The Hough’s Neck Congregational Church is pleased to announce that Reverend Felix Carrion has accepted the call of the church to serve as the Interim Pastor of the Hough’s Neck Congregational Church beginning on May 1, 2013. The Call to Rev. Carrion came after an extensive three month search process was conducted by the church’s Interim Pastor Committee. Rev. Carrion’s first church service as Interim Pastor will be on Sunday, May 5th. The service on Sunday, May 19th will include a Liturgy for the Celebration of Interim Ministry as Rev. Carrion will be formally welcomed as the Interim Pastor. Following the May 19th service a reception and light lunch will be held in the M. Alicia Corea Fellowship Hall in the church. All church members, as well as members of the community, are encouraged and welcome to attend the service and the reception. You will have the opportunity to meet Rev. Carrion and his wife Dannette and to fellowship with the other attendees.
Rev. Carrion brings a wide range of ministerial experience. After serving as Coordinator of the United Church of Christ’s Stillspeaking Initiative and Ministry between the years of 2008 and 2012, the Rev. Felix Carrion has been most recently ministering as a consultant, capacity building trainer and facilitator, preacher and keynoter for local churches and national ministries. His commitment is to the empowerment of all people for ministry and witness in society. In his work, Rev. Carrion brings together head and heart, faith and justice, and local and global realities.
Previously the Rev. Carrion served as Pastor of the Euclid Avenue Congregational Church (EACC) in Cleveland, Ohio where he was active in ecumenical and interfaith communities and partnerships promoting understanding, dialogue and justice commitments. Before arriving at EACC, Carrion was the Interim Minister at Faith, UCC, in Richmond Heights, Ohio where he served from 2001-2003.
From 1990 to 1994, Carrion was with the UCC’s Office for Church Life and Leadership, where he served as minister for the Middle Atlantic Region and for ministry of laity. Based in Collegeville, Pa. he implemented church-wide leadership development programs in New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In addition, Carrion also oversaw the production of an award-winning video, “With These Gifts,” which features the ministry of the United Church of Christ lay members in their churches, work places, communities and homes.
Between the years of 1994 through 2000 he was with the United Church of Christ’s Office for Church in Society and Commission for Racial Justice. As associate for multiracial and multicultural church empowerment, Carrion provided support and training for the Church-in-Society and Racial Justice Ministries to conferences, association, and local churches throughout the United Church of Christ. Rev. Carrion provided critical leadership as staff and spokesperson for the United Church of Christ’s pronouncement and proposal for action on being a multiracial and multicultural church.
In addition, Carrion helped articulate the United Church of Christ’s biblical mandate in relation to emerging social issues and served as liaison between the Commission for Racial Justice and the UCC’s Council for Racial and Ethnic Ministries.
In April 1994, Carrion spearheaded and served as the administrator of the five-day Latino/Latina Summit, a first ever gathering of Hispanic leaders from throughout the denomination. The 165 participants developed empowerment strategies and more than 100 recommendations for the church. At the conclusion of the summit, Carrion directed the production of “Cumbre, the Latino and Latina Leadership Summit,” a 35 minute video.
Presently, Carrion is a trustee of Chicago Theological Seminary. He was also a trustee of Andover Newton Theological School, a UCC-related seminary in Newton Centre, Mass.
Throughout his calling Rev. Carrion has keynoted in numerous conferences and forums of the United Church of Church and has served as guest preacher in many local churches throughout the country. His speaking, preaching and lecturing gifts were honed in the Assemblies of God where his early call and leadership, as a teenager, were already affirmed and encouraged.
Recognized for his lifelong passion for learning, Carrion is an avid reader with expansive interests. He communicates a deep commitment to the application of theory to applied strategies and plans of action. Carrion inspires audiences while drawing from them, in workshops and seminars, insights rooted in common life and personal experience. He believes that “genius is in community”.
Rev. Carrion has written a number of published articles. Among them are “The Challenges of the Church and A Strategy of Engagement,” which appeared in the Andover Newton Review (Newton Centre, Mass.) in 1990, “Witness to the Power of the Holy Spirit,” in Good News In Growing Churches, published by Pilgrim Press (1990), “Work of God in Scriptures,” in the United Church of Christ Journey into the Future, Worship Program Book (1988-89), and “Telling the Story: The Hispanic/Latino Family in the United States and its Pilgrimage” (1990).
Born in New York City, Carrion earned a B.A. degree (1982) in biblical studies from King’s College in Briarcliffe Manor, N.Y., and a Masters of Divinity degree (1986) from Andover Newton Theological School where he graduated valedictorian of his class. He also has studied in several seminars at Oxford (England) University and in Seminaries in Managua, Nicaragua and San Jose, Costa Rica.
Rev. Carrion is married to Dannette Costas-Carrion. His two sons are Lucas and Aaron.
The Interim Pastor Committee extends thanks to the congregation for their support in this process. We offer thanks to God that he brought Rev. Carrion to our church as we continue to build on the momentum of recent years, strengthen areas of the church’s ministry and look forward to receiving a settled pastor for the long term.
-The Interim Pastor Committee