4 Under 40: “Hope Springs Eternal”
What is the future of the church in America? How will the mainline church remain relevant and vital? Who will lead us into the future and bring up the next generation of pastoral leaders? Join us in worship from July 11 to August 1 and see with your own eyes that hope springs eternal.
Our 2010 Summer Sermon Series follows the pattern of last year’s, inviting four visiting clergy to preach on the same question. Last year, it was four veteran preachers reflecting on their ministries in the past. This year, we have invited four clergy all under 40 years of age, to look into the future by answering the question: “What gives you hope for the church?”
July 11
Rev. Matt Mardis-LeCroy Click on this link to Listen Now to a recording of the sermon
Minister for Spiritual Growth at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, Des Moines, IA
Rev. Mardis-LeCroy grew up in the tiny town of Williamsburg, PA, earned a bachelor’s degree in Religion from Messiah College (Grantham, PA) and the Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. During his time at Princeton Seminary, Matt received two awards for outstanding preaching and another for New Testament exegesis. He is currently a candidate for Doctor of Ministry degree at Chicago Theological Seminary.
Before arriving at Plymouth in 2005, Matt served for three years as solo pastor of The Community Church of Little Neck, just on the outskirts of New York City. In addition to preaching at Plymouth, Matt works on new member recruitment and retention, and staffs the Center for Spiritual Growth, which offers a constantly evolving and wide ranging curriculum for adults each year.
Matt’s wife Mary Beth serves as a chaplain with Hospice of Central Iowa and directs the band for Plymouth’s casual Saturday Night service. They make their home in downtown Des Moines.
July 18
Rev. Seth Ethan Carey Click on this link to Listen Now to a recording of the sermon
Associate Minister for the First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn, IL
Reverend Seth Ethan Carey hails from the shores of New England with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy & Religious Studies from SCSU and a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School. As Associate Minister for the First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn, Seth spends a good deal of time in the pulpit, as well as coordinating adult spiritual formation and supervising the educational ministries of the church. In his spare time Seth enjoys listening to avante-garde heavy metal, spending time with his lovely wife Angela, and trying to convince people that Casshern: The Robot Hunter is undoubtedly the greatest film ever made.
His call to the ministry came at the age of fourteen when he realized that his pursuit of divine mysterie and his fascination with the secrets of the universe might be pointing him towards a particular destiny.
His spiritual and academic focus includes the study of apocalypticism, evil, and Judeo-Christian esoterica.
July 25
Rev. Da Vita D. McCallister Click on this link to Listen Now to a recording of the sermon
Rev. Da Vita D. McCallister is the Associate Conference Minister for Youth and Young Adults in the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ. Prior to her work as the Associate Conference Minister she founded Magnificent Consultants, a consulting firm that specializes in empowerment for youth and young adults. She is also the former Minister for Youth, Young Adults and Outdoors of the United Church of Christ.
Rev. McCallister’s ministry began in the Baptist Church, when she accepted the call to ministry at the age of 13 and has included service in the United Methodist Church, where she served as a pastor. She was ordained in the Southeast Conference of the UCC and served that conference as the Vice Moderator and as a member of the Church and Ministry Committee. In addition to her work in the national setting and local churches she has also served the non-profit sector as the UCC coordinator for the Fund for Theological Education and in the academy as a lecturer and seminar leader.
Rev. McCallister is 1994 graduate of Lincoln University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in religion and psychology. She holds a Master of Divinity degree from Gammon Theological Seminary at the ITC in Hebrew Bible.
She has been recognized for her service to the Church through several awards and distinctions including; preaching the Opening Worship Service of the 26th General Synod of the United Church of Christ (UCC), offering the Baccalaureate Address at her beloved Alma Mater Lincoln University for the 150th Commencement Exercises, her selection as the UCC National Staff Scholar in Residence at Elmhurst College, the first female to preach at the Evening Worship Service of the NAACP’s National Convention, the respondent to the Annual Copher Lectures at the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) and her status as the first self-avowed same-gender-loving person to be certified, ordained and given an Episcopal appointment within the United Methodist Church.
Rev. McCallister is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She is the daughter of David McCallister and Eladies Sampson and the sister of Roslyn McCallister Brock and Michael McCallister. She is a new member of the parenting circle and has accepted her role as “Mommy” for her 19 year old daughter, Omolara Williams.
She takes great pride in her Christian heritage as the great-grand daughter of the late Rev. Jesse B. Baldwin a Baptist minister and pastor of over 65 years in rural Florida.
August 1
Rev. Elena Larssen Click on this link to Listen Now to a recording of the sermon.
The Rev. Elena Larssen serves as Associate Conference Minister of the Minnesota Conference, United Church of Christ. A native of Wine Country in Northern California, Elena graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz in 1999 and Pacific School of Religion in 2002 after an upbringing that was filled with UCC church activities and theatrical endeavors. Ordained to the campus ministry at Stanford University in 2004, Elena pastored for five years in the parish setting before joining the Conference Staff in Minnesota.
Elena is an inaugural recipient of the UCC Presidential Fellowship for Transformational Leadership and was honored for her campus work by the National Campus Ministry Association. She served as a key leader in the start-up of the 2030 Clergy Network, and has recently become a Director for the Board of Ministerial Assistance of the Pensions Boards. As part of her work for the Conference, she loves coaching local churches and clergy, representing the UCC at ordinations and installations, and helping congregations hire new clergy. In her free time, Elena is a fan of the arts, hiking the Chain of Lakes with her beau, and traveling.
