Rev. Gretchen van Utt

MINISTRY - PASTORAL CARE MINISTER

Rev. Gretchen van Utt (she/her)
Pastoral Care Minister
Joined in 2019

[email protected]
410-523-1542 Ext. 110
In Office: Sun, 9:30 AM-1:30 PM; Mon, Tue, and Fri, 9:30 AM-12:00 PM
Remote: Mon-Tue, 1 PM-3:30 PM; Wed, 9:30 AM-12 PM

In early 2019, Gretchen received a call from Pastor Andrew asking if she could help out at Brown Memorial while he was on sabbatical. She knew immediately that was the only offer to lure her out of retirement for the third time. After years as a solo pastor, the opportunity to work with an extraordinary team of colleagues in a church committed to an inclusive urban ministry was irresistible. 

Soon after arriving, Gretchen knew that she would want Brown to become her church home, so she returned later that year to worship with her new friends and affiliate with Brown as a (non-staff) Parish Associate. When a need arose in September 2023, she returned to the ministry team in a part-time transitional position, which was formalized in mid-2024.

As her job title reflects, the most essential part of Gretchen’s work is helping the Pastor and Deacons to provide pastoral care for the congregation which, as she has gotten older, has become one of the most enriching and replenishing aspects of ministry.  But Gretchen also loves liturgy and teaching and is grateful to be preparing the liturgies for Sunday worship, sharing in the leadership of the Wednesday Bible Study, and helping as needed with Faith Exploration, the Sunday afternoon adult education program.  

Gretchen received her M.Div. from Harvard in 1976, then moved to Baltimore and spent seven years as Chaplain and a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Goucher College and nine years as University Chaplain at Johns Hopkins. She then decided to try parish ministry. However, few churches were calling women at that time, so she became certified in interim ministry and began serving congregations in that capacity.  After completing three interims, she received a call to serve as Pastor of Springfield PC, so she and her husband, George, left the city and moved to Sykesville. 

Gretchen loved that church deeply but, in time, realized that she missed the city and that her gift was in interim ministry, helping congregations to navigate often difficult transitions and prepare to receive a new pastor. She and George moved back to Baltimore, where she served two more churches as Interim Minister before retiring and, then, two more churches in brief “bridge” positions before retiring again and becoming a yoga teacher (which now continually shapes her understanding of ministry). Then there was Brown. Gretchen is home.        

Must-Know Info about Gretchen:

She prefers not to inflict her singing voice on others, but if she had to try karaoke, her go-to song would be a Motown hit from the 60’s – probably Mary Wells’ “My Guy.” She’s also eaten crickets – apparently the sustainable solution to feeding our crowded planet. Gretchen determined they were “OK,” but she decided to enjoy their presence in her yard rather than her stomach.