Meet the Pastor
A little bit about our Pastor.
Meet Cathy Boileau
Welcome to the Pastor’s Page!
I grew up in Chicago which makes me a Bears fan transplanted in Central Pennsylvania. During my middle school years we moved to Philadelphia where I became increasingly concerned about the gap between the resources of the church in the very wealthy suburb in which we lived, and the conditions of downtown Philadelphia a few miles away. Although I grew up in the United Methodist Church, I had a hard time connecting the God that I sensed and what seemed complete indifference of the church to human need. I also didn’t understand how Jesus dying on a cross could in anyway cover my sin. One day I sensed God leading me to a path that took me to an amazing overlook overlooking the rolling hills of Valley Forge. It was a burning bush moment for me. I got down on my knees and prayed to the God I still couldn’t name, “If You will show me who You are, I will serve You all the days of my life.”
A year later, God kept His promise, as I began to recognize through the witness of Christian friends and the scriptures that this God could be known, and I could be known by Him. His name was Jesus, who really came in the flesh, and really died on a cross in my place. So, as God had kept His part of the bargain and revealed His true identity to me, I kept mine. And from May 1, 1980, I have followed Him ever since.
Keeping that promise has been a great spiritual and life adventure. It has taken me to find God in the faces of kids in the intercity where we worked for five years, and later to seminary and beyond, and back to be ordained and serve the church I once abandoned, the United Methodist Church as pastor. Since that time I have served in pastoral ministry in churches as large as 1,000 and as small as 33 members. And God has kept His promise, continuing to show me new things about His faithfulness every day.
Perhaps you are on a spiritual journey. Maybe you sense God’s presence but don’t yet know His name. Maybe you too have been disappointed by a church, and don’t know how to start back. I invite you to join us at New Creation. We aren’t perfect, but we do try to follow as much of Christ as we know each day, and let Him guide us into the future. If you are on that hillside seeking God, we invite you to join us.
Other vital statistics:
Education: B.A. Bowdoin College, M. Div Palmer Theological Seminary; graduate studies Fuller Theological Seminary.
Other pursuits: Contributing writer, Abingdon’s Women’s Preaching Annual and Preaching magazine; member, World Methodist’s Council’s Order of the Flame; Chairperson, Continuing Formation Board of Ordained Ministry.
Favorite Bible verse: John 1:5. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.
Favorite movie: Field of Dreams
Household: Husband, Michael; two sons; three dogs; two cats, a bearded dragon and a hamster named Cheetoh. (we keep those last two separate.)
Why I Get Up in the Mornings: To not miss the amazing things God will do today
My Favorite Joys in Ministry: Sharing the Word of God in worship; and watching people begin to realize their gifts and start their own God-adventures; the people of God.
What I Do To Renew: Read, camp, get out into God’s creation, spend time with my family, cook.
