Meet Our Pastor
In February 2010, The UCC Congregation elected Rev. Drew Willard as our minister. 
Rev Drew Willard prefers to be called "Pastor Drew" - though he answers to "Padre" or just "Drew" when the situation calls for it. In regard to this picture, he says, "The picture is a little dated. The beard comes and goes and the hair is a little more grey… and a bit less for that matter, but it's me."
Pastor Drew was ordained by the United Church of Christ in 1996 and comes to us with solid experience as a parish minister.
He first served as Associate Pastor of the Mystic Congregational Church in Connecticut for three and a half years. While there he created innovative worship experiences for the congregation involving Biblical story telling, and children's liturgical drama. He led youth group activities and helped area youth get a community skateboard park. He was active in the Connecticut UCC Conference, the local ecumenical group and participated in the CROP Walk and local work projects.
In 2000 Pastor Drew became the sole Pastor of the Holiday United Church of Christ, Holiday, Florida, where he currently serves and continues to combine his passion for Biblical storytelling into worship programs. He has conducted end-of-life services as well as paying pastoral visits as needed to members of his elderly congregation. As an active participant in Conference activities, he has been a seminar workshop leader, summer arts camp counselor, committee member for Lifelong Learning Center, and seminarian mentor. He has been involved in community outreach: serving as Chair of the West Pasco Ministerial Association, and a member of the Board of Directors for the University of Southern Florida Chapel Center. He also taught art classes for the farm workers community in Dade City and for a community tutoring program at the St Petersburg Islamic Society, and he participated in planning and performing an Evening of Sacred Stories with two other storytellers, Jewish and Muslim.
Pastor Drew had been doing ministry long before becoming a parish minister. His youth minister and camp counselors at church summer camp had a tremendous impact on his life, which proved a springboard to a career of service. He grew up in Plainfield, NJ, graduated from West Point, and served on active duty as a tactical Signal Officer in Germany and Korea. Upon leaving the US Army, he attended Lancaster Theological Seminary and graduated with a Master of Divinity degree.
Pastor Drew is committed to building bridges between people through ecumenical, interfaith, and cultural outreach. He makes the comment that the church is distinct from the Kingdom of God and therefore subject to the political intrigues of any human organization. Yet he also believes that the Kingdom is an achievable social reality 'on earth as it is in heaven' as a 'Beloved Community'. He wants to help our church come as close as possible to being a 'Beloved Community', caring for each other, and reaching out to serve God in our world.
He has said, "Christ calls us - by his words and deeds, to act creatively to overcome evil with good." Luke Chapter 24 is Pastor Drew's favorite Biblical narrative because the whole story of Christ is found here. His favorite verse is Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help..." As to the kind of "Christian" he identifies with, he says, "I'm a Pilgrim."
Pastor Drew is divorced and comes to us as a single person, with his cat George for company.
Let us greet Pastor Drew and make him welcome.