Message from the Coordinator:
Pat Jackman is now the Coordinator of the newly formed Steering Committee
I was born and brought up in Massachusetts and graduated from UMASS/Amherst. I moved around in my own job history working for the YWCA. When I married a minister (Bob Jackman) I continued to move around. Bob and I retired from a church on Long Island, NY in 2002 after a nineteen year pastorate for Bob and moved to North Brookfield where we have resided for almost 7 years.
While in NY I served as coordinator of the Suffolk Association UCC Women and climbed up the ladder from 2nd Vice-President, to 1st Vice-President and became President of NYUCC Women. Since each office required two years the road to becoming president took six years. I also served as Moderator of Suffolk Association which coincided with the presidency of NYUCC Women finishing up each one a few months after moving to Massachusetts. It took some commuting but everyone was amenable to me finishing up while living out of state.
Work history included being a home health aide for an agency, teaching at a private school and being administrative assistant for a UCC church in town. Our church was outside of town in the country.
Upon my return to Massachusetts I became reacquainted with my college friend Lee Paine and together we have been active in MAUCC State Women. What a joy to become a part of the Massachusetts UCC Women. We have so enjoyed the women on the Board and women around the conference.
I currently coordinate the local ecumenical food pantry located in the First Congregational Church in West Brookfield. We serve about 200 people each month. I also serve on the Central Association Church and Ministry Committee. So you can see that church activities on various levels keep me out of mischief (most of the time).
Bob and I have two grown children. Our son lives on Long Island along with a Black Lab named Bud. Our daughter, her husband and two sons live in Maine. We can go in either direction to visit. Recently we spent a week-end in Maine watching the younger grandson play soccer. Mostly they play positions but sometimes they converge on the ball and compete with a team-mate for possession. A little more team work is needed. It will come.
These are changing times for women’s work in the church. We have adjusted the set-up for MA State UCC Women to be a steering committee. We hope we can carry on the work of serving the women in UCC churches in the Massachusetts Conference.
Pat Jackman
