Rev. Joseph A. C. Wadsworth III, began his pastorate on October 2, 2005. He grew up in North Carolina and attended Virginia Episcopal School (boarding) in Lynchburg, VA. He was graduated from Hampden Sydney College of Virginia with a BS in Economic Theory. He attended Seminary at Andover Newton in Newton Center, MA, completing his M-Div in 1982. During that same three years he served as a student pastor at the Plainfield Baptist Church in Plainfield, NH. He was ordained in May, 1983, in Plainfield and in about 6 months began ministry in Western, NY. His next parish was at the Union Congregational Church in Maynard, MA.
After several years in Maynard Rev. Wadsworth entered the Hospitality Administration Masters Program at Johnson and Wales University, completing a second Masters Degree in 1992. His third parish position, beginning in early 1993, was as pastor of the Second Congregational Church of Stafford where he remained until 2005 and headed for Halifax.
Rev. Joe's hobbies include wooden boat model construction, reading, family, church and town history, fishing, cooking and entertaining, He is a longstanding member of Clan Buchanan Society, New England Genealogical Society, Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity and Freemasons.
Rev. Joe has centered his ministry upon small town churches with the belief that ministry is best shared there. Whether within a formal service of worship, or sharing a cup of tea in your kitchen, or enjoying a potluck supper ministry continues. Uniquely in a small town church "I can have the honor and opportunity of connecting with a person's heart, mind and soul within the context of One neighbor caring for another. There is nothing more similar to the Gospels' interaction between Jesus and the Disciples. The church is best compared to a family, a growing, learning, caring group. I happen to have the privilege of sharing my faith and God's love with them.
I am also glad to be a part of the UCC who uniquely tries to celebrate the diversity of the faith without being divisive".
Rev. Wadsworth is currently divorced and has two sisters. Sister Mary lives in Alabama and is married to Tom White, and the other sister Martha lives in Arizona and is married to Bob Haley. His father was Chair of the Eye Department at Duke and his mother was a volunteer and homemaker. Both have passed away. He and his family spent many summers on the coast of North Carolina. Much of Rev. Joe's extended family live in North Carolina and have done so for generations. As the extended family's historian and genealogist, Rev. Joe maintains the family's database and archives.