Founded in 1719, First Parish Congregational Church, UCC is an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ. We are a community of faith built upon a firm foundation of worship, prayer and education. In affirming diversity, we are dedicated to welcoming all people who seek the Word of God, Christian fellowship and service to others. Our pastor is the Rev. Dr. Deborah Roof. We worship in our beautiful and historic sanctuary.
10:00 am Fall-Spring
– 9:00am Summer
Pastor Deborah is a warm, enthusiastic, outgoing person who is full of great energy to do God’s work. Deborah believes whole-heartedly in honoring the faith of our parents and grandparents as we speak the language of our children and grandchildren — moving boldly into God’s future together.
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– After teaching 19 years of French and Spanish for a living, Pastor Deborah answered God’s Call to enter ministry. She is convinced that she is called to preach the love of God, to teach the sacred stories of our faith ancestors, and to bring the Bible to life in our times. Pastor Deborah grew up a Methodist and spent 14 years as a Presbyterian, before being led to the United Church of Christ.
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– Pastor Deborah graduated from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in 2003 with a Masters of Divinity. She earned a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Chicago Theological Seminary in 2009. Upon graduation from Colgate Rochester Crozer Deborah served as Chaplain at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY for the next 12 months. In the summer of 2004 she was called to serve as bridge Interim Pastor at Mountain Rise United Church of Christ near Rochester. In November of that year, she was called as Pastor of Lakeville United Church of Christ, a community she faithfully loved and served for 7 ½ years. Pastor Deborah was ordained by Genesee Valley Association, New York Conference on May 15, 2005. In April 2012 Deborah was called to serve as Interim Pastor of the Downtown United Presbyterian Church in Rochester, NY.
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– Weaving together liturgy, scriptures and music seem to be God’s gift to Pastor Deborah, fulfilling her passion and earnest desire to create meaningful worship services. She delivers thought provoking and creative sermons. As a visionary leader with an endless supply of ideas, energy, projects, programs and ministry, Pastor Deborah loves to work collaboratively with others.
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– Pastor Heidi Carrington Heath serves as Director of Christian Education at First Parish in Derry. Pastor Heidi is a UCC pastor and teacher who has served and preached at congregations across New England. She comes to us from the UCC in Keene, NH where she most recently served as Adjunct Minister. She is a graduate of Andover Newton Theological School with a Master of Divinity Degree and certificate in Pastoral Care and Counseling. Pastor Heidi believes deeply in the ministries of Christian Education and faith formation, and that our children are not the church of tomorrow, but the church of today.
