Bath United Church of Christ welcomes new senior pastor

by Wendy Turrell

The Rev. Dr. Cindy Parker began senior pastoral duties with the Bath United Church of Christ on Nov. 21. Parker comes from The Church of the Red Rocks in Sedona, Arizona. She was chosen after an extensive search process, conducted by a committee of seven church members, headed by Mary Hoolihan.

Hoolihan said the search committee wanted to ensure “we were describing our beloved congregation accurately to potential candidates.” They followed the guidelines of the Northeast Ohio Office of the UCC, met weekly for prayer and discernment, surveyed the Bath Church membership, and interviewed members of 21 community organizations. The feedback helped identify the role Bath Church plays in the community and the challenges it may face in coming years. The resulting pastor profile was distributed to every registered minister in the denomination.

“During the pandemic,” Parker said, “It was extremely difficult to be so far away from our family. I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to look for churches closer to Pennsylvania,” where her husband Larry’s family resides. “While I was looking at the UCC’s website, I came across the listing for the Bath Church.”

Parker said, “I felt called to the Bath Church because of the wonderful ministry they offer to families and children,” expressing her passion for “sharing the good news of the gospel to all ages, but especially to the youngest ones among us.”

Hoolihan said 20 candidates applied for the pastorship but, “From the initial Zoom interview, we felt a calling: us to Cindy, and Cindy to us. At the end of our interview, which went far longer than we had anticipated, she prayed for our church, the search process, and each of the committee members by name,” Hoolihan said.

The committee watched the Church of the Red Rocks’ virtual services, which gave them an idea of Parker’s style, messaging, and relationship with her congregation. “When we finally had an opportunity to meet her in person, our committee was struck by her passion for ministry to people of all ages, as well as her genuine positivity and warmth,” Hoolihan said.

The vetting process culminated on Aug. 8, when Parker was invited to meet the congregation and lead a Sunday worship service in a neutral pulpit in Parma, after which the members voted to extend the call to her.

Four of Cindy and Larry Parker’s five grown children live in Pennsylvania or the eastern U.S. The youngest, Miranda, is a junior at Northern Arizona University. Parker recently officiated the September wedding of her daughter Lauren to husband Daniel in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and in October she co-officiated (with the groom’s mother, who is also a pastor) the marriage of her daughter Marissa to husband Jacob in Gahanna, Ohio.

Larry is a professional photographer who holds a master of photography degree, awarded by The National Professional Photographers of America. For twenty years he had a studio in Latrobe, Pa, where he was the official hometown photographer of golfing great Arnold Palmer. He was also one of the official photographers for the inaugurations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush.

In addition to her pastoral role, Parker also serves as a spiritual director for “Walk to Emmaus” retreats. When she first experienced the retreat she said, “I felt like I had just spent 72 hours with Jesus … Because of that transforming weekend, I give of my time and talents to help others experience a taste of heaven here on Earth.”

Another of her passions is the Kairos Outside ministry. She said the word “Kairos” means God’s time, and the ministry is a group of women, who share God’s love with other women who are impacted by incarceration. Parker defined the Kairos theme as, “Listen, listen, love, love.”

“That is my plan for the Bath Church — to listen and love them well,” she said. “The church and I will listen to God and to one another. I hope to encourage the church to reach out beyond their four walls and share God’s love in creative and innovative ways.” ∞