Longtime Swampscott pastor to step down next summer

SWAMPSCOTT – After 15 years with the First Church in Swampscott Congregational, Rev. Dean Pedersen is preparing to move on in June.Pedersen said the associate pastor recently relocated and he encouraged the church to use this time to do some collective soul searching.”In September it became obvious to me the church was going through a transition,” he said. “The church needs to ask itself some questions. Every 10 years or so it needs to reexamine its vision and take a look at its long term future. It is clear to me that at 67 years old, I am not the long-term guy. Now is the time for me to step down so the church can prepare for the future.”Pedersen said he loves serving at First Church in Swampscott Congregational, but at this point he believes there is something new in store for the church and for him as an individual.Even though he is leaving First Church, Pedersen said retirement is the furthest thing from his mind.”I’m not retiring,” he said. “I know there’s still something left for me to do. I just don’t know what that is yet.”Pedersen, who resides in Wenham, is a fixture in the Swampscott community. He has offered invocations at annual Town Meetings, is a frequent participant in veterans ceremonies and is one of the chaplains for the Swampscott Police Department.Veterans Agent James Schultz said Pedersen, a Vietnam Veteran, has been an invaluable resource for veterans and their families.”I met him back in 1993 when I first started working on getting a Vietnam Veterans monument,” he said. “I asked him to serve as chaplain for a day for the dedication ceremony. He told me he was in the U.S. Navy and served as a chaplain for the Marines in Vietnam. Ever since that day he’s always been there for me and for our veterans. He’s one of those people who always know the right thing to say. One of the best days of my life was the day I met him.”