At Wilton Congregational Church, excitement is building in anticipation of a new associate minister. The congregation will welcome Dave Stuart on Sunday, June 15 as he begins his tenure, joining the senior minister, Rev. Caroline Hughes, in leading Wilton’s most historic faith community.
Stuart has just completed his Masters of Divinity at Yale Divinity School, where he was a student in Andover Newton Seminary (for students in the United Church of Christ denomination) and a Raymond Fellow (for rigorous study of preaching as a pastoral discipline). Stuart completed his clinical pastoral education in the Spiritual Care Department at Norwalk Hospital. He will be ordained in late June.
While his wasn’t the usual path to divinity school, Stuart found his own way toward ministry. Prior to beginning at Yale, he retired early as a partner and special pro bono counsel at the law firm of Cravath, Swaine and Moore in New York City. While at Cravath, he founded the award-winning Incarcerated Survivors Initiative to obtain sentencing relief for incarcerated victims of domestic and sexual violence, and found he had a new calling.
“I care deeply about social justice and about serving the community and I will be able to bring those essential values to my work at Wilton Congregational Church,” Stuart said. “I look forward to serving this vibrant congregation alongside Reverend Caroline.”
Stuart has been married to his wife, Peggy, for 31 years and they live with their dog Obi in Fairfield. They met at Wesleyan University when they were undergraduates and have two adult children.
Rev. Hughes said she is looking forward to the new partnership with Stuart.
“Dave brings another dimension to our community, as he is particularly interested in opening hearts and minds in small-group settings — what some churchgoers always knew as ‘adult education’ — but with a contemporary lens that can help individuals make sense of this complicated world and their place in it.”
Wilton Congregational Church is part of the United Church of Christ and is an open and affirming congregation. All are welcome to attend Sunday morning services at 9:30 a.m. For the most up-to-date information about Wilton Congregational Church, visit the Wilton Congregational Church website. Email Rev. Caroline Hughes or Dave Stuart directly.
