Moscow church installs new pastor after years-long search, transformation

By Kali Nelson | FāVS News Reporter

MOSCOW, Idaho – The United Church of Moscow has a pastor again. After a three-year vacancy, the American Baptist and Disciples of Christ congregation installed the Rev. Hannah Brown on Nov. 9.

When the former pastor left, the congregation faced three options, said Oz Garton, a co-chair of the pastor search committee: close the church, merge with another congregation or transform and seek new members. They chose transformation.

“She stood out — first for her gifted preaching, then for her calm demeanor,” said Iris Mayes, a co-chair of the pastor search committee, about the church’s new pastor.

Brown has a Master of Divinity from Baylor’s Truett Seminary and a Master of Theology from the University of Edinburgh. 

Preaching wasn’t always what Brown wanted to do but it was during divinity school that she found her love for it. She said after meeting her mentors there she pushed herself to try it. Brown said the first time she prepared a sermon she felt fulfilled. 

“This is the thing God made me to do,” Brown said. 

She is the co-host of a podcast titled “Preacher Handshake” where guests discuss the craft of preaching. Brown said it’s a way to continue to grow and learn about preaching. She also writes a substack where she connects her faith with her lived experiences. 

Brown said her parents were both in ministry when she was growing up in Texas and knew she wanted to work in the church. Before coming to Moscow, Brown was the college pastor at a First Baptist Temple in Temple, Texas. Her position in Moscow is her first full-time pastoral role.

“When I started to get to know people in the space and their kindness it was really touching,” Brown said. 

She felt drawn to Moscow through the conversations she had with the search committee and the feeling of genuinely wanting to help their community. Brown said they are still discussing how they want to change as a church but have been looking into partnerships with others in the community. 

“Especially in a community like Moscow, there is a desire to show another way of being Christian,” Brown said. 

The Rev. Paul Schneider, the executive assistant minister of operations and administration of the Evergreen Association of American Baptist, gave the installation sermon, and the Rev. Paul Allen, the northern lights regional minister from The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) gave the charge to the congregation.

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