The United C
hurch of Wayland has called the Rev. Bonnie Simerly to the pulpit all the way from Louisiana.
Simerly, who has not yet indicated when she will start her pastoral duties here, succeeds the Rev. R.J. Hronek, who left last year to take a similar post in North Carolina. The Rev. Tim Murtaugh has been serving since as interim pastor.
Gail Hollinger, a member of the Search Committee that interviewed Simerly, said, “The committee’s decision was instant and unanimous, needing almost no discussion. Her deep commitment to the church and her vibrant spirit of caring came through to us clearly and powerfully.”
She was recommended by the committee, held a meet and greet at a potluck Saturday evening at the church and was voted new pastor by the congregation immediately after Sunday morning’s service.
Simerly has been pastor at Grace Disciples of Christ Church in Covington La., about an hour north of New Orleans, since 2012. The church and its congregation was heavily impacted by Hurricane Katrina and never fully recovered. Prior to pastoring at Grace, Bonnie Simerly was a social worker and health care administrator, work she considered a type of ministry. She had a private practice in psychotherapy for many of those years.
She entered Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky in 2007 and graduated in 2010, returning to Louisiana. Shortly after her ordination she became a hospital chaplain and held that position until she was called to be pastor at Grace. Bonnie Simerly is a bi-vocational minister, working for two mental health organizations in New Orleans.
Members of the committee that recommended her said she uses life experiences and her sermons invite people to stretch themselves. She often uses humor in her sermons and encourages participation during them as well.
“Her tone and voice makes one forget that she is preaching as it feels more like a conversation,” one committee member said. “Her messages invite people to think on their own and explore. Bonnie is very open to discussing differences in opinion to her message and encourages feedback.”
Originally from Michigan, she earned undergraduate degree at Adrian College and said and she is looking forward to returning to her roots. She still has one family member living in the Detroit area.
PHOTO The Rev. Bonnie Simerly
