Meet one of our co-pastors, the Rev. Clare Twomey, at Vista Grande United Church of Christ in Colorado Springs, in her own words:
Hello you wonderful folks of Vista Grande! I would like to take a few moments of your time to really introduce myself since we will no doubt be spending what I hope is quite a bit of quality time together. This is truly the Reader’s Digest version as the last thing I want to do is put you to sleep!
Originally from a small New York suburb in northern New Jersey, I moved to Baltimore MD after completing my undergraduate degrees in Education and Theology. I worked for a number of years in a shelter for homeless women and as a teacher in an all-girls Catholic school while studying to become a School Sister of Notre Dame. After only a brief tenure with the good sisters, I left the convent and returned to school to get my Master’s degree in Psychology. From there I worked briefly for a drug and alcohol rehab center and then off to Johns Hopkins where I spent 10 years in their outpatient psychiatric program as a therapist for families and adolescence. While at Hopkins I also had 3 wonderful children with my then partner. We moved out to Colorado in 2000 to be with family and better schools for the kids.
Prior to moving, I was certified as a personal trainer and re-hab therapist and began working with folks here at a local gym and Physical Therapist office to provide the programs necessary to improve folk’s physical well being. It wasn’t too long before I again felt the call to ministry and found myself saying yes, attending Iliff School of Theology. Between my education degree, psychology degree, certifications in physical rehab and training, and in all my Divinity degree, I think it is fair to say that I am truly committed to the notion that mindful intention to mind body and spirit are critical for the well being of the human person.
After all that, I had the wonderful and fortunate opportunity to do my first internship with the interim pastor at Christ Church in Pueblo, Rev. Faye Gallegos. I did my second internship at Green Mountain Falls under the direction of Rev. Dave Shaw and my amazing mentor, Rev. Maurine Hale. From there I spent 4 years at Manitou Congregational as Associate Pastor and Director of Christian Education for all ages. I was part time at Broadmoor Community Church as the Coordinator of Missions and Outreach and, well, now you know that I am the full time pastor of VGCC!!
I currently live in the Quail Lake area with my beautiful wife, Liz. We have known each other for close to 30 years though only married for the last 18 months. She is my soul mate without doubt and is as excited as I am to have been asked to be your pastor.
It is with tremendous gratitude that I enter this time with you. Let’s see what our Divine creator has in store for us…
Clare