Pastor Ellen Bechtold
Pastor Ellen was born and raised in New Jersey. She worked as a registered nurse when she heard the call to enter the ordained ministry. She attended Drew Theological School in Madison and earned her Master of Divinity. After three years working as an associate pastor in Dover First United Methodist Church, she was then was appointed to Milton United Methodist. She became pastor as we began to move into the project of building our new church.
Ellen considers it a blessing to serve God within our church community, and has found pleasure in working together on mission and ministry projects during her tenure. She is also very involved in local, regional and global organizations. Most important are the people who have endeavored to serve God as individuals and as a faith community. We as God’s people have had many blessings and some bumps in the road. Pastor Ellen counts these as a journey of learning and joy, all for God’s glory.
Ellen is married to Reverend Steve, who is the pastor of Sparta United Methodist Church. Their daughter (Sarah), son (Seth) and daughter-in-law (Anna), along with her grandchildren (Jason, Ethan, Amelia and Colin) continue to reside in the Garden State! Ellen’s favorite hobby is walking, and she finds solace in music and wooded places.