Drakestown United Methodist Church Welcomes Pastor Sharon Hoff

Sharon Hoff noted that many say, “ministry is a calling.”  For her, it was like a gentle nudge.  Before she was a pastor, Hoff, who goes by “Pastor Sharon”, was a software engineer.  She was active in some groups and missions in church. There were always ministry opportunities, but she didn’t see them until her maturity.  Then, she had mentors who encouraged her in the direction of the ministry and saw things in her that she didn’t see in herself.  Now, she’s been a pastor for five years.  In July, Pastor Sharon became the new pastor at Drakestown United Methodist Church, 6 Church Road in Hackettstown.  She is also Chaplain at Compassionate Care Hospice, a Amedisys company, and serves Warren, Sussex and Morris counties.    

What Pastor Sharon loves most about the ministry is when two people, herself and another, make a connection that is just what that person needed.   She’s had people tell her, “how did you know I needed a visit from you?”   Although she has an overall plan of who she will be visiting each month, it is not until each morning that she decides who she’ll see that day, “being open to hearing the direction from the spirit” to visit certain people. 

The pastor feels her strength in the ministry is “active, reverent listening”.  She is a non-anxious presence who doesn’t fix things for people, but allows people to be heard and validated as they come to their own decisions. 

On a personal note, Pastor Sharon shared that she is married for about 25 years; she and her husband have three children.  The family has a goldfish named Jasper.   The pastor loves the outdoors: boating, biking and hiking.

In coming to Drakestown United Methodist Church, Pastor Sharon says she brings “hope, faith, leadership, and vision”.   She explained that in the last two years, the congregation has lost 12 people.  “They are grieving; people’s faith can be challenged in grief,” she said.  She’s asked them to lean on her faith as they move forward.  As for leadership, she said that is about “empowering people to do what they are passionate about.” With that goes vision, in helping the church community see the direction God wants them to go and to use their spiritual gifts.

As the church discerns its vision, Pastor Sharon says, "We welcome all, especially those who are searching, or yearning for something they've yet to find through work or other means."  Pastor Sharon hopes “to build a community that is able to have those hard conversations, reduces stigma regarding mental health and substance abuse and provides a program that nurtures spirituality.” She would like people to come and share their ideas.

Finally, Pastor Sharon reflected on Drakestown’s ministries today and gave a look to the future.

The church's Friendship Hall is the meeting place for several Alcoholics Anonymous groups and an Overeaters Anonymous group. Pastor Sharon noted that “the [church] community supports a food pantry whose founder Russ Swayze's vision was to be ‘in addition to other resources to meet families' monthly needs.’”  The food pantry is open the 4th Monday (2-4pm) and the 2nd Saturday (11-1pm) of each month. Pastor Sharon said, “Please spread the word and donations are always appreciated.  [Also], as the [Drakestown church] community recovers from its loss and grief, they look to open an AM coffee cafe where people can stop in for a quick cup of coffee or tea or take one to go, offer community activities such as paint and pray, and offer family opportunities both educational and recreational: all this through the grounding and guidance of the Holy Spirit.”