It’s official: The Church of the Trinity Metropolitan Community Church has a new pastor. The congregation elected Rev. Charles Tigard to the pulpit during a special election on Aug. 22.
Tigard is expected to begin pasturing full time in mid-September.
Tigard’s appointment will relieve interim pastor Rev. Lisa Heilig, who has served in her role since the departure of former pastor Rev. Dr. Mona West in May of 2008. A special farewell celebration for Heilig is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 11, at 5:30 p.m. at the church.
Tigard is a native of California and has been affiliated with the MCC organization for 11 years as both a lay leader and a pastor. He has pastored MCC congregations in Harrisburg, Pa., and in Key West, Florida. He was also an Associate Pastor of MCC San Francisco.
Before his ordination in 2005, Tigard worked on the denominational staff of the San Francisco Church and as an assistant to the Rev. Elder Don Eastman and Rev. Elder Darlene Garner, he was in charge of MCC’s denominational restructuring. He later served as the Assistant Director of Congregational Development to build relationships with clergy and develop training programs for MCC ministry students.
According to his website, Rev. Tigard studied at the Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, Calif., the Episcopal Theological School at Claremont and the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calif.
He graduated with honors from the Master of Divinity Program at Claremont, School of Theology and received the William and Douglas Cook Award for Religion and the Arts.
The search committee was confident that the congregation would elect Tigard to his post and members had several chances to interact with the pastor in formal Q&A sessions and in social settings held at the church.
