The Rev. Dr. Heather Shortlidge comes to us from First Presbyterian Church of Annapolis, where she has served as the Associate Pastor for the past twelve years. For the past year and a half, the congregation has been in the midst of transition, figuring out a way forward after a long-term Head of Staff/Senior Pastor retired in May 2018. Heather served as the Acting Head of Staff for five months and then continued in her role as the Associate Pastor once a Transitional Pastor was called. She’s excited to help lead New York Avenue during this time of discernment and transition .
Before Annapolis, Heather served as the Associate Pastor of Rivermont Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, TN. And before that, she served as a pediatric hospital chaplain at the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas.
Heather earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond, her Master of Divinity degree from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, and her Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from McCormick Seminary in Chicago.
She’s a certified yoga instructor and volunteers as a puppy raiser for FIDOS for Freedom, an organization that trains assistance dogs. She’s currently raising her seventh puppy, a black Lab named Newman, who will be returned at the beginning of September. Heather lives with her partner, John, near the water in Annapolis. Her immediate family lives in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Colorado.