Pastor Kennedy – First Presbyterian Church
Pastor Kennedy’s Work at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood Florida
Pastor Kennedy McGowan has served over twenty years as a leader in one of the oldest Christian denominations in the United States, the Presbyterian Church (USA). For the last seven years Kennedy has been the Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood Florida, a church that was founded at the same time as the founding of the City of Hollywood. He brings to his leadership of all the church’s ministries, including its largest mission the Learning Centers, a passionate commitment to faith and a deep desire to see people at every age to experience the fullness of life that God yearns to give.
For 16 years, prior to moving to Florida, Kennedy led a congregation in Long Island that developed many innovative ministries. That church partnered with poor communities in El Salvador working with them to educate their children, develop new economic opportunities, and build a better life. Locally, the church built houses with Habitat for Humanity, joined with folks in recovery from addiction to shut down bad rehab centers, and developed a diverse and vibrant family of faith where everyone could feel welcome. Seven years ago, First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood recruited Kennedy to become their new pastor. Kennedy’s role in the life of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood is diverse: he leads chapel for a hundred exuberant preschoolers one day, and might board a plane the next day to visit the orphanage for HIV kids we began in Haiti with a local synagogue, Temple Beth El!
Kennedy finds the amazing variety of languages and cultures in South Florida invigorating, and after many years in the chilly Northeast is grateful to be in warm and sunny Florida! He enjoys hanging out with his wife, Chantal, and their son Patrick. Kennedy is also passionate about helping couples build strong marriages and families, and enjoys officiating at wedding ceremonies throughout South Florida and working with couples in premarital counseling.
Kennedy’s Background & Theological Training
Kennedy did his seminary education in the Northeast (at Princeton University) and also spent time as a public relations professional in New York City earlier in his career. Kennedy is Southern born and bred, beginning his life in Richmond, Virginia, and spending most of his growing up years in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
If you are interested in meeting with Pastor Kennedy or learning more about his work with the Learning Centers ministries, please feel free to give him a call at 954-923-8209 ext. 108 or drop him an e-mail at kennedym@fpcoh.org.