IPC's New Associate Pastor

About Rev. Nicole Newton

Rev. Nicole Newton is a pastor, educator, and coach, coming to us from First Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, where she served as the Associate Pastor for the past four years. She holds a Master of Divinity degree from Wake Forest University School of Divinity with a concentration in Bioethics, a Master of Christian Education from Union Presbyterian Seminary, and is currently working on her on her Doctor of Ministry degree at Wake Forest University School of Divinity.

She serves the wider church as the current moderator for the Committee on Preparation for Ministry for the presbytery and as a coach for the Office of Christian Formation. She also teaches graduate courses in leadership for the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and serves on the UKIRK Birmingham board. Her greatest joy is collaborating with others to build environments of inclusivity, trust, and imagination in order to cultivate community both inside and outside traditional church structures.

She is the mom of two wild and wonderful daughters, Alecia (19) and Lena Scout (10), and spouse to Jonathan. In her free time, she enjoys growing flowers, riding horses, raising chickens, and having silly dance parties in the kitchen.

Nicole's first Sunday at IPC will be December 8. 

Nicole, Jonathan, Alecia (19) and Lena Scout (10)

From Rev. Nicole Newton

"Having served in congregations ranging from 4,000 members to 40 members, I’ve had the opportunity to see both the gifts and the structure necessary to grow ministry in a variety of settings. This has made me a well-rounded and curious pastor, always on the lookout for the work of the Spirit among the people, and seeking new ways to support that work through leadership cultivation and structural support. Having served in various capacities, from worship leader to educator, to installed associate, I am also keenly aware of the kinds of support that church staff need to be successful.

As a systems thinker, I’m adept at taking stock of what is working well and what needs work in any system and then setting about the relational work necessary to make those changes possible. Each call that I have had has required me to leverage this ability to streamline processes and offer new ideas that re-enliven ministry areas and connect congregations more deeply both internally and externally.

As a pastoral leader with extensive pastoral care experience, I’m able to relate across generations even in the toughest of situations to make people feel seen, heard, and loved. Connecting with people, learning what they love and are gifted at, and helping them plug those gifts into the work of the church is one of my greatest joys."

IPC's Associate Pastor Nominating Committee (APNC)

Thank you to our APNC comprised of J Houston Cook (chair), Carl Albright, Anne Knox Averitt, Mary Stewart Beasley, Suzanne Graham, Virginia Grisham, Paul Simmons, and Emily Vanlandingham.