Chris Butson, Pastor
A NOTE FROM PASTOR CHRIS:
I spent most of my childhood in the Downriver area, primarily Flat Rock and Trenton, and graduated from Summit Academy High School (in Romulus) in 2007. I married my wife Cathy on July 2, 2011. We lived in Monroe until 2019, when I was appointed pastor at Lincoln Community UMC in Ypsilanti. We are the proud parents of three cats.
I was ordained at last year’s annual conference. Before becoming a pastor, I was a custodian and director of the youth group at our home church, St. Paul’s UMC in Monroe. Cathy currently works at St. Paul’s as a part-time office manager. I was appointed to the Azalia/London Charge (in Milan) from January 2014 until July 2019 and have served at Lincoln since then. I also teach philosophy at Monroe County Community College as an adjunct member of the Humanities and Social Sciences faculty.
I studied philosophy at Wayne State University and then went to Methodist Theological School in Ohio (or MTSO/“Methesco” in Delaware, OH). There, I studied for a Master of Divinity (with a specialization in Ecology and Justice) and a Master of Theological Studies (with a concentration in Ethics). For the latter, I wrote a thesis on the influence of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s philosophy in the moral theology of Stanley Hauerwas. I maintained a strong academic record throughout my university and seminary studies. In 2019, I received the Hoyt Hickman Award for excellence in liturgical scholarship and practice from the Order of St. Luke and MTSO.
My research interests include ethics, philosophy of language (especially religious language), systematic theology, theological aesthetics, liturgy, peace studies, labor history, and ecology. In recent years, I have presented research to the Midwest Chapter of the American Academy of Religion.
I love spending time with Cathy; taking walks; playing guitar; baking bread; and appreciating art, music, and film. I am always reading— this usually involves theology, philosophy, poetry, and literature, but I also read every Superman comic book I can get my hands on.
WILLOW CHURCH FOOD PANTRY! We will be open the first Thursday of every month, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
For further needs, please see our list of resources.
Other Methodist Resources:
http://www.umc.orghttp://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/
Additional Resources:
www.annarborshelter.orgwww.foodgatherers.orgwww.gleaners.org
If you would like us to keep someone close in prayer, please contact our Church at (734) 654-9020.
