February 1, 2021
On January 31st, 2021, The Hancock Church of Lexington, MA, held a retirement celebration for their Senior Minsiter, Paul Shupe. During the event, Dean Sarah Drummond offered a tribute to Paul, who has been connected to Andover Newton’s programs for more than a decade.
Find the text of Sarah’s tribute below…
Paul and I have worked together for more than ten years. We met soon after he began his work at Hancock Church, the most historic and prolific teaching parish in Andover Newton’s 213 years of educating clergy. I learned in that first meeting with Paul that the opportunity to work with students was one of the main things that drew him to Hancock, and he and I discovered a shared passion for thinking in new ways about placing experience at the center of education for ministry. I also discovered that Paul has a wicked sense of humor, a spark of intelligence that’s both gentle and edgy, and a comfort in his own skin that made being with him easy and fun. He quickly became a dear colleague and friend; a partner in ministry.Many people retire and move somewhere warmer, but I wasn’t surprised at all to learn that Paul and Maryanne will spend more time in Maine. Paul is so… Maine. He’s fearless in the face of the elements, and he’ll drive in any conditions. He rocks a flannel. His sense of humor is bone dry. Paul doesn’t abide a lot of drama, and he’d drop everything to help a neighbor. The word that comes to mind when I think of Paul is, “brave.” Mainers are brave and uncomplaining; working with students requires a lot of bravery. Students are honest, and they hold up a mirror to the leaders who mentor them, sometimes in ways that show us parts of ourselves we weren’t quite ready to see.
In my experience, there are two kinds of people: those who put people into categories, and those who don’t. I’ve also discovered that there are two kinds of ministers who go out of their way to mentor student ministers: those who look to their students to make them feel important, and those who work with students because doing so makes them better ministers. Paul, thank you for your devotion to mentoring ministers. Thank you for being a trusted friend and confidant during some of the hardest moments in my ministry. Thank you for being Down East, true grit, a hilarious storyteller, and a true colleague and friend. I’ll miss you and wish you all the best in your retirement.