On Sunday, March 8, Staff/Parish Relations Team Leader Linda Orth announced that Rev. Hal Low has been appointed as our pastor as of July 1. At the same time Pastor Hal, as he likes to be known, was informing his congregation at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Franklin Square, NY (Nassau County).

Although the announcement’s timing was unknown to everyone except the SPR team who had met with Pastor Hal the day before, the announcement itself was anticipated.  The congregation had known since early February that Pastor Ando would leave NSUMC after June 30, responding to a new calling from God to serve Him in a different way.

Pastor Hal may be new to our church but he is very familiar with Long Island as he grew up in Brentwood, graduated from Stony Brook, and has lived and worked much of his life on Long Island and other places in the metropolitan area. “I look forward to becoming more familiar with the eastern half of Suffolk County.”

Prior to entering the ministry, he worked in health-related social services for a good deal of his adult life.  “I worked primarily in the roles of public health educator and as a counselor with various populations including: people with mental illness, people with developmental disabilities, and people affected by HIV/AIDS.  I have considerable experience in helping people with grief and loss.”

Pastor Hal told SPR that he had felt called by God to ordained ministry early in his life. “After much prayer, conversation, and resistance, I finally accepted God’s call to ‘feed my sheep.’  He earned his Master of Divinity degree from Drew University in 2009, Magna Cum Laude, and served as Assistant pastor at Northport UMC, Associate Pastor at the Greenville, NY UMC, and Pastor of the Diamond Hill UMC in Greenwich, CT before being assigned to Franklin Square in July, 2013.

“As a pastor I see my role as a guide and teacher who walks with God’s people into a deeper relationship with Jesus, and engages others about the love of God found in Jesus. Together we are the church, the people of God in Christ, empowered by God’s Spirit to grow in love and trust in God, and to grow in love and concern for other people and the world God has entrusted to us.  Therefore, worship is the heart of the church, and mission is the attitude of the church.

“Everything we do as church, worship — mission — outreach and inreach, we do to be and to make disciples of Jesus Christ. I hold a vision of church as an inclusive community secured in Jesus Christ.”

Pastor Hal is not married. He lives with his 20-year old adopted son Taylor. “In spite of some considerable challenges, not the least of which is autism, Taylor is a great kid with a big heart and friendly disposition.’He loves Jesus and enjoys attending worship. Taylor loves to go to the zoo, enjoys basketball, is a really good bowler, and loves music of all genres.”

When will others be able to meet Pastor Hal? As we get closer to July, SPR will arrange several “meet and greet” opportunities. This is a time of transition for our two churches and pastors. It’s good to remember that it is God that we serve not any particular pastor. We continue to do His will as we discern it, and we pray for a peaceful and uplifting completion for both congregations with our pastors.

Diane Burkhardt