PHILLIPS — On Jan. 5, the Rev. Bob Edgarton began serving the Phillips Community Church as its transitional minister. Edgarton has also been serving the Weld Congregational Church since July 2007.

A search committee is working with the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ to secure a permanent pastor for the Phillips church, but until then the church is glad to welcome Edgarton.

Pastor Edgarton spent his early years in Massachusetts, but also has connections to the Farmington-Wilton area through his mother, who was a member of the Mallett family.

He has training in wooden boat building and served in the Navy Reserves as a Religious Program Specialist. After returning to Maine he eventually entered the Bangor Theological Seminary and was a student-pastor at the Frankfort Congregational Church as well. After graduation, he continued his studies through online courses from St. Joseph’s College of Maine, received BA and MDIV degrees in 2008 and was ordained on Oct. 19, 2008.

He has served as a Chaplain at Inland Hospital and at Mount Saint Joseph nursing home, both in Waterville.

In his spare time Edgarton enjoys sailing and owns a kayak and other small boats, as well as a 23-foot ODay Tempest sloop, so if there’s a breeze and time allows, chances are he’ll be out sailing.

Pastor Bob can be contacted by cell phone at 620-4069 or at the Weld parsonage (weekends) at 585-2912. Sunday services at the Phillips Community Church are at 11:15 a.m.