About the Pastor

Kimberleigh Buchanan (pastor@pilgrimageucc.org) has served Pilgrimage as its pastor since June of 2001. While her denominational roots are Southern Baptist, Kim has found the United Church of Christ to be a very welcoming denomination and an excellent denominational home.

After completing her Master of Divinity degree at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, Kim moved to Atlanta to pursue doctoral studies at Emory University. In May of 2004, Kim received her PH.D. in Preaching and Education.

Kim's philosophy of ministry is firmly grounded in the good news of God's love for every person. “Everything we do as a church — from worship, to education, to missions work, even to times of recreation — everything we do must be grounded in belief in and practice of the radical inclusiveness of God's love for ALL people,” Kim says.

Kim is married to the Rev. Dr. Allen Mullinax. They live in Woodstock, Georgia.

Recent Thoughts from the Pastor

Associate Pastor for Children & Youth

Rev. Kristin Gerner Vaughn (associate@pilgrimageucc.org) has served as Associate Pastor at Pilgrimage since October of 2005.  Kristin was born and grew up in North Carolina. She is an ordained United Church of Christ minister and a lifetime member of the UCC.

 

Kristin received a BA in Religion and Philosophy and Outdoor Ministries from Catawba College, Salisbury, NC (A UCC college), and a Master of Divinity (inaugural class) Wake Forest University Divinity School, Winston-Salem, NC. She was a visiting student at Pacific School of Religion for Liturgical Dance and Spirituality and Healing and did her Chaplaincy Residency at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

 

Prior to coming to Pilgrimage, she was a Chaplain with Hospice, a Chaplain for a Regional Cancer Center and Minister of Youth and Children in North Carolina.

 

Kristin resides in Cumming, GA with her husband Mike, and their son Jonathan Michael, and 2 rescue dogs, Macy and Molly.

 

Recent Thoughts from the Associate Pastor

Director of Music

Rev. Allen B. Mullinax (music@pilgrimageucc.org) has served as Director of Music at Pilgrimage since October of 2006.  He previously served churches in Indiana, Kentucky, and the Atlanta area.  He received a B.M. in music education from the University of Georgia, a M.C.M. in church music and music history from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in music history from the University of Louisville-the University of Kentucky joint doctoral program.  Allen has led local and national workshops on music and worship, and he has published articles on hymnology.

 

Allen sees church music, not just as musical performance, but also as ministry.  He assists the other ministers with pastoral care.  In addition to his work as Director of Music, he also works part time as a hospice chaplain and also works as a pastoral counselor.  He is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ.

 

Allen is married to Pilgrimage’s pastor, Rev. Kimberleigh Buchanan.  They live in Woodstock.

 

Recent Thoughts from the Director of Music

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