St. Andrew's United Methodist Church

Pastor Dirk Wooten

Sisters and brothers of St. Andrew’s UMC,

Greetings! My wife (Brittany) and I are excited to meet, get to know, and join your community at St. Andrew’s. As you may know, we are traveling from Pennsylvania to Washington this month; so what brings us out your way? After a decade of pursuing the goal of becoming an Army Chaplain, Brittany has finally met all the “wickets,” and she has been assigned to JBLM. Thanks to our great UM connectional system, the PNW Annual Conference has welcomed me in and allowed me the honor and privilege to serve as your pastor. So let me first say, thank you for your patience in allowing us the time to make it out your way.

When I arrive in August, my goal for the first two months is to meet with the congregation and the community leaders in our neighborhood. I’d love to sit down with you (or a group of folks) over coffee (or your choice of beverage) to get to know you. I am a firm believer that ministry can’t happen unless we know who we’re in ministry with, and that starts with the people of the church. So if I could ask a favor: would you carve out some time in your busy schedule to sit down with me and share about yourself, your family, and how/why St. Andrew’s UMC has impacted your life?

I don’t ask that without returning the same. While I can’t share my life story here, I would like to share five important details about me as a person and as a pastor: 1) I’m a self-proclaimed Methonerd (Methodist Nerd). John Wesley – the founder of Methodism – is like a superhero to me, so I will always encourage the church to remember our Wesleyan roots! 2) I love baseball and birds! After our cross-country trip, I hope to bump my total baseball stadiums visited up to 15 – halfway there! And I’ve been told that the Pacific Northwest is great for bird watching (maybe that’s the real reason we’re moving your way J)! 3) My passions in ministry are cultivating spiritual growth, encouraging and building leaders, and promoting missional ecclesiology – that is, defining the church’s mission as being “sent out.” 4) As I alluded to earlier, I believe ministry starts with building relationships – inside and outside the church walls. And 5) Like a tiny child, I love asking “why.” I believe that when a church knows its “why,” it promotes a shared purpose and vision for every ministry – new and old.

As Brittany and I begin our journey, may I humbly ask for your prayers? Would you pray for safe travels, for peace in the midst of transition (for all of us), and that I would continue to grow spiritually so that I can spiritually lead and encourage you good-people of faith! I promise to pray the same for you. Until we meet…Many Blessings, Pastor Dirk