Clergy & Staff

Pastor Dawn Gardner Appointed to West Ridge UMC

Bishop Daniel Schwerin and the Northern Illinois Cabinet are pleased to appoint Dawn Gardner as 1/4 time ad interim pastor at Chicago: West Ridge United Methodist Church effective March 1, 2024 for the following missional reasons:

 •Shore up the organizational systems and processes in the congregation. 

•Partner with the congregation to build/strength the ministry of youth work for the neighborhood 

•Build community between the long time established congregation and the new attenders 

•Strengthen the connectional system through apportionment giving to make a difference for mission and ministry in our conference and the world. 

Pastor Dawn Gardner, a Jamaican native, is the current pastor at Hemenway United Methodist Church in Evanston. For almost thirty years, Pastor Dawn has helped persons better relate to and understand the Gospel of Christ as they strive to grow deeper in their faith. 

Pastor Dawn's passion is to use her spiritual gifts, talents, and seminary knowledge to foster an atmosphere of hospitality and worship. In previous roles, she served as a Pastor at Mandell UMC on the Westside of Chicago. Before that appointment, Pastor Dawn was a Minister at Neighborhood UMC, where she led worship, revitalized the young adult ministry, chaired the Pastor Parish Staff Relations Committee, was a member of the Administrative Council & the Finance Committee, was the Church Lay Leader for nearly a decade, and hosted several annual youth retreats in partnership with St. Matthews UMC. 

In collaboration with her younger daughter, Pastor Dawn co-founded the NConnect Youth Mentorship Program, a vibrant ministry that, for almost a decade, continues to assist teens and young adults in exploring their Christian identity through the love of Jesus. With a passion for assisting the underserved, Pastor Dawn recently ended ten years of volunteer service on the Chicago Committee on Urban Opportunities, advising on using the Community Services Block Grant and providing guidance to the Head Start Program in the Illinois Department of Family and Support Services. 

Pastor Dawn has been married to Peter for 36 years, and they have three children who actively participate in spreading the love of Jesus .