DOWAGIAC — For a new Dowagiac pastor, serving in southwest Michigan is “coming full circle.”

Christopher P. Momany, 57, is the new pastor at First United Methodist Church, 326 N. Lowe St., Dowagiac. Having started in the position July 1, Sunday marked Momany’s second sermon at the church.

Originally from Benton Harbor, Momany moved to Dowagiac in November and was assigned as pastor for First United Methodist in April. He is a graduate of Adrian College, Princeton Theological Seminary and Drew University. For 23 years, he served as Chaplin and part-time professor at Adrian College. Momany is also an author, with his latest book, “For Each and All: The Moral Witness of Asa Mahan,” having been released in 2018.

Momany said it was “sadness and gladness” that brought him to the Dowagiac area.

In August 2016, Momany’s wife, Kim, died following a battle with cancer. Describing her as “sweet,” “kind,” and “tough,” he said Kim’s death was the sadness in his life.

“She died two weeks shy of our 27th anniversary,” Momany said. “She was a wonderful lady who didn’t deserve any of [the pain].”

The gladness, Momany said, came in 2018, when he reconnected with his high school girlfriend, Elizabeth, who lives in southwest Michigan. The pair met at band camp and dated for years in high school, but fell out of touch when they went to separate colleges.

After nearly 40 years without contact, the couple is now engaged and plans to wed in August. They will live together in Dowagiac after the wedding.

“We both have had a little bit of sadness in our lives, but now it’s a good story of gladness,” Momany said.

Momany said he felt that marrying Elizabeth and moving back to southwest Michigan was “coming full circle,” as it was actually her who planted the seed of ministry in his mind.

“When I was in high school, my girlfriend, Liz, thought I would be a good pastor,” Momany recalled. “She was the first one to suggest it, and at college, I felt that this was what God wanted me to do. … I’m marrying the woman that planted the seed.”

Now that he is in Dowagiac, Momany said he plans to be a part of the community and to foster an environment in the church that welcomes people from all walks of life and brings people together. Eventually, he said he would like to great specific programs to achieve these goals and bridge the gaps between individuals.

He added that he plans to lead the church with love and understanding.

“The longer I am in ministry, the more I am convinced that it is all about love, and that is not a shallow thing to learn how to love and how much God loves us,” he said. “Learning how to love is a lifelong process, and that is one thing I am going to be working on.”