Katonah-Purdys United Methodist Church welcomes new pastor

THE REV. MATT CURRY

By DANIELA RYNOTT

Doors open and a buzz of conversation fills the building. Children run up and down the aisles, grabbing coloring sheets from the table in the back. Then, when it’s time, small hands pull the rope of the church’s bell tower, and it pulls them right back up towards the ceiling, drawing laughter from the pews. The organist plays a hymn, a child steps forward to light the altar candles, and the Katonah-Purdys United Methodist Church’s Sunday service is underway.

That’s a typical Sunday morning at 5 Bedford Road, Katonah, where the Rev. Matt Curry has served as a pastor since last July. A Katonah resident of 11 years, Curry said that he has a “head start” in terms of understanding the town’s culture, as well as the broader community’s needs.

“When the opportunity came to serve in the community where I already lived and called home, where my kids and the rest of my family have really put down roots, it was a real serendipitous thing,” Curry said. “We love Katonah.”

Varied background

Curry brings an extensive background to the role. He studied music at Amherst College before earning a divinity degree from Yale University, where he also trained at the Institute of Sacred Music. He later earned a master’s degree in organizational psychology and change leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. Before coming to Katonah-Purdys, he spent six years as director of connectional ministries for the New York Annual Conference|The United Methodist Church, providing strategic leadership across more than 400 congregations.

In addition to serving the town, Curry is prioritizing the recent merger in which the Purdys congregation joined Katonah’s.

“The other area of priority has really been getting that merger, not something that’s just on paper or is reflected in the balance sheet and the business of the congregation, but also within the relationships and our sense of what our common future will be,” he said. 

The Katonah congregation itself — originally known as the Methodist Episcopal Church — was founded in 1837 and moved to its current home at 5 Bedford Road in 1900. 

Working together

The Purdys congregation, located at 106 Titicus Road, North Salem, operated independently for many years before the two churches began working together and ultimately merged two years ago. 

Now, the Katonah-Purdys United Methodist Church operates under a mission of “loving boldly, serving joyfully, and leading courageously.”

For Curry, this mission is not confined to Sunday mornings or private reflection, but rather, it is expressed through action, relationships and community engagement. He envisions the Bedford Road building as a gathering place for the whole community, not limited to just the congregation.

Within the community, the church has been seeking partnerships from the town government and Chamber of Commerce to local schools. 

“We’ve sat on this corner for over 125 years, and we want people to think of this as their church — a hub for not just their spiritual needs, but also community, creative and artistic and service opportunities,” Curry said.

One long-running example of that service mission is the Appalachia Service Project, which has been part of the church for over two decades. Each summer, a group of local teenagers and adult leaders travels to Johnson County, Tenn., to repair homes for families in need. 

'Inclusivity'

In his new position, Curry wants to emphasize his vision of inclusivity. He noted that the church is openly LGBTQIA+ affirming and described their faith as a “progressive, welcoming” one.

“We don’t want any of those things that regrettably had become barriers for people to participate in the life of a church or to be part of a faith community to be a barrier here,” Curry said. “And so we seek to actively be advocates and to also offer that welcome to anybody, including those who may have traditionally been left out of church life.”

A cornerstone of that welcome is reaching people who have drifted away from church life, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which Curry said caused many on the periphery of congregational life to drift. His present approach to growing the community is relation-based.

Neighbors reaching out

“This is not a time period where faith groups can just put out a poster or post something on social media and expect people to show up,” he said. “It really is neighbors inviting neighbors to do something that they feel is compelling and is adding value to their lives.”

As someone who has lived in Katonah for over a decade, Curry sees his role as an extension of his life in a community he already loves. 

When asked what he values most about the town, he points to its sense of togetherness, which is reflected in everything from neighbors stopping to chat on the street, to the schools, to annual traditions like the Fire Department Parade and Halloween.

“That commitment and intention around community life is what I love best about Katonah,” he said. “And that’s exactly what we want this church to be a part of.”