Meet Our Incoming Pastor!
Pastor Mary Catherine was born in Towanda, PA. After high school she served in the U.S. Army. Following her time in the Army, she attended and graduated from Penn State University. After college she moved to Philadelphia and taught in Philadelphia public schools for a season during which she embraced her walk as a disciple of Jesus while a member of First United Methodist Church of Germantown, a Reconciling congregation. While on a mission trip to Tennessee as a member of an Appalachian Service Project mission team she experienced the call to ordained ministry she had felt since fourth grade confirmed. She received her M. Div from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. Her D. Min studies took her to Wesley House in Cambridge, England. Mary Catherine’s personal mission statement is “To love and affirm love.” She has had the privilege of serving as a pastor of churches in PA, DE, MD and VA. She now lives in Virginia Beach with her wife Ann, an Episcopal priest, and rescue beagle Zoe.
Our Pastor
Rev. Nickie Moreno Howard began serving The Garden as lead pastor in July 2023. In July 2025 she will transition to a new appointment in the Norfolk area. Check back for the upcoming announcement of Pastor Nickie’s new station church!
Ministry Coordinators
Kenny Walker Interim Lay Leader
Cindy McLaren Lay Member to Annual Conference
Samantha Hudler
Children’s Coordinator (Sprouts)
Steph Singer
Evangelism Coordinator
Julianne Paulin
Financial Secretary
Anthony Fontes & John Scott
Modern Worship Coordinators
Denise Scott
Treasurer & Youth Ministry Coordinator
The Garden’s Leadership
The Garden’s leadership is a partnership between the pastor and the laity of the congregation. The leadership is made up of members of The Garden.
Class of 2025
Mike Knack & Erik Osmundsen
Class of 2026
Hilton Ayala (Chair) & Charlotte James (Youth Rep.)
Class of 2027
Cindy McLaren & Kelsey Walker (Young Adult Rep.)
Leadership Team Meetings
Leadership Team meetings are scheduled quarterly. Leadership Team meetings are in person and generally follow Sunday morning worship. Our next meeting is May 4, 2025 at 11:30am.