Our Pastor and Teacher

Our Pastor and Teacher, the Rev. Reed Baer, comes to West Parish from Andover Newton Theological School, where he graduated with honors; Pilgrim Congregational Church, Lexington Massachusetts, where he served from September 1995 through June 1997 as intern; and the Congregational Church of Needham, where he had been active in church leadership for a number of years.

Reed came to the ministry after a career in the law. A graduate of Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, his legal work spanned large firm civil litigation, corporate counsel positions at two high technology firms, and a stint at Greater Boston Legal Services.

Joining Reed at West Parish are his wife, Christie, and three young daughters, Katie, Julia, and Lydia, and a son, Camden.

Here are some excerpts from Reed’s writings on the nature of his ministry:

A Caring Community: "My vision is of a church that is a caring community, whose members love one another, support each other, even carry each other. Caring is not something that the ordained clergy alone do -- it is something everyone does."

Meaningful Worship: "Worship should be exciting, engaging, touching the heart and engaging the intellect, an occasion for meeting both God and, as we are transformed, our true selves."

The Ministry of All: "God endows people with varying gifts for service. It is part of the task of church leaders to use their gifts for the purpose of empowering others for ministry, for helping them discover and release their own particular talents and gifts for service to the church and beyond."

The Resurrection Faith: "I come to the ministry with a faith that has been tried incredibly over the past few years, yet I believe that God has been there with me every step of the way. I come with hope and joy, knowing in my heart and soul that Good Friday and the cross do not have the final word, and that while pain, suffering and death are a reality which must constantly be addressed, Easter and resurrection do happen."