Our Pastor
Pastor: Sue Cirillo susan.cirillo@nyac-umc.com
A blessed welcome to all of you and thank you for inviting me to be a part of the Village Church of Bayville and the community. I am honored to be here and look forward to the amazing adventures that lie ahead in this new chapter of my life. Having grown up in Hauppauge often visiting the Great South Bay where I learned to fish and clam with my dad, it's a blessing to be so close to the water which is the first time in my life.
I've lived in Plano, Texas where my two oldest sons, Adam and Jeremy, were born. There, I began my teaching career which included teaching English as a Second Language and Special Education. After nine years, my family moved to Ellicott City, Maryland where my youngest son, Nicholas, was born, Then, we were off to Issaquah, Washington, where we lived for three years. After my divorce in 2002, I returned to Long Island where I began living and teaching in South Huntington with all three sons graduating from Walt Whitman High School. In June 2025, I will retire from teaching after 35 years to pursue Clinical Pastoral Education in a residency setting.
In 2004, I began my ministry journey as a Lay Servant under the leadership of Reverend Judi Mills and the Dix Hills United Methodist Church family. She encouraged me to hear God's calling in my life and set me on the path that has led me to where I am today.As of August 13, 2021, I completed my Masters of Divinity Degree at Drew University. There, I was blessed with diverse professor and student populations and a strong ministry program. My educational preparation included my Supervised Ministry placement at Butler Memorial United Methodist Church in the Bronx where Reverend Dr. Allen N. Pinckney, who was Long Island East's District Superintendent in 2006 when Reverend Judi passed away, welcomed me with open arms.
I am truly grateful for the way in which God has brought me to The Village Church of Bayville and I am thankful to Bishop Thomas Bickerton who initiated the process.
Proverbs 3:5-6 states it best; "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
I pray you are led to the Village Church of Bayville as we embrace and welcome all with open hearts, open minds, and open doors.
Blessings, always,
With love,
Pastor Sue Cirillo