Meet the Staff

Rev. Ray Neal

Read the Seattle Gay News' article about Rev. Neal

MCC Seattle is pastored by the Rev. H. Ray Neal Jr., who moved to Seattle in February 2009 from Knoxville, Tennessee, where he had been associate pastor at MCC Knoxville since 2005. Pastor Ray is a 1982 graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY. He was first ordained to the Gospel Ministry in 1982. He completed his transfer of ordination to Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches in 2008. Ray has served as senior pastor and associate pastor of small and large churches in Kentucky, Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia, and Tennessee.

Ray believes that every church can and should grow both spiritually and numerically as Biblically evidenced by the miraculous growth of the first century church in the Book of Acts. Ray says, “MCC Seattle has an unprecedented

opportunity for growth! We are the oldest LGBT church in Seattle, founded by and for LGBT persons in 1972. At 12.9% of the population, Seattle has the highest concentration of LGBT persons outside of the city of San Francisco! All persons need to know that God loves them exactly the way God created them! At MCC Seattle we are bringing harmony and peace to the question of spirituality and sexuality.”

Ray and his partner, Mark Cooley, live in the Beacon Hill Neighborhood of Seattle. Mark is the organist/pianist for Des Moines United Methodist Church, Des Moines, WA. They have been in a committed relationship since first meeting each other in 2004.

Though Ray’s family is from Tennessee, he grew up in the Chicago metropolitan region. He graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, with a B.S. in Education and an M.S. in Educational Administration. Previous to entering the ministry he taught elementary school. Ray has also been the owner of a small garden and landscaping shop in Abingdon, Virginia. Ray is the proud father of three living children and seven grandchildren. His family lives in Virginia and Indiana.

Contact the pastor

Rev. Michelle Carmody

Rev. T. Michelle Carmody became the Associate Pastor at MCC Seattle in July of 2009. Michelle has been with Metropolitan Community Churches since 1980 beginning in Vancouver, British Columbia. She became an MCC clergyperson in 1987.

She has pastored MCC churches in Ashland and Medford, Oregon and Everett, Washington. From 1997 to 2003 she volunteered on the staff of MCC Seattle. From 2003 until becoming the Associate Pastor, Michelle was doing Interfaith and personal ministry in the Everett area.

Outside of her church ministry, Michelle has worked with people with disabilities and the elderly since 1975. She is also a Certified Hypnotherapist with a small private practice.

Michelle believes strongly in the inherent worth of all people, the Oneness of all Creation and the need for the Church to address the issues of justice and equality for everyone, as well as healing the wounds that we have inflicted on each other in the name of God. "There is no one who is outside of God's Love and MCC is here to bring that Love and Healing to anyone who will accept it."

Having grown up in an Air Force family, Michelle has loved being settled in Everett since 1990 and lives there with Carol Detrick, her life partner of over 18 years.

Join Us For Worship

1:00 p.m. each Sunday

Chapel of the
Temple de Hirsch Sinai

16th and East Pike Street

(1441 16th Avenue)

Seattle, WA 98122

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