Rev. Michael Love, Senior Pastor

The Rev. Michael Love 650-323-6167 x101

Michael says of his faith, “As a Christian disciple I celebrate Jesus Christ as a living, available Teacher and Healer who was victorious over death and who reconnected the world to God. I believe the biblical record is clear that ALL people are loved by that same God and called into lives of sacred service to God and to neighbor. I believe in the church as the imperfect yet ever-growing expression of Christ in the world. I believe that church has one central mission : equipping people to follow the example of Jesus Christ so that the world may be transformed into a place of hope, justice, peace and joy. I believe that this journey takes many forms in many differing and valued ways. I believe that we all have much to learn from one another until Jesus comes again in glory to celebrate with us God's peaceable and sustainable kingdom.”

Michael was born in Urbana, Illinois. He attended public school in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Los Angeles, California. An incomplete list of his likes includes: the British Blues, the Apostle Paul, movies by the Coen brothers, the writing of C.S. Lewis, Raymond Chandler, Adam Hamilton and Philip K. Dick, Wired Magazine, the Bible, and the New York Times (especially the Sunday Crossword in the magazine section). But, his first loves are Dolly, his life partner and spouse, and Sam their son.

He earned his B.A. in Photography from Columbia College, Chicago in 1977 and the M.F.A. in photography from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1984. Michael received his call to ministry when he was about 17, but it wasn't until 1996 that he turned from his fine arts business in Brooklyn, New York, serving the NYC art marketplace to follow that call. He received his M. Div. in 1999 from the Theological School at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. Michael was ordained in the New York Annual Conference in June of 2002. He moved his membership to Cal/Nev Annual Conference in 2004. He has been in parish ministry since January of 1997. Michael has served United Methodist congregations in New York, Connecticut and California, most recently in Santa Cruz.

Click here to read and listen to the sermons Michael has preached at First Palo Alto.

Rev. Laurie McHugh, Associate Pastor

The Rev. Laurie McHugh 650-323-6167 x102

Laurie McHugh came to Palo Alto in July 2009 from the Burlingame United Methodist Church, where she served for 8 years as Associate Pastor. She was raised in the Denver, CO area and graduated summa cum laude from Knox College in Galesburg, IL, with a B.A. in sociology-anthropology. Laurie earned her Master of Divinity degree from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley.

Previously she has served at Ridge View UMC, San Francisco, and Fellowship UMC, Vallejo. She is a coordinator for the Bishop's Confirmation Retreats and is on the Tech Team for the California-Nevada Annual Conference Session.

Laurie is passionate about worship, discipleship and creating new things. A musician at heart as well as a minister, Laurie has been singing and playing piano for most of her life and employs these gifts in her ministry with children and young people and in worship. She and her husband, Tim have two children, Tom, and Katie.

Laurie has started a new project, Facebook Community Church, an experiment in developing and deepening Christian community through the medium of Facebook. She is also discerning, researching, and planting seeds for the creation of a new worshiping community in Palo Alto.

Click here to read and listen to the sermons Laurie has preached at First Palo Alto.

117 Years - 53 Ministers

In our 117 year history, 53 pastors have been appointed to senior and associate minister positions at First Palo Alto.

Meet the Ministers who have served here.

Rev. Robert Olmstead, Senior Pastor Emeritus

The Rev. Bob Olmstead was the Senior Pastor for the First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto from 1993 until he retired in 2003.

Prior to coming to Palo Alto he held pastorates in Reno, Nevada and in Oakland, Windsor and Santa Rosa, California. Rev. Olmstead graduated in 1961 from the University of Rochester with an honors degree in English Literature. He continued his graduate study at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley from which he graduated in 1965. Books remain a major joy for him, especially American fiction and historical biographies

During his extensive career, Rev. Olmstead marched with Martin Luther King, Jr., chaired the first Board of Directors of Home Hospice in Sonoma County and helped develop a homeless shelter in Reno.

Rev. Olmstead's wife, Carol, is retired from a career teaching college mathematics. They have four grown children and four grandchildren.

In honor of his long, dedicated service to the First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto, the Church Conference voted in January 2006 to name him Senior Pastor Emeritus.

Click here to read and listen to some of the sermons Bob has preached at First Palo Alto.

Rev. Douglas Norris, Senior Pastor Emeritus

Rev. Doug Norris has served two pastorates at First Church. From 1969 to 1974, he was appointed here as the Associate Pastor, and from 1983 until 1993, he was appointed as our Senior Minister. The Rev. Norris is Senior Pastor Emeritus at First Church.

In addition to his appointments in California, Rev. Norris has served in Minnesota, Texas, Illinois, Japan and Australia. He graduated from Hamline University in St. Paul, where he studied philosophy and religion. Rev. Norris received his Master of Divinity degree from Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.

Rev. Doug Norris and his wife, Eleanor, have three sons and eight grandchildren. He enjoys travel, spending time with his grandchildren and music. The Rev. Norris is an acclaimed vocalist and occasionally weaves music into his sermons.

You can read Rev. Norris's recent sermons at www.dougnorris.com.

Click here to read and listen to some of the sermons Doug has preached at First Palo Alto.

Rev. Glenn Straith Fuller, Pastor Emeritus

The Rev. Fuller is a Pastor Emeritus.

He is married to Kay Fuller, and now lives in retirement in Contra Costa County. The Rev. Fuller was appointed as our Associate Pastor from 1983 to 1988. Then he and Kay were appointed by the General Board of Global Ministries to the English-Speaking United Methodist Church of Vienna in Austria.

The Rev. Fuller was ordained by the California-Nevada Annual Conference as a Deacon in 1947, and as an Elder in 1949. Glenn and Kay also served as missionaries in India and South Korea.

Sermon Archive:
June 24, 2001
July 30, 2006 (Audio)

Insights Columns

Click here to read the columns written by our pastors for the Insights newsletter.

Insights is the monthly newsletter of the First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto. You can subscribe to the electronic of Insights by clicking here and signing up. Insights will be emailed to you free of charge.