A New Man in the Pulpit

The East Hampton Presbyterian Church welcomed the Rev. Scot McCachren as its 21st pastor in a service of ordination and installation on Sunday. 

“It was beautiful,” Mr. McCachren, who moved here last week from New Jersey, said of the church’s first ordination service since 1957, when David Mulford was ordained into ministry. “This congregation has exceeded any expectation that I could have possibly had for their hospitality, for their graciousness, and for the depth of faith that I’ve seen as Christians, as Presbyterians. It’s just been wonderful.” 

A newcomer to East Hampton, he is also new to this role, if not the Presbyterian Church itself. After an approximately 20-year career in training and education for the Chubb group of insurance companies, “I felt called to go to seminary and seek a call as a minister in the Presbyterian Church,” he said. He attended the Princeton Theological Seminary for three years, after which, he said, “I believe the Holy Spirit brought me together with the East Hampton Presbyterian Church.” 

But being a Presbyterian “has been a part of my life since I was born,” said the North Carolina native. His parents and other relatives are elders in the church. When he met his future wife, Linda, they started attending the Presbyterian church in Morristown, N.J., and were members for close to 30 years, he said. 

A midcareer transition to ministry is not uncommon, Mr. McCachren, who is 54, said. “In my particular case, about the time that I turned 50 I started thinking about where I was spending my time — in the corporate world, how that might align with my faith, what was important to me as a person,” he said. “More and more, I felt called toward something different.” On a mission trip with the associate pastor of his church, “We talked about it some, and at that time I really felt like I received a very specific call, that it was time for me to go.” 

“I think there’s a value to having experiences out in the corporate world and as a parent, and then bringing those experiences into ministry with you,” he said. “I think that I’ve got some skills that I wouldn’t have, had I not gone that path.” 

“We’re thrilled that he’s here,” said Hilary Osborn Malecki, an elder and member of the church’s pastor nominating committee. “Everyone we talk to says what an authentic and wonderful person he is, as well as his family. We just feel he’s a really good match for our church, for our community.” 

Ms. McCachren and their daughters, Emily and Julia, both students, attended Sunday’s service of ordination and installation. Ms. McCachren will continue to work in New Jersey until April, Mr. McCachren said, after which their house in Morristown will be sold, and the family, which includes two dogs and two cats, will reunite in East Hampton.