Decorah UCC welcomes new pastor

Decorah United Church of Christ (UCC) welcomes the Reverend Seth Robinson as their new senior pastor.
 
Robinson started his duties at Decorah UCC on May 5th.  Arriving in Decorah in the midst of "COVID-time" brings unique challenges, but as church members are quick to point out: "The church is open, only the building is closed!"

Raised in a small town in central Massachusetts, Robinson pursued his undergraduate studies at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, graduating in 2011 with a major in religion.  In 2014, he earned his Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Following additional studies in theology, church history, and UCC policy, he was ordained to ministry at the United Church of Christ in 2018.

Prior to his call to Decorah UCC, Robinson held positions as a community organizer in a parish setting and as a hospital chaplain resident caring for patients and families in critical care.  Most recently, he served as associate pastor at First Congregational Church (UCC) in Billerica, Massachusetts, near Boston, where he focused on revitalization and community outreach.

Robinson may be new to the Upper Midwest, but his wife, the Reverend Laura Shatzer, is not.  Shatzer grew up in eastern Iowa (including Dubuque and Iowa City) and is a graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.  Even Decorah is familiar as her parents are both graduates of Luther College.

Decorah UCC's mission is to "be a place of extravagant welcome where everyone, everyone, everyone can encounter the Sacred."  While the church building will remain closed until further notice, Decorah UCC continues its ministry.

"I'm grateful to be joining in ministry with folks who are leaning into the uncertainty of these times with so much curiosity and creativity and heart," Robinson says. "I look forward to learning new (physically distanced!) dance steps with them as we worship online, care for each other remotely, and serve in partnership with our neighbors. We are discovering how to be the church—to live out Jesus's gospel of justice, mercy, love, and grace—in this time and place. Amid the collective grief and anxiety of this moment, we are finding glimmers of joy and anchors of hope."

A welcome celebration and installation service for Pastor Seth will be scheduled at a later time, when all may once again safely attend. To learn more about Decorah UCC and ways to connect with the congregation, visit www.decorahucc.org.