As we get to know one another and share life in this interim period, may I offer this introduction to you regarding my journey of education, training and service in ministry through the years?

I grew up in Wilcox, Arizona and Collins, Mississippi, places my parents and grandparents called home. I graduated with a B.A. from Mississippi College (1974) and a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky (1979). In 1993, I completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, MA, focusing on pastoral care and counseling.

My training includes five units of Clinical Pastoral Education and many active years as a Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, I maintained a private practice as a pastoral counselor through the years in places where I was in ministry and continue to feel this is an important skill I bring into ministry.

As an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ for 37 years (and an ordained Baptist minister for the first 10 years of my career in ministry), I have experience as a chaplain, pastor, teacher, and pastoral counselor. I was the part-time Protestant Chaplain at Bentley University in Waltham, MA, and served churches as a settled and interim pastor in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Vermont, Northern California, Mississippi and New York.

My international work includes service as a career missionary to Thailand in the early 80s, teaching at Thammasat University in Bangkok. Soon after that service, I found the UCC, moved my membership to the UCC and transferred my ordained ministerial standing by “privilege of call" to the Metro Boston Association, Massachusetts Conference in 1989. In 2016, I had the opportunity to go back to Thailand as a Mission Associate with Global Ministries (UCC/Disciples ministries). I taught briefly at Christian University in Nakom Pathom, Thailand.

My most recent place of ministry has been in Methuen, MA, where I am completing a two-year term as the interim Minister at First Church Congregational, UCC. My church membership is at Church of the Covenant in Boston, and my ordained ministerial standing is with the Metro Boston Association of the Southern New England Conference, UCC.

Regarding my family, I am the proud mom of Paul Brigham and his daughter, Sierra Brigham, my granddaughter. They live in the Boston, MA area. My daughter, Martha Brigham, is married to Erin Anderson and they make their home in Brooklyn, New York with their sweet dog, Georgie. Martha was a member of Westwood Hills when she lived in L.A. back in 2007. Sadly, my dear husband of 35 years, Bill Brigham, died in 2008.

I look forward to walking together, listening to one another, learning from one another and discerning together where the Spirit is leading us in the interim time while you search for a settled pastor. We know our world is marked by uncertainty, division, and suffering so I am grateful for our call to be the church with commitment to dialogue, prayer, peace and unity in Christ. May Christ’s light shine in and through us!

I can be reached at revann@westwooducc.org. I’m glad to share more about myself and learn about your faith journey! Don’t hesitate to reach out.

Grace and peace,

Rev. Ann Rogers Brigham