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Date: 8/23/2023
LONGMEADOW — For 30 years, pastor Doug Bixby ministered to members of the Evangelical Covenant denomination. Earlier this year, he became the pastor at the First Church of Christ after being drawn to its inclusive message.
As a child, Bixby’s family attended services in Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal and United Church of Christ traditions. While attending a seminary in Chicago, Bixby was “attracted to the personal faith and social action of the Covenant denomination,” according to a statement released by the First Church of Christ when Bixby was chosen as its pastor. Bixby has been pastor at two evangelical covenant churches — in Washington, Connecticut and Attleboro — each for 15 years.
He recently changed his denomination and began seeking a new church at which to minister. “I was looking for an open and affirming church,” which is a church welcoming of people in the LGBTQ+ community. Bixby took over as the pastor at the First Church of Christ in May. He said he began by listening to church members communicate what they want in their church. He said he heard people express a desire to grow in numbers and as a community.
“It’s been great getting to know people from the church,” Bixby said. He noted that the church has members from surrounding towns and Longmeadow residents. I hope to help the church grow deeper in faith,” Bixby said. “One way to do that is making love and inclusion a priority in all we do.”
Inclusion is one of Bixby’s “seven pillars of progressive Christianity,” which also include humility, honesty, spirituality, responsibility, justice and diversity. “You can’t look into the eyes of any person and not see someone God doesn’t love,” Bixby said. “There’s a divide in our culture and a lot of people associate the church with exclusion. Our church has chosen to be inclusive.”
Bixby has written three books about church structures and done consulting work with the United Church of Christ, of which the First Church of Christ is a member. There is a display of Bixby’s three books, “Challenging the Church Monster: From Conflict to Community,” from Pilgrim Press, “The Honest to God Church: A Pathway to God’s Grace,” from The Alban Institute and “Navigating the Nonsense: Church Conflict and Triangulation,” from Cascade Books.
Bixby said that he is interested in encouraging a family-friendly atmosphere in the church and said the coronavirus pandemic made some aspects of that environment difficult, and he is looking forward to “rekindling the energy” in that area. The church ran a Kids Camp over three half days between Aug. 21 and Aug. 23. The activities included crafts, games and a puppet show focusing on the themes of love, faith and hope.
On Sept. 10, the church will host its “Kickoff Day,” when the church school and choir begin again. This day coincides with the Longmeadow Fall Festival. The following Sunday, First Church of Christ celebrates 12 years of being an open and affirming church, and it happens to be the same weekend as the Longmeadow Pride Festival.
“I love what I do as a pastor in the local church,” Bixby said in the statement from the church. “Preaching, teaching, leading and offering pastoral care bring me joy.”