About Our Church
Our Community
We celebrate the expansive image of God in everyone, and we humbly strive to create a Beloved Community in which all are cared for and valued. In our faith community, you will find middle-aged adults, parents raising children, older adults, young children, and youth. We celebrate the variety of backgrounds and gifts within our church.
Our Beliefs
We believe the divine spark dwells within all of God’s creation. We believe that Jesus was and is our Teacher, Healer, Savior, Friend, and Way. We believe that the Holy Spirit enlivens, guides, inspires, and empowers. We take the Bible seriously and not literally. We value personal and communal experience of the Holy Spirit over doctrinal litmus tests.
Our Mission
We are called to live out our faith every day of the week, by showing love in our homes, our workplaces, and our communities. Everything we do as people of faith is grounded in prayer and listening deeply to the Holy Spirit. We understand that prayer and action are two sides of the same coin. We are committed to educating ourselves about how racism operates so that we can disrupt it.
Meet Our Staff
Pastor
Rev. Matt Curry
As a United Methodist pastor, Rev Matt Curry has led congregations in New Canaan, Valley Stream, Mount Kisco, and Mamaroneck. With over 20 years of experience in ministry and organizational leadership, he has a passion for empowering and engaging people to live up to their potential as disciples of Jesus Christ. For six years, Matt served as the Director of Connectional Ministries for the New York Annual Conference, where he creatively and effectively led programming, communications, and mission for an organization of over 400 local churches. He served on the bishop’s cabinet and oversaw budgeting, staffing, and visioning, while navigating new priorities, including: leadership development, DEI, and communications. Matt holds degrees from Emory, Yale and Teachers College of Columbia University. He lives in Katonah with his family.
Music Director
Peter Muir
Peter's career as a church musician dates all the way back to him becoming a chorister in Westminster Abbey, London, at the tender age of 8! Internationally recognised as choral director, organist, pianist, singer, educator, and musicologist, his approach is guided by a passionate belief in the power of music to transform the well-being of individuals and communities.
As a performer and choir director, Peter has an unusually wide range, navigating different styles like jazz, gospel, popular and classical with equal ease. And he believes that the spirit of the music-making is more important than its technical accuracy. As he puts it: “It's the heart that matters, not the technique.”
His work at Katonah UMC aside, Peter is widely known for his effervescent performances of ragtime and early jazz. He has a Ph.D. in historical musicology, and has written a groundbreaking book on early blues titled Long Lost Blues; a follow-up scholarly edition of early blues will be published later in 2023. As an educator, he focuses on using music to enhance the lives of marginalized communities, especially people with developmental disabilities. You can read more about him at www.PeterMuir.com
Communications Coordinator
Courtney Lewis
Courtney Lewis has built a career in marketing, communications, and nonprofit leadership, serving organizations across Fairfield County and beyond. With extensive experience in content strategy, storytelling, digital engagement, and brand management, she is passionate about helping organizations connect with their communities and achieve meaningful impact. She has led multi-channel campaigns, developed and managed digital media, and strengthened organizational communications to engage and inspire supporters and community members. Courtney also volunteers in the community, serving on the board of the Long Ridge Library in Danbury, CT, and managing social media for Food Rescue US – Fairfield County. She holds a B.A in Communications from Western Connecticut State University and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management from the University of Connecticut. She lives in Danbury, CT.
