Metropolitan Community Church of the Palm Beaches Invites Members and Friends to Installation Service of Rev. Marie Alford-Harkey as New Senior Pastor
Sunday, November 17, at 4 pm
(Palm Beach Gardens, FL – November 4, 2019) Metropolitan Community Church of the Palm Beach Gardens (MCCPB), the largest faith-based community in Palm Beach County dedicated to serving the local LGBTQ community and its family members and friends, invites the community to a service of Installation of Rev. Marie Alford-Harkey as the church’s new senior pastor.
The official ceremony of installation will be held on Sunday, November 17 at 4 pm in the church’s sanctuary, located at 4857 Northlake Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens. A light reception will follow.
“We are excited about the future ministry of MCC of the Palm Beaches under the leadership of Rev. Marie, and we hope all of our supporters will join us as we welcome her to our church and to the community,” says MCCPB member Gary Heil.
Rev. Alford-Harkey comes to South Florida from Bridgeport, Connecticut, where she worked with the Religious Institute for the last eight years, serving as president and chief executive officer since 2016. The Institute is a multi-faith organization dedicated to advocating for sexual, gender, and reproductive health, education, and justice in faith communities and society. With a network of more than 12,000 religious leaders and people of faith, the Religious Institute has a record of creating campaigns that mobilize thousands of religious leaders and hundreds of faith communities.
Rev. Alford-Harkey holds a Master’s in Divinity from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, an M.A. in French Literature from Wayne State University in Detroit, and a B.A. in French from Atlanta’s Georgia State University. She earned the degree in Divinity after spending nearly 20 years teaching French and Spanish in public schools in Monroe, Michigan.
“My work at the Religious Institute has given me experience in managing staff and programs, working collegially with other organizations and leaders, and finding ways to communicate deep religious values in the public arena. Throughout my time there and even in my pre-seminary job as a high-school teacher, I have always been deeply involved in my church community, whether on staff or serving as volunteer assisting clergy. I’ve been involved in many aspects of church life and leadership. I am ready, with God’s help, to move pastoral ministry from the margins to the center of my life,” says Rev. Alford-Harkey. “I look forward to working with the members, friends and supporters of the Metropolitan Community Church of the Palm Beaches, and learning more about this extraordinary place to live, work, play and pray.”
About the Metropolitan Community Church of the Palm Beaches:
The Metropolitan Community Church of the Palm Beaches is the largest faith-based community in Palm Beach County dedicated to serving the local LGBTQ community and its family members and friends. According to the church’s mission statement, “MCC of the Palm Beaches is a joy-filled, justice-centered Christian community of love, vibrant worship and spiritual discovery where all God’s people are supported as we become fully alive.” For nearly 40 years, the Metropolitan Community Church of the Palm Beaches has been both a bulwark of strength and a source of solace and support for South Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and questioning communities.
Located since 2000 at 4857 Northlake Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens, MCCPB offers Sunday worship at 10:30 am. Because the church is made up of people from both Protestant and Catholic backgrounds, elements of the services reflect both traditions, including scripture readings, hymns and contemporary music, prayer and a communion table that is open to everyone. For more information, please call 561.775.5900.