Staff Writer

As he delivers his sermon to members of First Congregational Church in Kennebunkport every Sunday, Rev. Derek White has already invested at least 10 hours into what he is preaching.

 “My family has always joked with me that I only work one hour on Sunday,” White said.

In reality, White, 32, of South Portland, said he is investing between 50 and 60 hours per week as the new pastor for First Congregational Church, and he considers carefully whether he can practice what he preaches or not.

“It’s hard to write a sermon. You kind of have to live out what you’re writing. It takes a real person of integrity,” White said.

With 10 hours of sermon preparation aside, White said he spends his weeks visiting patients in hospitals or shut-ins stuck at home, managing staff, preparing and teaching Bible study, pastoral counseling, developing resource materials and working with the church council. 

White said he began his journey to become an ordained minister after attending a Christian retreat his senior year of high school, which turned out to be a “life changing experience.”

Having become a licensed pilot at 16, White planed to join the military and be a transport pilot or work toward a position as a commercial airline pilot, but his plans “went out the window” as he left for Chicago to earn a degree in Biblical theological studies from North Park University. 

“I went into ministry because I really felt God speaking to me. When I read scripture, it is as if He is reading to me through the text,” White said. 

Returning to his hometown in Massachusetts with his degree, White worked as youth pastor and associate pastor in the church he grew up in, but a year and a half later he returned to North Park Theological Seminary, later transferring to Chicago Theological Seminary, to become an ordained minister five years later. 

During his time at the seminary, White gained more hands-on experience as an associate pastor and youth pastor at various churches in the Chicago area. He then returned east to work as an associate pastor at a Rhode Island church near Brown University. 

After a year and a half, White said he was unsatisfied with his position and applied for the opening at First Congregational Church. 

When he visited the area, his wife Carolyn — who he met and married while still attending the seminary — told him, “This is the church God wants you to go to.”

“I turn to her for advice, and she is the one who encourages and supports me. I came here to try something new in ministry and growing in my faith journey,” White said. 

Ending the church’s two-year search for a pastor and his search for a new congregation, White delivered his first sermon Dec. 7. 

“I started in December with the intention to meet a lot of people through the Christmas Eve service. At the end of the service, we all held candles lit and walked out of the church. We were all carrying Christ’s light out into the world and I could feel the energy in the air,” White said. 

Aside from familiarizing himself with the congregation, he has already scheduled a dinner series to introduce the community to Christianity and First Congregational Church. 

Starting Thursday, Feb. 19, the church will host six dinners on each consecutive Thursday, accompanied by the presentation of “Alpha Course” — a 30-minute seminar — followed by small group discussions.

“Nearly 11 million people have gone through this course at some point,” White said. “It’s a list of 10 questions that most people ask about Christianity and explanations to those questions. I’m hoping it will show a new way of looking at the faith and defeat some of the preconceived notions of Christianity.”

In the past, White has brought the “Alpha Course” to other churches and said he experienced a large turnout and a deeper understanding of his faith as a result. 

“It’s a forum where people can come and talk about their experiences of how they came to Christ,” White said. “It’s beneficial to share something so important to their lives.”

Though advertisement and word of mouth, White said he hopes the dinners will draw community members into the church. While the church that seats approximately 120 fills up on Sundays, White said he wants to see the congregation grow to full capacity and hopes programs such as “Alpha Course” will help attract new members. With enough interest, White said he hopes to offer two follow up courses — “A Life Worth Living” and “Searching Issues.”

As a way of opening the church to the youth of the community, White said he is considering creating a “coffeehouse” similar to one he organized in Chicago. With nearly 14 years as a youth pastor, White said he enjoys working with the younger population of a congregation or community. 

The Chicago coffeehouse White established reduced some underage drinking and partying in the area, cost teenagers $5 to attend and included performances from five to six local bands, offering coffee and popcorn for refreshments.

“It’s offering something on Friday nights for teens to enjoy,” White said. 

In planning the dinners and brainstorming other ideas, White said he has been surprised at the congregation’s eagerness for new programs and openness for new ideas, and at the same time they are embracing his youth.

“At 32, I’m real young to be a minister. A lot of people look at me and say I’m too young,” White said. 

In his search for a full time position as pastor, White said he turned down many churches because they were just interested in hiring him because he is young.

“I think First Congregational Church was attracted by my age, but they saw not just a young minister, but a good minister,” White said. “I felt this was the most honest church in describing themselves with the most potential for growth.”