Hi! My name is Pastor Carrie Bland, I am a licensed local pastor pursuing Ordination as an Elder in the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference of the UMC. I hold an M.Div. from Seattle Pacific Seminary, a BA in Sociology from Central Washington University, and an ATA in Business Administration from South Puget Sound Community College. In addition, I have 20+ years of experience working with children & teens from the local church to camping ministries to child daycares.

My passions include racial and social justice, making prayer beads, crafts, deep conversations, and I believe with all my heart that living my life according to God's will can lead us to a better way of life. I believe all are loved, of sacred worth, and there's always room for you at the table.

My husband Paul is a Challenge Course Facilitator Trainer and Inspector. You will have to ask him to explain what that means. My short version is that he teaches facilitators how to lead groups through a challenge course that can be fun, or as many groups use them, to help them work better together.

Our dog's name is Darby. We adopted him three years ago and have been blessed ever since. He is super friendly, a bit timid with people, but LOVES OTHER ANIMALS. He believes he owns this town, that your home is his home, and will happily welcome you to our place. He loves being loved on and absolutely loves squeaky tennis balls.