February 9, 2007

Leader of the Pack

Pastor Nancy Harrington uses unique sermons, life experiences to reach parishioners

By Ali Abdollahi
Staff Writer

Pastor Nancy Harrington of the Evergreen Presbyterian Church did not become a pastor by taking the usual path. But then, Harrison is anything but your usual pastor.

Although she describes being a pastor as “something I always wanted to do since I was a kid,” her initial calling was in the arts.

Growing up in Maryland, Harrington, attended the University of Maryland as an art major. That path seemed to make sense, as both Harrington’s father and grandmother were renowned painters. Her grandmother, Esther Fahey, even has a portrait she painted of a former U.S. senator hanging in the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

It was during her junior year at Maryland that Harrington met her future husband, Steve, while both students were on their way to Bible study.

“It’s funny, because neither of us ever went back to that Bible study again,” Harrington said. “But we just clicked from that first day.”

Upon receiving her degree, she spent 10 years as a wife, mother and docent at the Fine Arts Center in Colorado Springs, CO. Harrington and family moved to Sunnyvale in 1990 when her husband was offered the position of pastor at the Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church.

Pastor Nancy Harrington of the Evergreen Presbyterian Church is known for using an entertaining, theatrical style during her sermons to inspire her parish.

It was not long before Harrington, too, began “feeling the call” to the church.

“It was a very gradual process for me, but it was always something that was in the back of my mind,” she said.

Harrington enrolled in the San Francisco Theological Seminary, where she would eventually earn a Master of Divinity degree, allowing her to fulfill her longtime ambition of being a pastor.

When describing her parish at United Presbyterian, Harrington said, “There are not that many (parishioners), but the ones that are there have big hearts and very easy laughter.” Harrington’s church, which has just over 40 members, is also extremely active in charitable endeavors and activities.

Harrington said because of the limited number of parishioners, the church tries to select multi-generational projects that the entire church can participate in together. The church conducts monthly and quarterly projects to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank, serves meals at InnVision, and volunteers for Friends Outside, a program that assists the families of prison inmates through City Team ministries.

“They are just so generous,” said Harrington. “They are always looking for new projects, and really have a deep care and concern for those in need.”

In August of 2006, Harrington’s church collected and purchased school supplies for children at the Emergency Housing Consortium and was able to stuff 42 backpacks with much-needed school materials.

The church also collects and donates funds to special missions that feed hungry children along both sides of the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea.

Harrington has been credited with using an entertaining, theatrical style during her sermons to inspire her parish.

“I have written a lot of ‘dramas’ in place of sermons,” said Harrington, in regards to her use of theatrics.

She often writes original short stories, and presents them as her sermon, many containing deeper lessons for her parishioners. Harrington said, “Even when I give normal sermons I get excited about it, and it comes across that way.”

While having two pastors in one family is quite a feat, the Harringtons are making their calling a family business, with daughter Alison recently being hired as an associate pastor at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Palo Alto.

“We have a very interesting house,” Harrington said with a chuckle. “We’ll all be working on our sermons, all at our own computers in different rooms. Then we’ll try to get ideas from each other on how to illustrate a point, and we’ll yell to each other, ‘E-mail me that illustration!’ So there we are in the same house, e-mailing each other ideas.”

Harrington speaks glowingly, like a typically proud parent, when discussing her daughter’s endeavors.

“She was always a kid that took the side of the underdog,” said Harrington of her daughter, who followed her mother’s footsteps by attending San Francisco Theological Seminary after receiving her bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley.

In addition to delivering sermons at her church, Alison Harrington has also served as a chaplain at Elmwood Jail in Milpitas and volunteered at San Quentin State Penitentiary.

“Her faith is one of great action, in a way I never would have imagined at her age,” Harrington said of her daughter.

Beyond her pastoral duties, Harrington is also an avid sportswoman in natural and outdoor activities. She is an avid snowboarder. Harrington gave up skiing for snowboarding largely because of the “wonderful floating sensation.”

“You get the sense that you’re flying in a way,” she said.

Three years ago, Harrington decided to take up horseback riding, with her beloved horse, Bear.

Said Harrington, “It’s interesting to learn something new like that as an adult. I’ve been able to apply the lessons to life in general, like how to be appropriately assertive. Not only with horses of course, but also in one’s church.”

Harrington’s most harrowing outdoor adventure by far has to be her five-day dog sledding adventure in the Yukon in 2005.

“It was absolutely amazing. We each had our own dog team that we took across a frozen lake and up into the hills,” said Harrington. “We went through twists and turns, and I fell and got dragged, and I hit trees. At the end of the day, I was bruised head to toe, and when we got back to the lake I was like, ‘That was the best day ever!’”

Harrington said she sees a common thread in her endeavors, both as an avid sportswoman and as a pastor.
“I have found that if you walk away from what you fear, then it only gets worse,” she said. “But it’s amazing that if you confront it and make a commitment to something, then it feels wonderful.”

Harrington holds Sunday services at 5:05 p.m. at Evergreen Valley United Methodist Church, located at 3520 San Felipe Road. For more information, visit http://www.evergreenchurch.netministries.org.