Pastor
Rev. Dr. Irven Gammon
207 594 8656
Rev. Dr. Irven A. Gammon is a native of Knox County Maine, having been born in Rockland Maine. Graduating from Eastern Maine Technical Institute with an Associate Degree in Building Construction in May of 1980, he secured and worked at a career as a builder/ contractor from 1980 until 1998. Irven enjoyed this work until later sensing a call to enroll as a student in the Master of Divinity degree program at Bangor Theological Seminary (BTS) in Bangor Maine. He completed his Bachelor of Theological Studies at St Joseph’s College of Maine during his master’s work at BTS. Simultaneously, he was invited to become a participant in the Congregational Foundation for Theological Studies (CFTS) program through the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches. Irven engaged with the Rockland Congregational Church as a student intern in August of 2000, under the supervision of senior pastor, Rev. Dr. Betsy Mauro, meeting BTS and CFTS course requirements. He participated in a year-long CIP program (Clinical Interim Practicum, similar to CPE) at Eastern Maine Medical Center while attending seminary. He was later invited to apply for the Associate Minister position at the church. He was called to the position in April of 2001. Irven graduated from both St Joseph’s College and BTS in May of 2003. He graduated from CFTS in June of 2003, receiving the Claxton Award for best representing the Congregational Way during his studies. At the recommendation of the Maine Council of Congregational Christian Churches at a state-wide Ecclesiastical Vicinage Council, Irven was ordained at the Rockland Congregational Church in November of 2003.
Irven served the Rockland Congregational Church until September of 2005 when he responded to a pastoral call to serve the Florence Congregational Church of Florence Massachusetts. He served the church until January 2020. During his tenure with the Florence congregation, Irven returned to Bangor Theological to complete a Doctor of Ministry degree program. He received his D-Min degree in June of 2013 after completing his thesis: Nourishing the Mind, Body, and Spirit. Leaving the Florence Congregational Church, Irven accepted a call to serve the Fellowship of Northeast Congregational Christian Churches as the Executive Director. This position included serving 31 churches located in New England offering guidance, resources and pastoral care.
Rev Gammon has enjoyed serving the thirty Fellowship churches with ambitions to assist the leaders with post-pandemic strategic planning and visioning processes. While disheartened by the COVID impact on the churches, he observed opportunities for rebirth and renewal with several churches. He shares the need for “out of the box” creative thinking, strategic planning, and community interaction.
Irven is happily married to Brenda Gammon. Brenda and Irven met in 1980 when serving as co-leaders of the Warren Second Congregational Church (yes, next door to Rockland) youth group. They were very involved in the Warren church, the Maine Council sponsored Camp Winnie youth program, and yearly gatherings of the state Council. They were married in October of 1983 to the delight of the youth group. They have two daughters, three grandchildren, and three great grandchildren, as well as brothers and sisters who all live in Maine. Brenda has served in ministry beside Irven for over forty years often offering pastoral care and nurture to many members of the church. They complement each other in their love for the ministry of Jesus Christ and service to the churches.
Irven was super excited to return to the Rockland Congregational Church in July of 2024. “The “call” to serve as the Pastor is a God thing,” says Irven. He was officially installed in October of 2024. Irven is busily attending to the members and working to promote creative thinking, encouraging nurture and care, and envisioning a day when the community and church are better connected.
Irven enjoys hiking, biking, walking, reading, research, landscaping, and building. He enjoys family time celebrations and meeting new people in life’s journey. He believes life is precious and too short to waste a minute on frivolous endeavors, gossip, and quarrels of offense, among other things. Life is to be lived to its fullest! Godspeed ahead with Mark 12:30-31 at the center: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and your neighbor as yourself.”