Pastor Neil Gastonguay
Let me tell you a little about myself.   I am 57 years old (Horrors!), and I grew up in the town of Westminster, Massachusetts, one of the nine Roman Catholic children of Paul and Eugenia Gastonguay.   At the age of 11, I was called to ministry, and spent my high school years in a Catholic seminary.   That didn’t work out very well, and I spent a number of years drifting until I met the cutest girl in the world, and went to nursing school.   I spent the next 20 years working as a registered nurse in Maine, but finally surrendered to God’s will and entered the ministry in 1993 as a United Methodist Church local pastor.  

During the mid 1980’s, I received Jesus Christ into my heart as my Savior, Lord and best friend.   I did marry that cutest girl, and over 29 years later, she still puts up with me!   If that isn’t grace, I don’t know what is.

We have two sons; Bob is 25 and lives in Newport.   He is a nurse’s aide and a college student.   Tim is 20, and a lance corporal in the US Marine Corp, currently stationed in North Carolina at Camp Lejeune.   He is the one getting married on July 6, which is the factor delaying my first sermon among you, and the way my wife and I will finally have a daughter.   Her name is Sarah.

Lisa is an elementary school teacher, most recently teaching second grade in Dover-Foxcroft.   My strengths are in preaching and teaching, inspiring, healing, and comforting.  

I am excited about Jesus Christ, and believe the only reason for the church to exist is to bring people to Jesus.   I am also excited about the possibilities we have together; a new relationship, new worship space in a new neighborhood, and endless possibilities.   We can do all things in Christ who strengthens us.

Lisa and I are looking eagerly forward to meeting all of you and being the Body of Christ together.   Let’s all keep this new thing in prayer so that God will hear from heaven and pour out blessings on us.

In Christ, Pastor Neil Gastonguay