NORWICH – At the beginning of September, the Broad Street United Methodist Church in Norwich welcomed Pastor Rachel Ann Morse to lead its congregation.

Growing up in the church community her entire life, Pastor Rachel is what she calls a cradle-to-grave United Methodist as her parents and grandparents were leaders in the church as well. She says, "I had an inkling that I was being called to be a pastor because I enjoyed studying the bible, theology and spirituality and enjoyed talking to people about their faith."

She started working in ministry at 17-years-old, when she joined the summer staff of Sky Lake, a United Methodist camp, where she worked through college. Pastor Rachel graduated from high school in Owego, where she grew up, and went on to receive her Bachelor's degree of Science in 2006. She then went on to the Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York and earned her Master's of Divinity in 2010.

Pastor Rachel was the superintendent of a youth Sunday school while running a mentoring program in New York City before her first actual pastoral appointment to the First United Methodist Church of Unadilla and Sidney Center United Methodist Church. For the past 4 years she has served the Homer First United Methodist Church.