Rev. Dr. Dirkje F. Legerstee, Pastor
Interim Pastor - Rev. Dr. Dirkje F. Legerstee
The Reverend Dr. Dirkje F. Legerstee began her Interim Ministry with us in October, 2010. We welcome her with open arms and celebrate her presence with us!
Reverend Legerstee was born in the Netherlands . “Dirkje” was her grandmother’s name and is pronounced “Dirk- YA”! When she was very young her family was sponsored by the First Parish Church in Dover , New Hampshire, to come to the United States. (Her parents, Arie, and Anja, were Nazi War Refugees). Dirkje grew up in Dover, and later attended Keene State College and UNH, graduating with a B.S. in Education. She returned to Dover to teach 4th and 5th grade for seven years.
In 1980, she discerned a call to the ministry, and left teaching to attend Andover Newton Theological School in Newton Centre, MA. She was ordained in 1985 and has served local churches in the MACUCC for twenty five years: as an Associate Minister at West Parish Church, in Andover; at Plymouth Church in Framingham; and as the Senior Minister of First Congregational Church in Stoneham. While in Stoneham, Dirkje received an award for her work to create ‘A Day of Remembrance’, for September 11th, which included placing 3,000 pairs of shoes around a special labyrinth painted on the town common. Dirkje is currently serving churches as an Intentional Interim. She has served The West Parish of Barnstable for two separate Sabbatical Interims and did a short ministry at First Church, Gardner. She finished two years at the Memorial Congregational Church in Sudbury last in February 2010, and bid farewell to West Parish in Barnstable a little early to serve the Evangelical Congregational Church this fall.
Rev. Legerstee is a trained leader of InterPlay, an improvisational art form that engages mind body and soul in playful movement using story, song, and the powerful affirmation of witness. Her experience with InterPlay fed her desire to integrate body mind, and spirit with creativity as paradigm for healing, and informed her thesis ’Play as a means of Care: God’s Holy Ground for Healing and Wholeness’. Dr. Legerstee graduated from A.N.T.S., with her doctorate of ministry in 2007, receiving The Henry C. Brooks award for excellence in Pastoral Theology and Pastoral Counseling. She is a Certified Supervisor for Field Education at Andover Newton Theological School, and has been called, “one of God’s minister-makers,” as a mentor as well as an adjunct faculty (P3 Practitioner) for the past three years. She has been a workshop leader in the wider conference in worship, healing, and Christian Education. Occasionally she appears as Adorabelle the clown.
Dirkje celebrated her 26th wedding anniversary to Stephen Turner Mague in July. Steve is an Environmental Consultant with Durand and Anastas Environmental Strategies in Boston . Both Dirkje and Steve enjoy sailing and hiking together.
