Rev. Mary Nelson

Bridge Minister

Rev. Nelson comes to us with a wealth of experience in the church. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, Rev. Nelson attended Grinnell College and earned a B.A. in Religious Studies, then attended the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, for her MDiv. A lifelong member of the United Church of Christ, she served as a pastor in UCC congregations in Atlanta and in Colchester, Vermont, and during that time became the first Treasurer of the 2030 Clergy Network of the UCC. She served as a Regional Minister in the Connecticut Conference (later Southern New England Conference) from 2014 to 2021, and then served as the Transitional Conference Minister of the Missouri Mid-South Conference from 2021 through 2025.

Rev. Nelson has served on several committees and task forces for the national setting of the United Church of Christ over the years; most notably, co-chairing the Giving Task Force, which reimagined Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM) and proposed a “new plan of giving” adopted by General Synod in 2017. Currently, she serves on the Board of Trustees of Chicago Theological Seminary, and on the Board of Directors of United Church Funds (UCF); she is Chair of UCF’s Sustainable and Responsible Investing Committee.

Mary and her partner Brian live in Holyoke with their cat, Tiberius.

First Church Williamstown Sermons