top of page

Meet Our Staff

Pastor Leslie Moughty

Pastor

Rev. Leslie Moughty

Reverend Leslie Moughty (pronounced Moody) joined First Congregational United Church of Christ in Brainerd as Pastor in February 2015. Leslie came to us from the Seattle area where she was serving as the Director of Children, Youth and Families at a local UCC church. She completed her Master of Divinity at Pacific School of Religion in Berkley, CA in 2013. Leslie is a trained facilitator for all levels of the Our Whole Lives Sexuality and Our Faith curriculum and lobbied in Washington DC for comprehensive sexuality education in schools. In 2016 Pastor Leslie was selected to participate in the Next Generation Leadership Initiative - a ten-year leadership development program for younger local church pastors in the United Church of Christ.

​

Leslie strives to create worship time that is meaningful and accessible to people of all ages including young children who may otherwise feel that church is something to endure rather than look forward to.

​

In her free time, Leslie loves to take her dog Daisy to Gregory Park for lots of running and ball chasing. She also enjoys beading jewelry, dance and just being in nature.

Pastor Leslie's Drop-in Hours:

Wednesdays: 11am to 1pm

Thursdays: 2pm to 4pm

Office Manager Terri

Office Manager / Bookkeeper

Terri Chidester

Terri joined  First Congregational UCC Brainerd in December 2019.

Before coming to UCC, she worked in healthcare and moved to Brainerd in 2012 from a 5th generation homestead in Aitkin County.

 

Terri is semi-retired and lives with her youngest son on his small homestead. She loves gardening and spending time with her horse Pixi and the two family dogs Banner and Valor. Terri is a former Master Gardener of 11 years, specializing in native plants and heirloom garden vegetables. She is currently working on certification as a Flower Essence Practitioner with Alaskan Flower Essence. 

uccbrainerd@gmail.com  |  218-829-2528

Leadership

Church Council

The Church Council is made up of eleven members and consists of:

  • Executive Committee: Moderator, Assistant Moderator, Treasurer, and Clerk

  • Representatives from each subcommittee: Christian Education, Christian Ministry, Trustees, and Stewardship

  • At-large members (3) elected at the Annual Leadership Meeting of the Congregation

  • Pastor

​

The Council can also establish additional committees as needed to serve current church needs (Music, Arts, Echternacht Scholarship Fund, Memorial, etc.)

Executive Committee

At the Annual Leadership Meeting, the congregation elects four officers to lead the congregation:

  • The Moderator - Leads the Church Council meetings and helps to set priorities each year.

  • The Assistant Moderator - Attends all Council meetings and works together with the Moderator on key initiatives. Typically steps into the Moderator the following year.

  • The Treasurer - Works with the Office Manager to provide guidance on finances and is responsible for financial reporting to the Council and congregation. They also prepare the annual budget with input from the subcommittees.

  • The Clerk - Keeps records of key events for members such as births, deaths, marriages and changes in membership. They also record minutes at the Council meetings and maintain the minutes for all committees.

Congregational Polity

The congregation is self-governed, in simple secular terms. In spiritual terms, we say the church is governed by the Holy Spirit, as interpreted by the congregation.

​

The Congregation meets twice a year; in May there is an Annual Planning Meeting, and in November there is an Annual Budget Meeting. On occasion, the church calls a special meeting for special events or circumstances.

​

Four subcommittees exist to support further tasks:

  • Christian Education - Educational ministries (all ages)

  • Christian Ministry - Membership, Missions, Worship, Fellowship

  • Trustees - Care of the building and grounds

  • Stewardship - Fundraising and promotion of generosity, annual stewardship campaign, and time/talents

The Pastor

The Pastor is called to lead worship, preach and teach, provide pastoral care and spiritual leadership. They provide administrative leadership and supervise staff in accordance with church bylaws. The pastor does not run the church. The pastor supports the leadership but does not make the budget, write checks or mow the lawn. The members set priorities for the whole church, and provide avenues to help serve each other, our community, and the world beyond our doors. 

Office Manager

A key role in church operations is the Office Manager. This individual reports to the Pastor directly and supports the church by performing administrative duties such as record keeping, bookkeeping, and general office support.  They also have a close working relationship with the Church Treasurer who provides guidance on financial matters.

UCC Foundation

This church is also affiliated with the First Congregational United Church of Christ Foundation. The Foundation is a Minnesota non-profit corporation and is a separate legal entity. Its purpose is to accept, manage, and use funds or property received from donors desiring to make a charitable contribution for the advancement of our religious purpose or activity of our congregation. Its activities are governed by a separate, six person Board.

bottom of page