Associate Pastor

Rev. Gloria Van Houten

Welcome!  It is a blessing to serve God in this wonderful, joyful congregation, where we walk side by side on our life journeys.  We seek to grow in loving God and our neighbor through worship, spiritual nurture, and service. Together we seek to hear how God is still speaking to us today, and how we may best respond.   Small groups, a variety of educational opportunities, and fellowship events are offered for building relationships in our caring community.  Outreach ministries and mission trips provide a path for us to love and serve our neighbor.

All are invited to discover and share their God-given gifts, and to find a spiritual home with us.  Singles and families of all shapes, sizes, and ages are encouraged to find an extended family in our faith community.  Special activities are offered for our children and youth, so that as children of God, they may experience a closer relationship with God and one another.

Having lived on the Northeast coast, in the Midwest, and in the Southwest and Southeast, it is a delight to find my home in Sarasota!  I served God first through the nursing profession in Houston, TX; and then as a Minister of Christian Education with congregations in Silver Spring, MD; Belleville, IL; and Richmond, VA., before coming here in 2008 as the Associate Pastor.  I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Evansville, IN, and my graduate degree from Union Seminary-Presbyterian School of Christian Education, Richmond, VA.

We celebrate our diversity, and rejoice in being made one through our unity in God.  Come join us!