MARION — The First Congregational Church of Marion got a new Interim Pastor on Feb. 28 in Rev. Richard Woodward.

Woodward was raised in the First Congregational Church of Royal Oak, Michigan, and went on to be ordained there. He has a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Religion from Central Michigan University and is a graduate of Gordon-Cornwell Theological Seminary with a Master’s Degree in Divinity.

His first call to ministry came from the East Freetown Congregational Christian Church in East Freetown. From there, Woodward was called to the Evangelical Congregational Church in Dunstable, where he served as Senior Pastor for 24 years.

From 2014 to now, he’s been serving as Interim Pastor at three churches: Greenwoods Community Church in Ashley Falls, the Sherman Congregational Church in Sherman, CT, and the First Baptist Church in Plymouth, CT.

Woodward’s wife Martha worked as a Certified Nurse’s Aide, and through her work they have both been involved in volunteer nursing home ministry. Woodward also did a volunteer prison ministry conducting Bible Studies. He helped start a prison ministry where men from his church were trained to be mentors to inmates to prepare for transition when released.

After his second child passed away at five weeks, Woodward was drawn to grief work. He has spent time with those who are grieving and worked to help those who have lost loved ones.

The reverend said he’s found that “God always prepares us for the ministries that we will be doing.”

Woodward can be reached at Rhwoodward@gmail.com or by calling the church office at 508-748-1053.