The First Congregational Church of Camden recently welcomed Reverend Patty Fox to serve as Associate Minister. Reverend Fox joins Senior Minister, Reverend Doctor Ute Molitor in serving the congregation and the wider community. Reverend Fox commenced her position on Friday, April 1, and has been steadily acclimating herself to the role. 

The areas of ministry which Reverend Fox has been tasked with include strengthening the church’s Christian Education/Formation for children and youth, widening the church’s welcome, and helping the congregation live into its Open and Affirming (ONA) identity, according to a news release from the church. 

In recent weeks, Reverend Fox has been planning a service to honor Pride Month, and on Sunday, June 5, at 9:30 a.m., a service of worship will be held to celebrate First Congregational Church’s Open and Affirming identity, embracing diversity and affirming the dignity and worth of every person, and specifically to recognize the positive impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals have on the community.  All are welcome to sing, pray and celebrate together on June 5.

Reverend Fox said in a news release: “Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people of faith often experience emotional and spiritual injury in those churches that condemn their capacity to love and seek love. Because they’ve learned that ‘All Are Welcome’ usually doesn’t apply to them, they can’t assume that any church will be safe for them and their families.” 

Fox continued: “The First Congregational Church of Camden believes that we are ALL created in God’s image and so we, as a faith community, welcome into full membership and participation in the Body of Christ persons of every race, ethnic background, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, socio-economic background, marital status and faith background.  We welcome everyone to share in all aspects of our church life.”

Joining Reverends Fox and Molitor will be a number of church members and friends sharing in the June 5 worship service, adding voice and instrumental music to the welcoming atmosphere. A coffee hour fellowship will immediately follow the service. 

The 9:30 worship service will also be available via Zoom, and anyone interested in attending in this way should contact Becky in the church office by noon on Friday, June 3, to receive an invitation: 207-236-4821 or churchoffice@camdenucc.org.

Reverend Patty Fox biography

Rev. Patty Fox graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary and was ordained by the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1992.  She transferred her ordination to the United Church of Christ in 2019. In addition to an M.Div., Patty holds a Masters’ in Social Work from Rutgers University, and is a Licensed Certified Social Worker in the state of Massachusetts. 

Over her 30-year professional career Patty has worked as a chaplain in a variety of settings including college campuses and shelters for survivors of domestic violence.  She has also provided pastoral care to people living with HIV/AIDS and those in hospice and has worked as a pastor in church settings with five different congregations.

Patty originally hails from the Pacific Northwest but lived for many years in New Jersey.  She and her spouse Lisanne have two children who are both young adults; Lou who will continue to study Theater at the University of Southern Maine this fall, and Maya who recently graduated from Baldwin Wallace University with degrees in Political Science, Urban Studies and Africana Studies. 

Patty has a passion for music and playing the mandolin.  She enjoys spending time with her beloved Cavapoos, Daisy and Percy, and lab mix Jake. Her hobbies include fishing, reading and watching movies with her kids.

About First Congregational Church of Camden

Founded in 1805, The First Congregational Church of Camden is an Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ. Worship service is held every Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m., and all are welcome. Sunday school begins at 8:45 am, and nursery care is provided during worship. The congregation offers a number of outreach programs, including Heavenly Threads Thrift Shop, the SOS Room, the Shields Mission, Prayer Shawl Knitters, Soup’s On!, the Friends of Music concert series, among others. For more information about the life of First Congregational Church, visit www.camdenucc.org,  follow on Facebook, call 207-236-4821, or stop by any Sunday morning.