On October 1, 1993, the Reverend Genavieve Heywood became the first woman called as Senior Pastor of the Congregational Community Church, UCC, of Sunnyvale, CA. She served three churches in Maine before accepting the call to the West Coast.

She was ordained to parish ministry on November 19, 1989, after graduation of Andover Newton Theological School, Newton, Massachusetts with her Masters in Divinity degree. She served as an Assistant Chaplain (a student CPE position) at Central Maine Medical Center in 1988. She served as an Associate Minister (a seminarian field education position) at the First Congregational Church of Waltham, Massachusetts where she was primarily responsible for Youth Group and alternative worship activities. She also developed and implemented a Sunday School Curriculum for the developmentally delayed at a UCC church in Concord, Massachusetts.

She received a double BA degree from Emmanuel College, in Boston, Massachusetts in 1983. This double degree in Music Therapy and German helped her support herself through her seminary years.

From 1983 - 1988, while in seminary, Pastor Gen worked full-time in positions related to her degree and certification as a Music Therapist. This work was primarily with the developmentally delayed and the mentally ill. The German language study was useful in theological research.

Pastor Gen continues to enhance her studies. She has taken continuing education courses which have included studies in Child Grief, Adolescent Depression, An Old Testament Study of the Suffering of God, Journey's to the Divine, Taoist, Buddhist, and Christian Spirituality, and Leading Change in Congregations.

Pastor Gen makes her home not far from the church in Sunnyvale.

Pastor Genavieve Heywood - Pastor "Gen"

Christmas Approaches

Pastor Gen with children on game night