New Senior Minister at First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn
Reverend Seth Ethan Carey was unanimously called by the membership to be the 38th Senior Minister at First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn (FCCGE) on Sunday, March 20, 2016. He was recommended by the Search Committee based, in part, on his ability to “be a visionary who will be respectful of the Church's past while leading boldly into the future.” Reverend Carey most recently served as the Acting Senior Minister, following nine years as the Associate and then Executive Minister at FCCGE.
Reverend Carey hails from New England with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy & Religious Studies from Southern Connecticut State University and a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School at Yale University. In his own words, “my call to do God's work came at a young age, when I realized that my pursuit of divine mysteries and my fascination with the secrets of the universe might be pointing me towards a career in the ministry.” In addition to his work at FCCGE, Reverend Carey has served as an adjunct professor at The University of Chicago Divinity School.
During his tenure with FCCGE, Reverend Carey was also instrumental in guiding the Congregation to formally become an open and affirming church, where “we rejoice in our community of faith, strengthened by diversity, including diversity of culture, economic status, age, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status and physical or mental abilities.” He has also developed the Stephen Ministry program and created small group “communities” within the Congregation, providing a sense of belonging and connection with others.
In October 2015, the Congregation endorsed that Rev. Carey be considered for the Senior Minister vacancy prior to opening the position to a national search. The Search Committee members of: Anne Gaertner, Kelley Kalinich, Melinda Mahr, Dave Mook, Tom Pulver, Laura Shellady and Lyn Whiston, implemented a rigorous selection process to include a survey of members, focus groups, development of a new job description, interviews and executive search evaluations. The alignment between the Congregation's goals and Reverend Carey's skills is strong. He is focused on growing an authentic sense of community among the congregants, helping others in their spiritual development, as well as examining how FCCGE can have a more visible presence in the community with an emphasis on mission and social justice. He fosters compassion, vulnerability and fun with his keen sense of humor.
The First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn was established in 1862. Our history and practice is one of inclusion. We embrace the motto “No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here”. We hope you will join us on Sunday, May 1, 2016, when Reverend Carey officially begins in his new role as Senior Minister at The First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn. Services are held at 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. each Sunday located at the corner of Forest Avenue and Anthony Street. For more information regarding the Church and to view past services online, please visit the website at www.fccge.org or call (630) 469-3096.