Meet the Pastors
Rev. Dr. Laurinda Hafner, Senior Pastor
The Rev. Dr. Laurinda M. Hafner’s passion for prophetic ministry, the social gospel and the arts has been the mark of her vibrant ministry. Called as Senior Pastor of Coral Gables Congregational UCC in August, 2006, Laurie came from Cleveland, Ohio where she served as Senior Pastor of Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ for almost 17 years. The dynamic ministry she led at Pilgrim Church has been described by Niles Harper in his book, Urban Churches, Vital Signs: Beyond Charity Toward Justice, and by Chris Hobgood in Welcoming Resistance. In 2000, Laurie was named by the Cleveland Plain Dealer as one of Those Who Will Help to Shape Our Lives in the New Millennium in the field of religion and faith. Also in 2000, Laurie planned and presided at Pilgrim Church’s Easter worship service, Joy, which was broadcast by ABC across the nation on Easter Sunday morning.
Prior to her call to Pilgrim Church, Dr. Hafner worked in the executive offices of the United Church of Christ’s national setting, and served several local United Church of Christ congregations in Ohio.
Laurie is a political science graduate of Elon University in North Carolina. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana, and holds a Doctor of Ministry Degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. In the early 1980s, she studied with Father Henri Nouwen at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut.
Laurie serves on the Boards of Eden Theological Seminary, and the United Church Foundation. She is also the chair of the Miami Coalition of Christians and Jews (MCCJ) clergy dialogue. As a daughter of the Florida Conference of the UCC, Laurie was raised and shaped in Trinity UCC in St. Petersburg, where her father served as the pastor. She is a delegate to the UCC General Synod, and at General Synod 28, held in July, 2011, in Tampa, Florida, she was chosen to be the keynote preacher for the Sunday evening worship.
Married to attorney Richard Walters, they are the proud parents of their middle school age daughter, Ciana Marie. In her free time, Laurie is an avid basketball fan, and enjoys films, reading, roller coasters, and table tennis.
Rev. Dr. Guillermo Márquez-Sterling, Associate Pastor
The Rev. Dr. Guillermo Márquez-Sterling is the youngest son of Cuban political exiles. Born in Miami and raised on the island of Puerto Rico, Guillermo joined the U.S. Navy in 1981 and served six years during times of relative peace. He graduated from Florida International University in 1988 with an undergraduate degree in English. He then taught at Carver Middle School and at Miami Jackson Senior High. In 1992, Guillermo began exploring the possibilities of becoming a minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC). He was awarded a Masters degree in Divinity from the South Florida Center for Theological Studies in 1997, and was ordained in the UCC that summer. He has been serving as Associate Pastor at Coral Gables Congregational Church since January of 1999. In May 2007, Guillermo was awarded a Masters degree in Public Administration from FIU, and in May 2011, he received a Doctorate in Ministry from Chicago Theological Seminary. Guillermo lives happily with his wife Maria, who is a school teacher, and their three children.
Rev. Megan Smith, Associate Pastor
megans@ucc-cgcc.org
305-448-7421
extension: 119
Megan joined our church in 1992, and, after many years of service as our Director of Spiritual Formation, she was ordained and installed as our Associate Pastor on Sunday, January 29, 2012. Pastor Megan oversees the church’s Wellness Center, which offers yoga, Reiki, and meditation classes. She provides leadership for all educational programs within the church, including our Infant – Grade 12 Christian Education program, our active Adult Education Program, and our Theologian in Residence program. Originally born in New York City, Megan moved to Miami in 1980. She is the mother of three grown children, and recently became a grandmother. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Barry University, and graduated with her Masters of Divinity degree from Florida Center for Theological Studies/St. Thomas in December 2011.
