By Gretchen Webster

WESTPORT — The Rev. Alison Patton, after 11 years as the pastor of Saugatuck Congregational Church, will leave the pulpit of the historic house of worship for a new position in Maine at the end July. During a recent interview, she pondered a question about the accomplishments she considers to be highlights of her tenure.

Ultimately, she had the same answer that many give when asked about Patton and how she has served her congregation and the broader community for more than a decade.

It’s about connection, forging ties among different groups and diverse people in Westport, she said. “I put a high value on community connection — on partnering with the community.”

“I have a commitment to inclusion … creating a joyful and inclusive community,” the minister said, both in the church and the wider town.

Many Westporters agree.

“She has a way of bringing people together by finding ways to create a collective voice that celebrates connection among diverse groups,” said Elaine Daignault, director of the town’s Department of Human Services. “Reverend Patton has been a tremendous asset to the Westport community.”

“Alison has not only been a wonderful leader for her faith community at Saugatuck Congregational Church, but she has contributed to the greater Westport community in many ways,” said First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker.

Among other connections in Westport, Patton was the co-chair of the Westport-Weston Interfaith Clergy Council, and a member of TEAM Westport, the town’s multi-cultural advocacy committee.

Raised in New Hampshire, Patton lived in Chicago for about a decade, and served in a church in Simsbury before coming to Westport. She is a graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, a connection with that state that she is now renewing in her new position as senior pastor at First Congregational Church-United Church of Christ in South Portland, Maine.

The move comes at an opportune time for the Patton family, she said. One child is a senior in college and the other graduated from Staples High School in June. And her husband, a professional writer, has been focusing on the concept of the oceans’ role in helping solve the climate crisis. Issues concerning the sustainability of Earth’s resources are important to the Patton family, she said, and she takes pride in the Environmental Justice Team established at Saugatuck Church with members of all ages, but especially youth. 

“Saugatuck Church has always been particularly good at welcoming young people. We create space for young people to learn,” she said.

Two of the most difficult challenges that Patton face during her tenure at the church were a disastrous fire in 2011 that heavily damaged the historic sanctuary at 245 Post Road East, a few months before she became pastor, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In both situations, when services had to be moved out of the building, worshipers had to accept the idea that the spirit of the church is not anchored in the building but in the people who belong to the congregation , she said.

After the fire, the church’s worship services were held in Temple Israel on Coleytown Road.

“Alison jumped right in and was instrumental in helping us stay together as a congregation and then move back into our facilities a few years later,” said Doug Johnston, chair of the Board of Deacons of Saugatuck Church. “Alison really helped lead us through those times and encouraged faithful collaboration among us.”

During the pandemic, when health restrictions prevented gatherings like in-person worship, the church’s technology was upgraded to live-stream services to members in their homes. Sunday services are still streamed for those who can’t attend or choose to watch from home.

“A church without walls reflected on our community of faith that goes beyond our building,” Patton said.

Moving the Saugatuck Church community to Temple Israel early in her tenure was indicative of Patton’s future connections with other religious organizations and groups in Westport over the next decade. 

In addition to her work on the Interfaith Council and TEAM Westport, Patton involved her church and herself in events and other local organizations, including the Westport Library, Westport Country Playhouse and many others.

She has helped lead varied programs including the broader community, such as an anti-gun violence vigil last year after the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas; the town’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. commemorations, and ecumenical services at Compo Beach and open-air Stations of the Cross observances during Easter season.

“You have been with us for over a decade and your presence has been a tremendous gift,” Harold Bailey Jr., the TEAM Westport chairman, said at a recent meeting. “This is a very big loss for TEAM.” 

“I want to thank her for her numerous contributions and wish her all the best in Maine,” Tooker said. “I know she will immediately get involved and make a difference.”

Freelance writer Gretchen Webster, a Fairfield County journalist and journalism teacher for many years, was editor of the Fairfield Minuteman newspaper for 10 years and teaches journalism at Southern Connecticut State University.