A note from SPRC Chair Laura Lenzen:

Bishop Hee-Soo Jung has appointed a new lead pastor for us, and District Superintendent Amanda Stein has introduced her to the Staff-Parish Relations Committee. I’m very happy to share this brief biography from Reverend Cathy Weigand, who will join us officially in July of this year. Here’s what she wants us to know as we begin this journey together:

‘Cathy Weigand never wanted to be a pastor, so it is a surprise to everyone (including herself) that she has been loving the work of ministry for more than 25 years.

She was raised in a small town in northeast Iowa and has personal experience with cow tipping, knowing everyone’s business, and manure spreaders.

With a religion major and a psychology minor from the University of Iowa, Cathy went on to get her Masters in Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary with an emphasis in ethics.  

She met her husband, Rev. Mike Weigand, on the first day of seminary. They immediately disliked one another, and got married two years later. This year they celebrate the 28th anniversary of their first impressions being wrong. Cathy and Mike have four adult children; two homemade and two adopted from the Philippines. One has graduated from UW Milwaukee with a degree in film, one plans to study at Fox Valley Tech this fall, one is at UW Green Bay and one studies at Hamline University. Cathy attributes her white hair to them, although they recently informed her that she is old enough to have white hair “without their help”. She loves them anyway.

Cathy has most recently served at Algoma Boulevard United Methodist Church in Oshkosh. She is the chair of the Order of Elders in the Wisconsin Conference and in that role is also on the Executive Committee of the Board of Ordained Ministry. She traveled with Love Prevails to General Conference in Portland in 2016, and was in St. Louis in 2019, protesting the discrimination of the LGBTQ+ community by the denomination.

Cathy has learned the importance of showing up and standing up. She is committed to this way of living her faith, even when she gets it wrong and even when her voice shakes.’

Cathy is eager to connect with us and to engage with diverse people, ideas and approaches. She’s ready to be Downtown for Good! The Weigands plan a move to the Madison area very soon, and Mike is now appointed the lead pastor at Sugar River United Methodist Church in Verona.

On your behalf, SPRC agreed to this Congregational Commitment: Support and work with the pastor and the leadership team of the church to achieve the vision and mission of the church in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world through the “connect-grow-serve” ministry process. Please join SPRC in sending Reverend Cathy Weigand our prayers, our sincere support and our love.