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The Rev. Dr. Michael R. Stotts
An experienced United
Methodist pastor, and ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church,
Rev. Stotts has most recently served for five years as Pastor of
the United Methodist Church of Gales Ferry, CT.
Prior to his move to Connecticut, Rev. Stotts was Pastor of the
United Parish Church in Fort Fairfield, Maine, and one of eight
part-time Parish and Community Development Consultants of the New
England Conference of the United Methodist Church. He served parishes
in Massachusetts for over twenty years, before moving to Western
Pennsylvania in 1994, where he became the Director of Communications
and editor of the conference newspaper for our denomination there.
He served in that position for 3 years, followed by a brief interim
pastorate at the King's Chapel United Methodist Church, in Neshannock
Twp., Pennsylvania, before moving back to New England in 1997. ("We
missed New England!")
Of his interests in ministry, Dr. Stotts (who most people know as "Mike") says he loves "just getting to know people,"
and "bringing a congregation together" into a "caring,
welcoming and friendly family--one that also reaches out in service
to our world in need." He also loves preaching, writing, and
being involved in community life. For example he is currently an
active Rotarian, and in his present parish has worked with a local
group to try to improve relationships between the Mashuntucket Pequot
tribe (owners of the nearby Foxwoods casino), and the town, and
also worked with the local mayor and other pastors to help reach
out to Louisiana refugees. While in an earlier parish, in Northern
Maine, he was Hospice Chaplain for his area, and in previous communities
where the couple has lived, Mike has served on a variety of town
committees, especially related to housing issues. He also enjoys
music, and in some congregations, where time has permitted, he has
sung in the church choir. Walking is his favorite form of exercise,
especially in the early morning "when all is peaceful."
Mike says that his wife is very much "a partner" in his
ministry. He was married in 1969 to Peggy Reed, a trained children's
librarian from Ohio. Due to an auto accident, she has a permanent
neurological disabling condition, which has led to the couple's
interest in ministry with persons with disabilities over the years.
Peggy Stotts also enjoys being an active member in the church family,
and has always been very much involved in churches the couple has
served.
Four of their pastorates were in eastern Massachusetts from 1971
through 1994: East Bridgewater, in Southeastern, Mass.; Bourne and
Cataumet on Cape Cod; East Saugus, near Boston; and Wilmington,
a large suburban church north of the city. During his time in Massachusetts
churches, Mike also chaired three major denominational committees
in the Southern New England, and New England Conferences of the
United Methodist Church, including the Personnel and Structure Committee,
The Bureau of Conference Sessions and the Conference Communications
Committee.
The son of a Methodist pastor and seminary professor, Mike was born
in California, and lived in Colorado, but moved to Massachusetts,
at an early age. There he graduated from Lexington High School,
and Boston University's College of Liberal Arts (AB, Sociology,
1968), and School of Theology, (ThM, Sociology of Religion, 1971).
Because of his love for writing, Rev. Stotts has written many articles
for denominational and other publications. In 1990, he received
a Doctor of Theology degree in Communication and Church and Society
from Boston University, which included training in print journalism
and communication in the church, especially interpersonal communication
in local congregations (communication networks) and a focus on his
denomination's communication with people with handicapping conditions.
Since that time, he has led many workshops for the denomination
both in Western PA and in New England dealing with various types
of communications, especially "Overcoming Communication Barriers
in the local Church". When he was conference consultant, he
helped churches with communications problems, conflict management,
improving various communications media, long-range planning, and
incorporating people with disabilities in the congregation. Peggy
has also joined him in helping congregations with handicap accessibility
issues, and other efforts to reach out to people with disabilities.
Mike and Peggy have also traveled widely. They participated in a
West German pastor's exchange program in 1975, and were delegates
to the World Methodist Conference in Singapore in 1990. Following
the conference they also traveled in Australia. In 1993, they took
a group from their parish in Wilmington, Mass., on a two week trip
to Germany and Switzerland, visiting church sights there. While
in Western Pennsylvania, Mike was a member of an exploratory mission
team for his conference which traveled to the northern part of Russia,
in the Komi Republic. In his youth, Mike also lived for a year in
India, while his father taught at a church college there.
Concerning his coming work with our congregation, Rev. Stotts says
he and Peggy are looking forward to being with us, getting to know
everyone, and enjoying being back in Massachusetts. He's excited
about being in ministry with us, and helping us build on the forward-looking
work already in progress in many areas of church life in our parish.
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Who We Are:
Children and Teens
Adults
Retired
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About Us:
Pastor Michael Stotts
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