Officially I am Rev. Katherine Waggoner, but you can call me Pastor Katie.
Before coming to Northern Michigan, I Pastored 2 churches in Monroe, Michigan. I like to say that I am a womb to tomb United Methodist. I went to Adrian College, and earned my BA in French, Economics and Political Science. I received my MDiv from United Theological Seminary in 2012.
A good way to describe me is that I love Jesus and I love people, and I love bringing the two together. In good Methodist tradition, I am a very “practical theologian.” I like to ask, “how does what we believe matter to how we live?” and “How does it matter when the rubber hits the road?” I believe that how we think, how we pray, and how we worship, shapes how we live not just on Sunday, but all throughout the week, as we do our best to love God and love our neighbors more and more each day. I want the church to be a welcoming place for ALL people where we can focus on the things that bring us together, and not the things in the world that divide us.
I am passionate about intergenerational ministry, and being the church in new and creative ways in order to be in ministry with the marginalized, non-religious, and marginally religious. My focus is on getting people and churches “unstuck” and moving forward in healthy and constructive ways. My passion for ministry is preaching and teaching, as well as with creative, multisensory worship. I love helping others dig deeper into the scriptures and hear the old, old stories in a new and creative way, to discover God’s message for us today.
Since coming to Alden, I have joined the South Torch Lake Fire Department as a Volunteer Firefighter and EMT. For me, besides being a rewarding thing to do in my free time, it is also an extension of my ministry, allowing me to be with people and helping them on what may be the worst day of their life.
Alden Community UMC 