Pastor Cathy graduated with a Masters of Divinity degree from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley in May 2002, was commissioned for ministry in the United Methodist Church in the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference in June, and ordained in 2005.   She has served United Methodist congregations in Marysville, Snoqualmie, and Sand Point in Seattle before being appointed to United Church in University Place – September 2014.  During her seminary training she served for a year as a hospital chaplain in San Francisco.

Her passion in ministry includes inviting people to respond to the great love of God as they move toward healing and wholeness in their lives; building relationships with those who have been part of a church community for years, and those who find themselves new to the faith; and helping people find their passion in the world through service. Pastor Cathy connects faith and life together in a relevant way through sermons that challenge, affirm, and make meaning of this precious life we have been given through the grace of God.

Cathy shares her life with an adorable 10 year old husky, named Denali, as well as her spouse, Angie.   They love to travel, bike, hike, kayak, and enjoy walking on the waterfront  in Old Town Tacoma.

A native of the Pacific Northwest, I have been in the music ministry for over two decades, serving as a pianist, organist, choir director, and composer.

I earned a BA in Music from Western Washington University and studied jazz piano at Cornish College of the Arts. Since then, I have worked professionally as a pianist, accompanist, composer, and piano teacher. Additionally, I have been active as a community theater music director, orchestra member, and composer. I also work as an accompanist at Pacific Lutheran University.

In my spare time I am an avid reader (historical novels, biographies, fiction), like to bicycle, ski, play croquette, and go fly-fishing.

I was born and raised in University Place, Washington. I attended UP Elementary School  and graduated from Curtis High School. Most recently, I was employed by TrueBlue, Inc. as the Accounts Payable Department Supervisor. I am very happy and blessed to have become a part of the United Church’s caring community.
I am an animal lover. As a young girl, my dream was to rescue all the shelter animals and give them   loving homes. I also secretly wanted to be TinkerBell, but the chance of being hired wasn’t too likely!

I live in Lakewood, Washington. I enjoy watching a good movie, reading and RVing any chance I get(although my 4 cats are not as thrilled with traveling as I am).

My name is Jem and I am a Libra from Spokane, WA, with two older siblings and an interfaith family. Growing up with both Christian and Muslim influences has definitely shaped my life today and emphasized an inherent religious tolerance for the people I meet.

I am delighted to be UCUP’s new Elementary Sunday School teacher! I guess it runs in the family, since my sister is the Director of Youth Ministry at Gig Harbor United Methodist Church. Some of my qualifications include years (and years and years) of babysitting and childcare. I’ve mostly worked for individual families and various church retreats and functions. I am really excited to get to know the children of UCUP!

I am pursuing a BA in French at Pacific Lutheran University, with minors in Dance and Kinesiology. I enjoy copious amounts of coffee, long walks in the pouring rain between classes (when I inevitably leave my umbrella behind so I have a free hand for my coffee), and discovering new coffee drinks that further enrich my life. Jokes aside, most of my free time is spent studying and helping with events in the Theatre & Dance Department. On the (rare) free Tuesday evening, I enjoy attending Tacoma College Ministry’s Lighthouse group at the University of Puget Sound. My favorite ways to commune with God are through worship, journaling, and being present in nature.

Thank you all for being so welcoming! I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us.