AldersgateDe

J. Christopher Pennington

What a blessing it is to serve the people of Aldersgate UMC! My arrival at Aldersgate comes after a series of many wonderful stops along the way. I was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware and attended Brandywine High School before heading off to the University of Delaware. Following graduation, I went off into the workforce starting out at a travel agency and ending up at a title insurance company before taking my first pastoral appointment. Along the way, I honed my skills at management and personnel, accounting, and all facets of running a business. It was a fun time of life but the most fun was that during this time I met my wife, Christy. I felt the call to go into pastoral ministry on May 25, 1997 during a retreat experience at a Methodist camp in Maryland. I immediately began the process of becoming a pastor in the United Methodist Church. I attended Palmer Seminary that fall and completed my Master of Divinity degree in the spring of 2003. During that I time I was serving as the pastor of three churches on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. What a joy the people of the Crapo Charge were and remain in my life. Upon finishing my degree, I was appointed to serve Christ UMC in Wilmington, Delaware. I spent four years there and cherish the memories I have of those people. From Christ UMC, I was appointed serve the community of Seaford, Delaware at St. John’s UMC. I will never forget my four years at St. John’s. I started at Aldersgate UMC on July 1, 2011 completing a journey of serving in many different styles of churches. I look forward with eager anticipation to what the future holds because I know who holds the future. I pray God’s blessing upon you and the peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ be with you always!