By Diane Smith

Record-Courier staff writer

Since its humble beginnings when abolitionist John Brown lectured the congregation for not being fervent enough in its opposition to slavery, the congregation of the United Church of Christ in Kent has had a history of activism.

And the church's new pastor thinks it's that view on the world that led to the congregation calling an "out gay man" to be its senior pastor.

The Rev. David E. Pattee was recently named to lead the 500-member congregation. An 11-member search committee had been seeking a senior pastor for the past 11 months.

Pattee has established a residence in Kent. Andrew Snyder, his partner of nine years, is now in South Bend, Ind., where he is vice president of Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center. Eventually, Snyder hopes to live full-time in Ohio.

Pattee said he has been told that his "transparency and openness" is one of the things the church needed.

"For most people, coming into the integrity of your life and the integrity of how you worship and who you are is something they have a hard time coming to terms with," he said. "Being gay forced me to recognize that spiritual movement early and deeply. That's actually one of the gifts I have to offer.

"People say, 'It doesn't make a difference to me,'" Pattee added. "Well, it should. It makes a difference to me."

Pattee, who earned his master's degree in divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary in 1987, and later served as vice president of the seminary. He most recently served as interim senior minister at First Congregational UCC in LaGrange, Ill.

Previously, he served for 11 years as a called senior minister at churches in Frankfort, Ill. and in Hamden, Conn.

He said his ministry has always come back to the local church, which he describes as a passion of his.

"Jesus did not charge us to go out and create institutions," he said. "Jesus called us to go out and build relationships."

In June, the 52-year-old minister will mark the 20th anniversary of his ordination. He said he is happy to lead a congregation that includes many people who are active in social services.

"This is a very splendid congregation," he said. "They're very activist, and they understand themselves as leaders. They're people who work hard, pray hard and spend a lot of money to make a difference in the world."

The church was founded in 1819 as the First Congregational Church of Franklin Mills. Brown was one of its most famous parishioners.

Its current facility at Horning Road and East Main Street was built in 1955, and in 2003, a new addition was unveiled.

The church has served as a worship and meeting site for many special observances, including the annual Portage County Martin Luther King Day breakfast and numerous community and service groups.

Pattee said the congregation is a diverse one, and includes other gay couples, local Republican leaders, and traditional families who want to teach their children that "this is what community looks like."

"We understand ourselves by the variety and breadth of who we accept at Christ's table, and not who we turn away," he said.