Within a year of taking the helm as Senior Pastor of Methuen’s First Church Congregation in 2016, Pastor Bill Ingraham connected with the YMCA. “I landed in the Merrimack Valley and was looking for how I would be involved in the community. I have a great passion for child safety, and for creating safe and welcoming environments for people of all ages. I wanted my community service to focus in that area.”
Long-time YMCA Trustee and First Church Congregational member Jennifer Borislow met with Pastor Bill when he moved here. When she asked about his community interests and learned that child safety was a top priority for him, Jennifer suggested he get involved with the Y. “I then met with Anne Whalen who was the Methuen YMCA branch executive director at that time. We had lunch, and she talked about all the things the Y does in Methuen and throughout the Merrimack Valley. I had never stepped foot in a YMCA in my life but could see how much I believe in its mission,” he said. “It is such a good fit for me.”
Pastor Bill with (left to right) Donna Aldrich, Chair of the Board of Directors, Anne Whalen, Senior Executive Director of Camping Services, and Ashley Bautista, Director of Development, at our Annual Auction Gala
As a YMCA member, donor, and Board of Directors member, Pastor Bill is all-in with moving the YMCA mission forward. “I’m currently chair of the Y’s annual campaign, Vice-Chair of the Corporate Board of Directors, Chair of the Board Development Committee, and Chair of the Methuen Branch’s Board of Managers,” he says joyfully. Additionally, Pastor Bill serves on the Y’s Philanthropy Committee and has been active on the Y’s annual auction committee. It’s no surprise that Pastor Bill was honored as YMCA Volunteer of the Year in 2018 and 2020. “If I can at all help it,” he says, “I never say ‘no’ to the Y.”
Pastor Bill cannot say enough about his Y involvement, “I have met wonderful people at the Y. Our staff and volunteers make a difference every single day. I have fallen in love with the Merrimack Valley YMCA, and with the YMCA movement as a whole,” he said.
“The Y is a place for everyone. All means all. We mean that as an organization, working across any lines that can divide us: race, economics, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, language, religious or non-religious ideology. Everyone is welcome. We grew out of an alliance based on faith, and have grown to become broad and inclusive, building healthy lives and fostering healthy communities. If you have a passion for any of this, the Y is the place for you.” – Pastor Bill Ingraham
“The Y lives diversity, inclusion and equity. Whether it’s volunteers, staff or the people we serve, we make sure that we reflect the community we live in. You can see that in who we are, what we do, and how we serve.”
You may see Pastor Bill at the Y in the mornings. He loves to swim at the Lawrence Y and the Andover/North Andover Y. Or you may catch him on a fourth Saturday morning at the Methuen Y, unloading pallets of food that will make their way to families to ensure the community is food secure.
