Church Crosses Gender and Race Hurdles with Pastor Appointment
Noblesville First United Methodist Church is delighted to announce the appointment of the Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross to the senior pastor role for the church.
“We are thrilled to welcome Pastor Nicole to Noblesville First. She radiates warmth and energy and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our community,” explained Julia Kozicki, chair of the church’s Staff-Parish Relations Committee.
“In her initial months, she has already demonstrated her abundant gifts for story-telling, preaching and teaching.”
“It has been an exciting three months,” Caldwell-Gross shared. “I am certain that God brought our family to Noblesville to share in creating a space where ALL people can experience the grace of God- no exceptions. Every community needs congregations like Noblesville First- that break barriers with the inclusive love of Jesus.”
“We are excited to have crossed gender and race hurdles with Pastor Nicole’s appointment as senior pastor,” Kozicki shared.
“Her dynamic presence and leadership are a blessing to both our church and the Noblesville community.”
A Noblesville resident since 2020, Caldwell-Gross’ journey to ministry began on the front pew of her grandparents’ church in Detroit, Michigan. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Politics from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass., she earned a Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary where she was awarded the George L. Rentschler prize in Speech Communication.
Her career began in the roles of associate pastor of youth and non-profit public relations director. She served as Director of Mission and Community Development for the United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey. There she launched hope centers across the region that provide wrap around services for families experiencing poverty. She also preached, equipped and developed teams of disciples in rural, suburban and urban congregations.
Prior to her appointment at Noblesville First, she served as the Pastor of Mission and Mobilization at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, one of the largest congregations in the United Methodist Church. She led a team that served 10,000 people annually in housing, education, justice and food insecurity while deploying over 3,000 volunteers.
She also led the congregation in the launch of a small business incubator, Northside Indianapolis’ first Freedom School, and community-wide trainings on becoming Anti-Racist. An advocate for children’s education and equity, Caldwell-Gross was twice awarded Washington Township School’s Superintendent’s Service Award.
In 2018, Caldwell-Gross founded The Well, a virtual community of women that grew to 500 members in 90 days. She later transformed this community into a podcast, The Well Unfiltered. Noting her ability to connect with people in digital and physical spaces, Caldwell-Gross has been tapped to develop resources and convene conversations with Amplify Media and Abingdon Press.
In 2020, she co-authored Justice or Just Us: A Biblical Call to Confront Racism and this year released The Big Picture: Seeing God’s Dream for Your Life with co-author Rev. Dr. Jevon Caldwell-Gross.
While God’s call has led Nicole to Dubai, Calcutta, Johannesburg, and Havana, her most meaningful mission field is here in Noblesville, where she resides with her partner in marriage and ministry, Rev. Dr. Jevon Caldwell-Gross. They are outnumbered by their three children Joshua, Olivia and Isabella.
Learn more and listen to a sample sermon at NoblesvilleFirst.com/Caldwell-Gross.
About Noblesville First United Methodist Church:
Noblesville First United Methodist Church was founded in 1822 and today serves the spiritual needs of over 1,600 members in and around Hamilton County, with outreach ministries that are rooted in love, connecting people, and planting seeds of hope.