Tennessee, Indiana, and Alabama, most of which were Interim Ministries. She is also affiliate professor of Homiletics and Social  Ethics at Christian Theological Seminary. She has an MA in world religions from Drew University; an MDiv from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, and a PhD in Homiletics and Social Ethics from Vanderbilt. St. Andrew is particularly attractive to Rev. Mulligan because of the strong sense of mission and welcome the church claims. Being a just peace church and open and affirming are important to her. During this interim time, even in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic, she trusts we can set goals and move towards the future we believe God is calling us to, even as we allow ourselves time to grieve and catch our breath. Rev. Mary Alice enters this ministry with the belief that each person is precious to God, which means each person must be precious to us. She is eager to hear each voice in the congregation and listen for new ways to welcome others into the life of St. Andrew. We have specific tasks to accomplish during this interim season but together we also need to keep being the church we are: committed to learning about Jesus Christ, sharing meaningful worship of the One who created us in love, nourishing our spiritual lives, and maintaining our sense of service and mission.