McLean Community Church welcomes new pastor

Pastor Christian (Chris) Jewell spent his first official day in the pulpit as the McLean Community Church United Church of Christ’s new pastor on June 9 and has alternated holding the congregation’s weekly Sunday services inside and outside ever since, depending on the weather.

“This is my first experience with a truly rural area and church,” Jewell said, “but I like it! If you get beneath superficial differences, people are all very similar wherever you are.”

Chris’ parents, David and Patricia Jewell, grew up in the midwest, and Chris was born in Las Vegas — not Nevada, but New Mexico — because David worked for the state of New Mexico at that time.

Chris was 10 years old when the family, which also included his older sister, Amy, and younger brother, Jeremy, moved to Brockport, New York. David had taken a position as a professor at SUNY Brockport (SUNYB), from which he eventually retired, and Patricia taught elementary school before ending her career working in the SUNYB library.

Having graduated from Brockport High School in 1987, Chris began his studies at SUNYB in psychology and English but left after two years to join the workforce. He took a job working in group homes with mentally ill and/or developmentally disabled individuals who struggled with behavioral problems.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do with college, and I was looking for life experience,” Chris said. “You learn a great deal about yourself when working in those settings, where you are dealing with behaviors you don’t see every day. It was definitely good training for ministry, and I think it’s a great job for young people! You learn about your own reactions, responses and prejudices.”

When Chris turned 30, he knew it was time to look for a different line of work. He returned to SUNYB in 2000 and earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in English. Chris then began to be interested in world religions.

“I used to go into the sanctuary during the day to meditate at my parents’ church, Brockport United Methodist,” Chris said. “It was there that I met Pastor Theva from Sri Lanka. We developed a relationship, and he suggested I attend divinity school. That was a pivotal point in my life!”

While working nights in a group home, Chris attended Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School for three years, earning his master’s degree in New Testament Studies in 2006. His thesis was titled, “The Continuous Autobiographical Self as the Narrow Gate in the Gospel of Matthew,” which prompted him to attend Naropa University in Colorado for the next year to study meditation practicum.

“In divinity school, you learn a lot about the kingdom of God, but not a way to step into that kingdom,” Chris explained. “I was looking for that at Naropa. I believe you don’t need to be a Buddhist to practice meditation. You can use it to deepen your own Christian faith.”

In the midst of the rest of his studies, Chris earned his master’s degree in Pastoral Studies at St. Bernard’s Theological School in Rochester in 2007 and also spent a year at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California working toward his Master of Divinity degree, which he finished online in 2012.

Once Chris returned to New York state, he moved to Rochester, where he was hired full-time as a counselor at the Salvation Army. In 2014, Chris switched to working there part-time because he had been called to be the pastor of the United Methodist Church (UMC) in Fairport, New York. In 2017, Chris left both of those positions behind when he was called to be the pastor of Faith UMC in Schenectady, where he remained until 2022.

“Through the years, I had been considering a move to the United Church of Christ [UCC] denomination because it seemed more open and welcoming theologically,” Chris said. “In early 2024, I left the UMC denomination, and then learned about the opening at McLean UCC from a job posting on the divinity school website and applied.”

Chris was called for an interview in March, which he said was held via Zoom, and came in person to preach in April. In late May, he was voted in as pastor, and the rest, as they say, is history.

In his spare time, Chris enjoys regular exercise and is a runner. He said that he loves to read and watch movies — especially old movies.

“I welcome the community to come and explore and investigate the endlessly deep and fascinating teachings of Jesus and Paul,” Chris said. “Our services are every Sunday at 10 a.m.”

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or text or call Linda at 607-227-4922. 

In brief:

VBS at McLean Community Church

The McLean Community Church, 50 Church St., will hold its Vacation Bible School from 6 to 8 p.m. nightly July 21 through 25. The theme is “Food Truck Party — On a Roll With God,” and it is open to children ages five through 12. For more information, contact McLeanUCC@gmail.com or 607-838-8234.

Groton Youth Football and Cheer

Groton Youth Football and Cheer season is just around the corner, and it all starts with camp Monday, Aug. 5 through Thursday, Aug. 8 at the Groton Jr/Sr High School practice field from 6 to 7:30 p.m. nightly.

The season begins with senior tackle Aug. 12, junior tackle and flag football Aug. 19 and cheer Aug. 26. Football equipment handouts will take place Aug. 17.

Please register by Aug. 12 at https://leagues.bluesombrero.com/grotonfootballandcheer. In-person registration with paper forms and cash or check will be received from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 20 at Groton Memorial Park on Sykes Street. Registration for the season includes the camp registration, too! To register for camp only, contact Brennysmom1@yahoo.com.

Groton village offices have moved!As of Monday, July 15, the village of Groton offices have moved to the new location at 308 Main St. To make utility payments, please use the drop box at the new location, pay at the First National Bank of Groton or pay online at grotonny.org.