EVERY MEMBER A DISCIPLE
We, the people of the New Milford United Methodist Church, strive to be a light in the world. We invite people from all walks of life to join in seeking a deeper and more committed relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We realize this relationship by discovering our God-given gifts through disciplined worship, study, stewardship, fellowship, and mission. We make manifest God's love by sharing our gifts and faith in service to others, growing as disciples of Christ.
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Rev. Alex da Silva SoutoSenior PastorRev. Alex da Silva Souto [they/them/theirs] has been a person of the “in between space” since their birth and childhood in Brazil. After living in Japan for nearly two years, they moved to San Francisco, California where they served as a lay leader in the California/Nevada Annual Conference. They transferred their membership to NYAC during their studies at Yale Divinity School. They are currently the Senior Pastor of the New Milford United Methodist Church in Connecticut and a devoted social justice advocate through the work of UMForward.
Alex is queer, genderqueer and an immigrant of color. They helped spearhead the formation of the United Methodist Queer Clergy Caucus, and served as the co-convener with their beloved friend Rev. Lois McCullen-Parr until February 2019. Alex also served as an advocacy strategist with the Love Your Neighbor Coalition until 2018. They currently serves as a consultant with the National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry, and global justice coordinator for Methodists in New Directions [MIND], and as a member of MARCHA, the NYAC Immigration Task Force, and Connecticut District Committee on Ministries. For three years Alex co-led theology conferences at Agape Ecumenical Center in Italy, and they have a longstanding commitment to humanitarian efforts and capacity building, as co-chair for Mozambique-NYAC Sister Conference Connection, and through mission partnerships with Acción Médica Cristiana in Nicaragua and national mission efforts with U.M.A.R.M.Y. Alex is also a passionate liturgical artist and served as the co-chair of the NYAC Worship Team from 2016 to 2018. |
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Pastor Sophy GamberAssociate PastorPastor Sophy Gamber (she/her/hers) joins New Milford UMC as Associate Pastor after serving as an Intern Minister with Golden Hill United Methodist Church in Bridgeport, CT. She grew up in New Jersey and now lives in New Haven, where she is working towards her Master of Divinity at Yale Divinity School. Prior to coming to Yale, Sophy studied Religion, Sociology, and Peace & Justice Studies at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania. While still living in PA, she served as the volunteer coordinator for a women’s emergency overnight shelter and as the program director for an adult education program that served incarcerated women working towards their GED certificates. Sophy is passionate about empowering young people and promoting racial justice, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ inclusion in our church communities and beyond. She lives with her partner, Rolando, and their many amazing houseplants, and in her free time she loves skateboarding, hiking, and playing guitar.
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