We LOVE our ​Pastors!

Coming July 1st, 2018...

Rev. David Rennick
Senior Pastor ​

I​t is with much excitement to come as your next Sr. Pastor.  I have fond memories of serving at Scottsdale UMC during my early college years as God’s Spirit stirred in my heart and the call of ministry took hold. Now some twenty-eight years later a return to the Scottsdale area brings opportunities that I would have never imagined as a young adult.

Pastor Nancy and I have made it very intentional to create a transition that informs the needs of NSUMC and the congregation, current projects and programs, and the mission that is guiding our future.  I am grateful for Pastor Nancy’s leadership along with a friendship that allows us to be candid beyond our collegial connection.

As we get acquainted I want to share with you an opportunity in the making.  There will be a series of meet and greets in homes and places with a groups of approximately 10-12 people.  This gathering will include light refreshments and conversation around four questions: How did you get to North Scottsdale UMC?  How are you involved in church life?  What keeps you coming back?  What are your dreams for our church?  I’ll take a few moments to share with you more about my family and faith journey and answer questions that you may have.

Our first month in worship we’ll explore the theme “Hearing Voices: Responding to the Call.”  Through people like Samuel, Ruth & Naomi, and the Disciples, we’ll see how God’s call to be a follower of Jesus comes in all shapes and sizes and always can catch us with many a surprise.
As your new pastoral family, my wife Rebecca and daughter Alexandria (1 year old) will be joining in congregational life and look forward to greeting you.  I have two adult sons I adopted as a single parent Phillip and Dustin. Both live in Arizona. We have a dog, Leyla, and a cat Gweny who keep us humble in the home.  We have found a home north of the 101 around Hayden and Deer Valley Road and will be moving from Mesa in mid July.
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​We have much to look forward to and to celebrate as we serve together over the coming years.  God has truly blessed NSUMC through its leadership and mostly through you, the people that make up our congregation.

Rev. Nancy Cushman
Senior Pastor ​

Nancy Cushman was raised in the Army, so home is wherever family lives. Her parents currently live in San Antonio, Texas. As a child, she lived in Colorado, Texas, Maryland, Georgia, Louisiana,France and Venezuela. After graduating from Kansas State University with degrees in business management and construction science, she began her professional career as a field engineer in construction. She moved across the Southwest working on jobsites until she went to graduate school at Stanford University earning a Masters degree in Civil Engineering in Construction Management.

It was at this time that she married Rev. George Cushman. Shortly after their marriage, with encouragement from George, Nancy pursued her call to ministry. She earned her Masters of Divinity degree from the Claremont School of Theology while she and George were serving at the churches in Cottonwood and Jerome. She has also served as the Associate Pastor at Central UMC, the Pastor at Shepherd of the Valley in Phoenix and the Co-Senior Pastor at Prescott UMC. She is currently working on a Doctor of Ministry degree in Preaching and Worship through the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas.

Rev. Stuart Salvatierra
Associate Pastor

Pastor Stuart is  from Tucson, Arizona growing up at St Francis United Methodist Church. He is single with lots of family and friends in Tucson. His grandmother is a member of our sister church, Desert Mission UMC, where Pastor Nancy’s husband pastored    before he retired.

Pastor Stuart has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies, Sociology and Anthropology from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. This  he has completed his Masters of Divinity from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. He is in the candidacy process to be ordained.
            
He has a passion for children and youth. He has served as a Youth Director and Youth and Christian Education Minister, most recently serving at St Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church. He has also served as the head school-aged/summer camp teacher in Concordia Place, Chicago. It is important to him that the church be an authentic place for people to grow and a community that does not shy away from where the Holy Spirit is working in the world.

Pastor Stuart is a bibliophile- he loves reading and collecting all kinds of books. He is a self-proclaimed nerd enjoying Star Wars and Star Trek. 

Rev. Leah Bergstrom
Pastor of Visitation

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Pastor Leah Bergstrom is a retired elder from the Western Pennsylvania Conference. She served St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Allison Park, a large suburban congregation in the north hills of Pittsburgh, for 32 years. Prior to that she taught English and Communication Arts at Shaler Area Junior High where she met her husband Bob who was also a teacher at the same school.

Leah and Bob are the parents of six children, four of whom were adopted. They presently have twelve grandchildren. There are children, spouses and grandchildren all over the United States to visit and to host in their home.

Before moving to Arizona, Leah assisted with new United Methodist church starts in Central Florida. She and Bob also worked with Shepherd’s Hope, a free medical center for persons who had no insurance coverage.

Leah spends daily time with five grandchildren who live close by and her bichon dog, Croissant. She also enjoys scrapbooking, reading, writing books, listening to country music, shopping and traveling with Bob.
The Rev. Leah Bergstrom is also a published author.  Check our her books here:
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Rev. David Wasson
Orontes Project Pastor 

Pastor David is no longer a full-time pastor at NSUMC
but he is still connected with NSUMC
through the  ORONTES PROJECT.

https://orontes.me/

David is an Arizona native who grew up in the Phoenix metro area and has been in full-time pastoral ministry for the last 12 years. He completed his seminary training at Fuller Theological Seminary.

Over the course of his pastoral ministry, David has served as a youth pastor, associate pastor, senior pastor and church planter. He has worked in a variety of ministry contexts from rural to urban and from suburban to inner city.

He has experience and passion in discipling and mentoring, along with teaching and systems building. He loves being with people and building relationships in the community.

Pastor David loves sports and is active in community sports leagues. He has worked in and enjoys photography and he says he is a decent cook. Check out his salsa recipe on our YouTube channel.   ;-)
​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOgxKiIVBKxxKkEmN5IMGxQ​