The Reverend Dr. G. Penny Nixon
Called as Our Senior Minister

Sunday, July 1, was a glorious day for the Congregational Church of San Mateo. At a special congregational meeting following the worship service, our members voted to call the Rev. Dr. Penny Nixon to be our new Senior Minister in an overwhelming vote of support.

After a year spent reviewing almost 150 candidates, our Search Committee identified an outstanding candidate in Rev. Nixon. Her special skills and attributes will help CCSM begin a new phase in our faith journey. Penny will begin her ministry with us on September 9. Between now and then, she will be meeting with lay leadership and church staff to begin making plans for our next steps as a church. CCSM is poised for a new chapter in its long history. Please join us in welcoming Penny at this exciting time in our church life!

Penny grew up in New Hampshire and attended Portland Baptist College in Maine, earning a B.A. in Religious Education. She completed her Masters in Divinity at Alliance Theological Seminary in New York, followed by doctoral studies at Fordham, and received her Doctorate in Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary in 2001.

She has served as Campus Minister at both Columbia University, New York, and San Francisco State. In between those two positions, Penny spent a year doing mission work in South Africa. She has also served as a university director in student affairs and organizational development; and as a social justice community foundation director and board president.

Most recently, Penny served at the Metropolitan Community Church in San Francisco as co-pastor (1996 - 2000), and as Senior Minister (2000 - 2006). She was responsible for five services each week for this church of more than 500 members. Penny was granted privilege of call in the United Church of Christ in April 2007. She has a passion for excellence in worship, and was recently invited by the Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, to teach its foundation course on preaching.

Penny and her partner of 15 years, Annlee McGurk, currently live in the East Bay with 4-year old Mercy, newly arrived from Zimbabwe, and their dog Ollie. Annlee teaches ESL at the community college level.

Our New Senior Minister Speaks About Our Goals

An inspirational minister who will continue our tradition of powerful worship experiences:
"Under my leadership, my previous church was known for its excellence in worship. …One of my sayings is 'Worship is not a spectator sport.' Every person present is participating through their own level of openness and willingness to let themselves be touched by spirit in one way or another through the worship experience."

A caring catalyst who is committed to/engaged in social justice issues/activities:
"My theology and life practice does not separate spiritual practices and social justice. To feed a hungry person is to pray. To raise one's voice on behalf of the voiceless is to embody the gospel. If we are connected to spirit then we thirst for justice and our actions follow."

An effective teacher and guide, who is intellectually stimulating with everyday relevance:
"I love that you use the word 'guide.' There is a longing for a moral compass in our society. True moral authority comes from leadership that is authentic and neither shirks from the difficult issues nor addresses them with simplistic and myopic answers."

An active supporter of our strong programs for children, youth and families and rich music program:
"In answering my call to a broader ministry, I have often envisioned that children would be a part of my next calling. This calling has great implications as (our family is joined by Mercy,) a 4 year old child from Zimbabwe.… One of my dreams is to help collaborate across faith traditions in developing a religious curriculum for children whose families share more than one tradition, and to teach children a deep appreciation for other faiths as they grow to love their own faith."

"From my perspective, music is the glue which holds everything else together in a spiritual community. It is our common language; it helps us feel; it opens our bodies and spirits so the spirit can move within. Inspirational worship rises or falls on the music program. It is a place for people to gain confidence, to use their gifts and to become ministers to the community."

A collaborative leader able to work effectively with staff, providing inspired leadership and demonstrating openness to the ideas of others:
"It is a joy-and hard work-to build a cohesive staff that functions as a team. This not only means spending time developing each person but molding the group in such a way that they embrace each others gifts and foibles, mine included, and together we model collegiality, deep devotion and respect to the broader church community. Openness and deep listening are two of my core values and ones I endeavor to build in each staff member and in the staff as a whole."