Miss CA Nicole Lamarche Wins Hearts As Pastor

The story, published in today's The Boston Globe about pastor Nicole Lamarche has become an internet hit because of the very interesting passage of past and presence. Titles as From swimsuit competition glamour to parish pulpit clamor the author writes "the path from beauty-pageant winner to pastor has not always been smooth. Lamarche grew up going to church near her hometown of Chattaroy, Wash., and joined a campus ministry group when she started college at the University of Arizona. An international relations major, she planned to join the foreign service after graduation."

Nicole Lamarche has been a won the title of Miss San Francisco Pageant in 2003 then Miss California. She finished 5th in the Miss America Pageant in 2003 as California's representative. Now she is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ.

Nicole Lamarche used the scholarship money that she one to earn an MA in theology from the Graduate Theological Union and a Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion. She is currently the pastor of the Cotuit Federated Church located on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. She married Jeremy Nickel on August 8th, 2008 in San Francisco, CA.

Consier the level of humbleness of this pastor. Despite being so beautiful and winning numerous city, state and national beauty contests we could not find a single photo of pastor Nicole Lamarce on the church website where she leads the congregation in worship and praise.

Instead we enjoyed pastor Lamarche's latest message to her congregation, published in the latest Parish Newspaper (PDF). Pastor Nicole Lamarche writes about Lent.

Dear Friends,

I will be the first to admit that I am not great at changing old habits. I like things the way they are and I like my routine.
So, maybe that is exactly why the sea-son of Lent invites us to wander a while in the desert. Just when we are getting back into the groove, our liturgical year invites us to pause. Some Christians use Lent as a time to give something up. These Lenten sacrifices usually include things like chocolate, alcohol, or complaining.

But Lent could be just as much about letting go of those things that could block us from God as it is welcoming those things that bring us closer to God. If Jesus wandered for forty days, why don’t we wander with him? What if we used Lent as a time to get some things right with God? What if our con-gregation added some holy habits in an effort to grow in faith and love?

Each Sunday in Lent, we will explore a holy habit, and each week you will have opportunities to use this new habit alongside your CFC family. Come to worship and see what these could be! Whatever you do, I pray that this holy time will bring you closer to our God.
Your Pastor,
Nicole

The Cotuit Federated Church where Nicole Lamarche serves as its pastor continues it's affiliation as a Methodist and United Church of Christ (formerly Congregational) Church welcoming worshipers of all faiths.