People have been so nice. I mean, they clapped at the end of my first sermon. I had to say, ‘Don’t ever do that again!’ Because you know, the sermons are not always going to be that good. You really don’t want to start something you can’t maintain.”

Dr. Donna Schaper

A writer, teacher, lecturer and highly regarded religious leader who has led seven churches in 50 years, including four in which she was the first woman ever to serve as pastor, is embarking on a new path as interim pastor of the United Congregational Church of Little Compton.

With the church in a transitional period following the departure of former senior minister Reverend Rebecca Floyd Marshall, the Reverend Dr. Donna Schaper has stepped in to fill her place, at least temporarily.

“There is a grief cycle that needs to happen,” Schaper said of her role. “You really have to say goodbye to the last person. Rebecca was here for eight years — a nice long time. The interim helps manage the grieving process.”

Now 76, Schaper has inspired congregations and supported the transformation of churches in major urban areas such as Philadelphia and New York City, and she has trained ministers in Chicago when she served as head of that city’s Urban Academy. 

In the 1970s, she was one of the first women to be mentored by Saul Alinsky, a nationally recognized activist at the time who founded the field of community organizing in Chicago. It was a connection that helped shape her lifelong commitment to social justice, inclusivity, and support for the disenfranchised.

When asked to describe her strengths and graces, Schaper will tell you they are preaching, pastoring, and building community.

A central mission, she added, is to get the church ready to welcome a new pastor.

“Some people want a great preacher, while others don’t even like preaching. They just want somebody who is congenial and capable of being trusted if something terrible happens, or if something wonderful happens.”

The transitional period generally lasts a year or 18 months, she said, during which a search committee will work to find a new leader. Schaper said she will assist the search committee in an advisory role. Typically, at the completion of the search, the committee will recommend one person to the congregation.

“The congregation will hear them preach and conduct a worship service, and then they’ll vote. Almost always, the search committee’s recommendation is accepted.”

New York City to Little Compton

Schaper led Judson Memorial Church in New York City’s Greenwich Village for 15 years, retiring in 2021 as senior minister. It was a church that she describes in the introduction of her book, “Remove the Pews,” as one that grew and thrived in part because of the variety of ways in which the building was used. In 1969, prior to her arrival, the church removed all its pews.

“With the pews gone, we became a center for dance, theater, music, protest and more — and we have become dependent on the income from these events — events we see as central to our ministry ... removing the pews is not just a physical act, it is also a metaphor: Opening our buildings is also about opening ourselves to new revelations.”

When she first arrived at the church, almost all of its members were over 65. By the time she left, most were under 40.

But like many, her professional life was upended by the pandemic.

“The way we survived was by renting almost all of our church space to community groups. When COVID came, we lost all of the income. We had a staff of about 20, all younger than me.”

She initially decided to reduce her hours and commute from her Connecticut home to the city, but as COVID dragged on, she felt “the writing was on the wall,” and it was time to formally retire.

“I never intended to stop working, so it was a bad transition. What can you do?”

To answer that question, she began accepting interim, transitional positions at churches, which led in late 2022 to a three-month role as a temporary “bridge” pastor at Amicable Church in Tiverton. She fell in love with the town and its people, so when the opportunity for the interim pastor role in Little Compton came along earlier this year, she welcomed it.

The UCC membership’s interest in racial justice and affordable housing, two of her passions, was a strong draw.

“They are delving into their own history of slavery in this area. It is wonderful to see white people taking that kind of responsibility for their own pasts.”

In terms of the town’s housing crisis, she acknowledges that the church, as an institution, has a significant self-interest in local home prices and a related topic, whether the school will be able to survive as young families continue to leave the community in search of more reasonably-priced housing. She is looking for solutions.

Asked to describe her first few months in town, she said the congregation in Little Compton has welcomed her warmly.

“People have been so nice. I mean, they clapped at the end of my first sermon,” she said, laughing.

“I had to say, ‘Don’t ever do that again!’ Because you know, the sermons are not always going to be that good. You really don’t want to start something you can’t maintain.”