Reverend Chad L. Poland, M. Div., Pastor & Teacher 

 

Rev. Chad L. Poland is a Maine native born in Bar Harbor and raised in Dover-Foxcroft.  He graduated from Foxcroft Academy in 1991 where he was active in athletics, theater, and music.  In 2012, Rev. Poland was inducted into the inaugural class of Foxcroft Academy’s academic Hall of Fame.   

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Rev. Poland’s post secondary education began at Bates College.  In 1993, Rev. Poland and Emily, who is now his wife of 23 years, moved to Flagstaff, Arizona.  It was in Arizona that both Chad and Emily embraced the Christian faith and began the journey that would take him into ministry.  At Northern Arizona University, Rev. Poland’s studies were focused on physics and philosophy.  He received a B.A. in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in these areas in 1995.

 

Rev. Poland attended Bangor Theological Seminary.  He completed course work in 1998 and finished his thesis on the theological anthropology of Karl Barth the following year.  He was ordained in the United Church of Christ (UCC) in September of 1999.  

 

Rev. Poland began serving in Pastoral Ministry in 1997 while still in seminary.  He began in western Maine where he served the Norridgewock Congregational Church, part of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC), and the New Sharon Congregational Church (UCC).  In 2002, Rev. Poland was called to Emporia, Kansas where he served First Congregational Church of Emporia.  While in Kansas, Rev. Poland received the Marion Bradshaw Award for Commitment to Congregationalism and later was named ‘Pastor of the Year’ by the Emporia Gazette.  

 

Rev. Poland and his family moved back to Maine in 2007 to be closer to extended family.  After returning to Maine, he served as interim at the Bingham Congregational Church (NACCC) and spent 3 years teaching high school mathematics while also serving the United Church of Christ in Monson.  In 2011, Rev. Poland was called to serve the Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church (UCC), where he remained before coming to All Souls Church in 2017.

 

Throughout Rev. Poland’s ministry, he has been active in the ecumenical community and the wider church including membership and leadership in a variety of ministerial alliances, associations, and chaplaincy teams.  He has served as a Youth Advisor for the Maine Conference of the UCC and has served as both a camp counselor and director in the camping ministry of Congregational Christian Conferences of Maine (NACCC).  Rev. Poland served as Moderator for the Mid-American Congregational fellowship (NACCC).  He is active in the wider church of the United Church of Christ and currently serves as the treasurer for the Katahdin Association of the Maine Conference and sits on the Committee on Ministry of the Katahdin Association.

 

Rev. Poland has a history of being active in his community as well.  He has coached track, rugby, and high school math teams.  He has been active in community theater both on stage and as a board member of Center Theater in Dover-Foxcroft. He served as a board member of the Norridgewock Food Cupboard and as a founding board member of the Abundant Harvest Food Kitchen in Emporia, Kansas.  He is also a founding board member of the Dover-Foxcroft Area Food Cupboard.

 

Rev. Poland and his wife, Emily, have two children,  Ethan and Hannah. The Poland family also includes two cats - Bonnie and Clyde and a Newfoundland by the name of Millie.  Rev. Poland enjoys spending time with family, hiking in the woods, touring the countryside on his motorcycle, fishing at the family camp, and is a self-described techie and sci-fi fan.  In addition to the reading and study required for ministry, he also enjoys working with his hands and recently built his own home.  Rev. Poland has a heart for mission and enjoys bringing his faith and those hands-on skills to the mission field, locally and abroad.