Join us at The Park Church, Congregational, United Church of Christ as we celebrate the installation of The Reverend Gary J. Brinn on Sunday 15 at 4 pm. Read below a bio.
Casual dinner and fellowship to follow the ceremony.
Vaccinations required, masking optional, Clergy of the Christian faith are invited to wear red or rainbow vestments. Representatives of other faiths are welcomed to wear attire appropriate to their traditions.
Sermon: “New Jerusalem” by The Rev. Paul Nixon. The service will also be available via Zoom.
RSVP your attendance with an email to office@theparkchurch.org by May 1, 2022. Please indicate how many people will be in your party.
The Park Church, Congregational,
United Church of Christ
208 W. Gray St.
Elmira, NY 14901
theparkchurch.org | 607-733-9104 | office@theparkchurch.org
The Rev. Gary Brinn will be installed as the 15th pastor in the 175-year history of The Park Church, Elmira, on Sunday, May 15th at 4 PM. The installation worship service will be followed by a casual dinner for members of the congregation and invited friends at Beecher Hall.
Brinn was born into a family of police officers and firefighters in Norfolk, Virginia, and served in the US Army. He completed his bachelor’s degree in English literature and studio art at Hunter College. In 2008, he earned a master of divinity degree from Harvard University. Brinn served a year as the Tanenbaum Fellow for Inter-Religious Practice at Vassar College before his ordination in the United Church of Christ. He has since served four UCC parishes as pastor and teacher, most recently as the transitional minister for Hope UCC in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
A committed anti-racist and feminist, Brinn has actively promoted LGBTQ+ equality. He tries to bring popular culture into conversation with scripture, real life, and the progressive theological tradition of the United Church of Christ, as well as The Park Church’s notable heritage of social justice
Joining Brinn in Elmira is his golden retriever, Oscar Romero, named for the Salvadoran saint. Brinn enjoys cooking, gardening, pop culture and video games. Most of all, he says, he enjoys “the amazing and mysterious beauty found in Creation.”
Cover image credit: Dove Freedom Peace on Pixabay