WELLS — Charity Omartian of Hollis, New Hampshire has been chosen as pastor of the Congregational Church of Wells, effective immediately. Her acceptance successfully ends an intensive two-year search for a permanent pastor. The search was facilitated by the interim minister, Rev. Linda Hirst, who is now at Kittery Point Congregational Church, but stayed on at Wells for the entire search period, and by Rev. Susie Craig of the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ under whose auspices the search was carried out.

Omartian holds a bachelor’s degree in vocal music performance from Hiram College and a master’s of divinity degree from Methodist Theological School in Ohio. She also completed a year of clinical pastoral education at the Cleveland Clinic and worked at The Church in Aurora (Congregational) and the Congregational Church of Tallmadge, Ohio. While in Ohio, she met her husband, Jim. Returning to New Hampshire to prepare for her ordination, she also worked as a staff chaplain at Lowell General Hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts. When her husband was accepted into the doctoral accounting program at the University of North Carolina, she accepted a position as palliative care chaplain resident at Duke University Hospital.

Omartian is a member in discernment who is approved for ordination by the Hillsborough New Hampshire Association of the United Church of Christ. Her ordination will be in the fall. She is licensed for ministry for the Congregational Church of Wells.

The Omartians have two children, Tommy, 5, and Violet, who is 2 years old. The Omartians will make their home in Wells, with Jim spending time in North Carolina as needed to complete his degree.

The search committee was composed of the following church members: Tyler Bartlett, Jack Berg, Jamie Bradish, Jo Ann Dodd, Stacey Donnell, Kathryn Forcier, Julie Johnson, Russ Markgren, Kathy Masucci, John Plourde and Mark Quadrini. The committee was chaired by Russ Markgren and Stacey Donnell at different times over the two-year period of the search, with Johnson serving as co-chairman. The committee met frequently to review profiles of candidates provided through the UCC process and to interview potential candidates, often using Skype. Omartian was the unanimous choice of the search committee. After leading the morning worship, she was officially called on an 85-2 vote by secret written ballot, with three abstentions, by the church membership on Sunday, June 22.

The Congregational Church of Wells, UCC, is located at 1695 Post Road (U.S. Route 1) in Wells. Call 646-4309, email uccwells@wellscongregational.org or visit wellscongregational.org for more information.