Philanthropic Hero Biography

THE REVEREND ANN A. PEARSON
North Canton, Connecticut

Reverend Pearson, Pastor of Community United Methodist Church of North Canton, Connecticut, recently inherited $1,000 from her Uncle John, the inspiration for her faith in God and charitable works. Wanting to inspire an ethic of caring and a lifetime of service in others as her Uncle John had inspired in her, Reverend Pearson decided to give $10 to each of her parishioners to then give to a cause of their choice. "Many folks had not realized how many avenues for giving there were until they really listened with intention," she has said. With their "Uncle John" money, adults brought new opportunities for community service into the church. Reverend Pearson then published the stories of her parishioners' philanthropy in the Church's bulletin, which profoundly influenced each participant to engage in their own journey of giving.

In addition to her pastoral duties at two churches, Rev. Pearson serves as a member of the Bishop's Task Force for Children and Poverty, on the executive board of Focus on Canton, an outreach program of the six churches in Canton; and a member of the Council on Ministries of the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. She is chair of the Central Connecticut District Council on Ministries and a member of the Central Connecticut District Committee for Ordination.