About Heather
Sharing God's inclusive and unconditional love with all people lies at the core of Heather's life and ministry. She is an effective and flexible leader who enjoys serving in a wide variety of roles:
Preaching in the pulpit, empowering others to serve Christ, walking with the suffering in hospice, growing the church, partnering with interfaith and city leaders, volunteering at the food pantry, discerning how to be good stewards of our treasures, and teaching in the classroom.
Heather is compassionate, energetic, hopeful, and creative, with a witty sense of humor and commitment to optimism. She views challenges as opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Heather is passionate about mission outreach by putting her faith into action and building relationships with people from all walks of life.​​​​
​With 20 years of experience in church ministry, one of Heather's biggest passions is helping to grow and revitalize the church, especially making the church a welcoming community for families and the "unchurched." She strives to see things from God's perspective by reimagining what it means to be the church in our ever-changing world.
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Heather's calling as a pastor is a privilege and an honor which she embraces everyday, especially how much fun it can be!
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Pictured: Heather blessing the pumpkins before the church's annual pumpkin patch fundraiser. All the proceeds went directly to their mission partners.
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Background
Heather has enjoyed a career in both music and ministry. She received a Bachelor and Master of Music from Johns Hopkins University, the Peabody Conservatory of Music. In her first career, Heather was a professional clarinetist, educator, and church music director, who toured internationally with orchestras.
Heather later received a Master of Divinity from Union Presbyterian Seminary (Virginia), where she received awards for her outstanding preaching, and superior academic achievement. Heather pursued PhD graduate work at Emory University and has several publications in biblical studies.
She is a Presbyterian Church (USA) Minister of Word and Sacrament. Heather is grateful to serve as the Interim/Transitional Pastor at Bellmore Presbyterian Church on Long Island (NY). Previously, she has served congregations in North Carolina, Virginia, and New Jersey. Heather brings a wealth of experience from her first career into her pastoral ministry.
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Pictured: Heather learning the cello for the first time as an adult. It's much harder than it looks!
Outside the Pulpit
Heather loves to explore the world by traveling and hiking with her partner, Rob, and their yellow lab, Sadie. She also enjoys cooking, rooting for the NY Giants, swimming laps in the pool, attending concerts/broadway shows, and spending time with family and friends. Heather recently finished a sabbatical at the beautiful Jersey Shore in Point Pleasant Beach, where she embraced being a beach girl!
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Pictured: Heather and her puppy, Sadie, who was learning how to swim in the Hudson River, Adirondacks.
