Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you...".

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him.

Genesis 12:1-4

Hello, congregation of The United Methodist Church of North Chili!

Although none of us can claim to be Abraham or Sarah, we are still called by our Lord to go where he sends us, to follow him, and to do those things he explained for us to do in the Bible. We have left our house, friends, Cattaraugus County, and burial places for son, parents, nephew, and ancestors for our new home in North Chili.

So here we are: I am Pastor Dan Carr and my wife is (Mary) Eileen Gill. Gil (one L) is our oldest son, who lives in Alaska; Stephen was our middle son who died in Dec. 1990; Mike, our youngest, was here and played djembe drum and sang with me here on 7-13. He just graduated from college.

Eileen and I fell in love in 9th grade and married when we were 27. Eileen has been an office worker, teacher, programmer-analyst, caregiver to Stephen, and for 15 years, a picture framer in a shop we created within our barn. Our teamwork has made it possible for me to have had several successful careers and be an effective pastor. Though the move took us by surprise, we are thrilled to be here. Thank you for the warm welcome and hard work done!

Our first appointment was part-time at churches in Centerville and Rushford for 2 years while I finished up a Master of Divinity degree at Northeastern Seminary of Roberts Wesleyan College, 2006-2010. I was then assigned to Cattaraugus and Wesley churches full time for 4 years.

Before that, I went to college at Brown University. In between, I worked in factories for a decade. I was a developer of nonprofit housing in Cattaraugus County for 8 years, and then served as founding executive director at an ecumenical and interfaith homeless shelter in Olean for 11.5 years.

I want to get to know you and hear your stories and ideas. We pray that the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, will continue to do mighty things, and make disciples here, at one of his out-posts, using us, his servants, to build his Kingdom. May God bless all of us now and in the coming years.

Called with you to servant-hood,

Pastor Dan