Pastor Shane Montoya

Rev. Shane Montoya is the Pastor of the Congregational Church of Birmingham. He serves as the primary (but not only!) spiritual leader, companion, and administrator of the church. His responsibilities touch all aspects of the life of the church, but is primarily in charge of worship, pastoral care, and manages the staff of the church in conjunction with lay leaders in the church. He also leads the Wednesday Morning Study Group, and is a (but not the only!) representative for the church at denominational, ecumenical, and interfaith functions.

 

Pastor Shane was born in Miami, Florida, but grew up largely in North Carolina.  He did his undergraduate work in history at Davidson College and a masters degree in Management at Wake Forest University. After working in Dallas, Texas for a few years, he eventually made his way to Boston, Massachusetts, where he went to seminary at Andover Newton Theological School. Ordained in the United Church of Christ on Palm Sunday, 2017, he’s been an associate, interim, and solo pastor at various churches along the way.

 

He arrived in Southeastern Michigan in January, 2023 along with his wife, Shannon, and two loud and faithful hound dogs, Archie and Olive. His hobbies include almost all things nerd adjacent, from reading science fiction and fantasy, to historical reenactment, with a focus on sword fighting.