A New Presence in the Southington Faith Community: Rev. Sharon Holt

For the past several years, the First Baptist Church of Southington has been without a permanent  pastor since the retirement of Rev. David Strohsahl who had served and inspired the congregation as its pastor for more than twenty years. Interim Pastor, The Rev.Jerrie Matney led the congregation for the next three years.

A few days after Easter Sunday this year, arriving on the scene as the new pastor of the First Baptist Church of Southington, was Rev. Sharon Holt who received a very warm welcome by the members of her new congregation, many of whom have expressed their joy to have her in their midst as their spiritual leader. Longstanding members of the congregation Shirley Mason, Bev Tooley, Robin Michel and Darlene Steele echoed the praises of many who were pleased to say that their new pastor had quickly won their hearts.

Sharon Holt was born in Boston, grew up in Westood, MA and is the youngest of three children. At age 13, she found her way to an American Baptist Church and became active in their Baptist Youth Fellowship. Her journey in faith led her to a commitment to Christ as her Lord and Savior, and her public proclamation of faith through the baptism of believers.

At the young age of 14, Holt received God's call to pastoral ministry and led her to the pre-seminary program at Gordon College, Wenham, MA. Her major study in Philosophy included electives in theology, church history and biblical Greek language. Post graduation, Holt took a position at Harvard College to help repay her student loans. Working in Admissions and Financial Aid, Holt later became an Administrator in a Harvard undergraduate house where she recalls many happy years working with students.

While at Harvard, she was accepted in a university graduate program and earned a Master's in Counseling and Consulting Psychology. She was also active in a variety of leadership positions in several American Baptist Churches in Massachusetts. Sharon Holt was ordained at the North Taunton Baptist Church in 1999. There she served as an Associate Pastor and later at the First Baptist Church of Hingham, later answering God's call to full-time ministry. In 2003, Holt was recognized as an ordained minister by The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts and of the United States. From April 2004 through March 2013 Holt was pastor of the First Baptist Church in Methuen, MA.

With a heart for mission, both domestic and international; Holt has co-directed a faith based homeless shelter in N. Taunton, served at the University Lutheran Shelter in Cambridge, MA, worked in urban area soup kitchens and has been on mission trips to Honduras. Pastor Sharon Holt now lives in Southington with her two cats, Bathsheba & Henry David. She enjoys reading, theater, movies and travel and is a lively conversationalist on a range of topics.

Though Holt's education is sound and she is a structured thinker, her approach to basic life questions seems to be grounded in simplicity rather than philosophically complicated meanderings. For example, asked how she might answer someone who feels disconnected with God and wants to know how to pray, Holt said: "Well, I start my prayer by saying 'Lord,"and then I tell him what is my mind and I end the conversation with "Amen". How would you tell people how to know if God is answering? "God always answers, (in what follows), generally you might say there are four kinds of answers to listen for: 'Yes', 'No', 'Not now, maybe later', or 'I have a better idea!'" Amen to that.

Rev. Sharon Holt eagerly looks forward to working in her new congregation.