Brookline, Mass., March 1 - Highrock Brookline announced today that Kat Hampson will become its new Lead Pastor following a vote at a members’ meeting on February 28, 2021.

Pastor Kat was formerly the worship pastor at Highrock Quincy and has served in various capacities there since 2015. She and her husband Ben were also members of Highrock Quincy's original planting team. She previously served in college ministry with InterVarsity at Wellesley College. She earned a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, has served as a licensed minister since June 2018, and has been finalized for ordination in June 2021 with the Evangelical Covenant Church. Pastor Kat has a heart for racial justice and seeks to live into God’s call to see people and communities come alive in Christ.

Born in the Philippines and raised in the multicultural and multi-religious environment of the United Arab Emirates, Pastor Kat came to the Boston area for college as an international student and became a U.S. citizen in 2018. She and Ben currently live in Quincy with their son Alastair and their German Shepherd dog Bonnie.

In introducing Pastor Kat to the church, the Pastor Search Committee of Highrock Brookline stated, “It’s our belief that the Holy Spirit is bringing us together and that she’s the right person to help our church take its next steps together!” Pastor Kat comes after the departure of transitional lead pastor Yumiko Nakagawa. Pastor Kat spent her candidacy period meeting with church members online and in socially distanced groups to create opportunities to answer questions and discuss her vision for the church, her ministry background and her personal spiritual journey. She was also well known to many in the Highrock Network and will be the second installed solo female lead pastor in the Network, and the first as a Filipina-American and a woman of color.

Highrock Brookline will formally welcome Pastor Kat at an installation service to take place on Zoom on Sunday, April 11 at 10:30 a.m. Howard Burgoyne, superintendent of the ECC East Coast Conference, will lead the service. All are welcome to attend the service at this link.

Photo credit: Mike Chu