Mitch Hay

Rev. Mitch Hay

Co-Pastor, Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church
Rev. Mitch Hay

Email: pastor.mitch@harvardepworthchurch.org
Pronouns: he/him/his
Telephone: (617) 354-0837
Address:  Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, 1555 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
Website: https://harvardepworthchurch.org

I have been privileged to pastor in diverse communities in Vermont and the Adirondacks with my my partner Rev. Barbara Lemmel over the third of a century since we graduated from Boston University School of Theology.  I am delighted for the opportunity for us both to be back in Cambridge, serving as chaplains at Harvard University and as co-pastors at Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church. 

One of the gifts Barb and I discovered while pastoring in small towns is the value of building authentic, organic, mutual connections between people.  I am thankful for rabbis and pastors at the University of Illinois who made those kinds of connections with me through times of intellectual and spiritual transitions.  They have shaped my vision of chaplaincy: gently accompanying people as they journey through times of growth, struggle, celebration, and doubt.  I hope to offer students deeper opportunities to live the big questions and to search for the spiritual connections that can make life whole (and perhaps holy.)

In seminary I served as the Peace with Justice Coordinator for the Boston Theological Institute, and have brought a passion for ministering with people at the intersection of faith, spirituality, and justice— from Sanctuary and AIDS activism in the `80s to LGBTQIA+, climate change, immigration, and anti-racism work over the decades. I look forward to new opportunities to putting faith into action with students and faculty. 

In all our ministry settings, Barb and I seek to embody faithful living, social justice and inclusion.  We are committed to creating beloved communities that are transformational and joy-filled, and we look forward to continuing that journey with students, faculty, and fellow chaplains into the future.

Please email me to get together over shared coffee, a Vermont IPA, or a walk with our terrier Toblerone.