Finding A Flock
PENN TWP — The Rev. William Gilligan believes he's settling in at his new church, Nixon United Methodist Church, 334 Airport Road.
“It's wonderful. They are good people. They love Jesus, and I'm having fun with it,” said the Wellsboro native who started at the church July 1. He and his wife, Amanda, and their children, Samuel, 9, and Olivia, 7, have become established in their new home at the church's parsonage.
“I can get to Starbucks without using my GPS, so I call that a win. I think we are getting settled,” he said.
Gilligan was appointed to the pastorship by Western Pennsylvania Conference Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi to replace the Rev. Jason Schweinberg, who served the 90-member congregation for less than a year.
“Since the seminary, this would be my third church. I served several in the seminary,” said Gilligan.
Discussing his reception, Gilligan said, “The bishop says you are going here, and you meet with them, and they say, 'Yeah, we like them.'”
Moore-Koikoi said, “When making appointments we try to match the gifts of the pastor with the needs of the community. Pastor Gilligan has demonstrated creativity and innovation in his ministry. He has a passion for community outreach.
“He also has been able to reach young adults, helping them to create community and engage them in meaningful conversations about faith and social justice,” Moore-Koikoi said. “We are excited about the possibilities for ministry as Pastor Gilligan builds on the work that has already been going on in the church.”
Gilligan had been pastor at California United Methodist Church in California, Pa., and before that he served three years at Harrisville United Methodist Church, so this latest posting is a Butler County homecoming, of sorts.
His wife, Amanda, works as the Western Pennsylvania director of the young peoples ministry.
After graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2004 with a criminology degree, Gilligan worked for a time at Adelphoi Village's Apollo Ridge location. His time with the group home for juveniles ended in 2007. He later entered the Pittsburgh seminary.
“I always felt I had a calling, but I didn't do anything with it until later,” he said.
He said Nixon offers an 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sunday worship services and a 9:45 a.m. Sunday school with four different classes sorted by age.
“This congregation is much more settled,” he said. “California is a college town — California University of Pennsylvania — and there's much more transition with college students coming and going.
“The median age of the congregation, while I wouldn't say it's old, the median age would be 60,” Gilligan said.
The church's current building was erected in 1925. The church was founded around the turn of the century as Brownsdale Methodist Episcopal Church on Brownsdale Road before changing names and location.
Gilligan said he has some plans for the church in the coming months.
“We are going to have a Halloween Trunk or Treat in the church parking lot at 5 p.m. Oct. 31,” he said.
“We're planning a community Thanksgiving dinner in the social hall under the church from 3 to 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day,” he said.
He said a church member has already been put in charge of the effort with church members soliciting food donations and others lined up to do the cooking and serving. Attendees are asked to bring a canned good for the local food bank as an admission price.
“This is the only church in the area that's doing this,” Gilligan said. “We're hoping to get people who don't want to travel, don't want to cook or who don't have family nearby or anyone else.”
While acknowledging that pastors serve at the pleasure of the conference bishops, Gilligan said he hopes his latest move will be a lasting one.
“We're hoping that this last move will be the last move until the children graduate from school,” Gilligan said.
“This church has a history of having long-tenured pastors. The average tenure of 10 years is pretty long,” he said. “My hope is to be here equally as long as they have been.”
