Welcome, David Masland!
Our New Young Adult Ministries Pastor
Dave and his wife Leslie have been attending Saint Paul’s regularly since 2022. He joins our staff team in a part-time (roughly 10 hours/week) role focusing on building an effective ministry with the young adults of our church and community. Here’s a brief bio to help you get to know him:
Dave was born in Endicott, NY in 1962 and grew up with three sisters. His family were committed Methodists, and he grew up singing in choirs, attending Sunday School and youth group. He attended The King's College, in Briarcliff Manor, NY, a small Christian Liberal Arts school, where he majored in Psychology and Christian Education. During those college years he married his high school sweetheart, Leslie.
After graduation, he worked as a youth pastor for three years at 1st UMC in Toms River, NJ. While in Toms River, their two sons, Mark and Josh were born. After this, he took a student appointment as pastor of Trinity UMC in Roebling, NJ, while he attended Princeton Theological Seminary. After graduation, he served full-time at this church for three additional years. Dave was ordained in the Southern NJ Annual Conference during this time.
When Leslie's father was diagnosed with lung cancer, Dave requested an appointment change and transfer to upstate NY. He served for six years as pastor of Castle Creek (NY) UMC, and then eight years as pastor of Sidney (NY) UMC, before being asked (in 2006) to serve as District Superintendent of the Binghamton DIstrict. He served for seven years in this capacity, and especially loved supporting two persons as they planted new churches in the district.
Because of this experience, he was given the BEST opportunity of his life, and was hired by Upper NY Annual Conference as Director of New Faith Communities in 2013. For the past ten years, Dave has had the privilege of equipping, coaching and supporting over 100 people whom God called to plant new faith communities of multiple designs, languages and sizes throughout upstate NY.
In 2021, in the middle of Covid, Dave and Leslie's son and daughter-in-law lost their childcare, and because Dave was already doing 99% of his work on-line, they sold their home and moved to Elizabethtown. Leslie provided childcare for their three grandkids for over a year. When Covid let go of its grip, he and Leslie discovered Saint Paul's online.
Dave formally retired in July 2023. He has five grandchildren, three in Lancaster, and two in Tomball, Texas. His passions are long walks with Leslie and their dog Bella, fishing (especially fly fishing for trout, lake and river fishing from his kayak, and surf fishing), golf, disc golf, hiking, wood working, and playing whiffle ball or video games with his grandkids. He is VERY excited to have the new challenge of growing a strong young adult ministry at Saint Paul’s.
Questions? You can email David at: masland@wearesaintpauls.com
