Interfaith Minister Nancy Remkus Leads Old Whalers' Church

Nancy Remkus, an interfaith minister who was appointed earlier this year as the pastor of the Old Whalers’ Church in Sag Harbor, said the congregation’s unofficial motto is “an open door since 1844.”

To that end, Remkus, who has occupied the pulpit of the oldest church in the village since January, said her goal was to help rebuild a congregation that has seen its numbers drop in recent years — a decline that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s really an important time for Old Whalers’ to get the word out that we are here,” she said. “And we are trying to build a community and are inviting everyone to be part of that.”

Remkus has replaced the Reverend Linda Maconochie, who moved to the St. Louis area at the end of last year.

It is not her first time working with the congregation. Remkus said she had served as guest minister several times about five or six years ago when the Old Whalers’ Church was without a pastor. “I have a warm, informal style, and I’m very much a lover of the Earth and creation,” she said. “People liked that style of preaching, I guess.”

“What I’m trying to do here is inspire people to live their best lives, enjoy life, and do more of the things they love,” she said.

The approach seems to be working, she said, with the number of people in the pews for services each week on the upswing. At Easter, there were about 175 people in attendance, and about 80 were there on Mother’s Day, with about 40 last week, Remkus said.

The village’s de facto community center, the Old Whalers’ Church is serving as s a temporary home to Temple Adas Israel, which is undergoing an extensive renovation, and a Latino Pentecostal congregation. It is also home to the Sag Harbor Food Pantry, the Hamptons LGBT Center, and serves as a host to various Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

In her new role, Remkus said she is focusing on expanding programs. For children, she has launched “Soulful Songs and Stories” and plans to offer ukulele lessons for children in fourth through sixth grades.

She wants to encourage their participation in church life. “There is a lot of evidence that kids need some level of spirituality in their lives, a place to go to ask the big questions,” she said. “If you have background in spirituality, you are less likely to behave in risk-taking behavior and things like that.”

She is also trying to reach out to other members of the congregation, planning senior teas and singalongs, a sacred circle for women, and guest musicians, including Caroline Doctorow and Lee Skolnick, who will complement the music provided by Walter Klauss, the congregation’s organist and pianist.

While she is focusing on the spiritual aspect of things, there are some practical items that also need Remkus’s attention. The church is on the National Register of Historic Places and needs a fresh coat of paint, trim and window work, and a variety of other repairs. With the paint job alone expected to cost about $150,000, Remkus said the congregation is exploring fundraisers and hopes that it can find support in the broader community.

She added that when the church opened its doors in 1844, there were 1,000 people in the pews, and whaling ships were held back in the harbor to commemorate the big day.

A native of North Haven, Remkus enjoyed a 31-year career as a teacher at the Sag Harbor Elementary School, where she taught a number of different classes and helped launch the morning program. “I loved every minute of it,” she said of her career.

Born and raised a Catholic, Remkus fulfilled her desire to enter the ministry by attending the One Spirit Learning Alliance seminary in New York City. After her ordination in 2009, she presided over weddings, funerals, baptisms, and blessings, “sometimes in churches, but sometimes at places like the beach, or someone’s backyard,” she said.

Now that she is officially pastor of the church, Remkus said she wanted to help out in any way she can, while “preparing for the next person in line.”

“The Old Whalers’ Church has stood as a beacon for the community,” she said. “We want to keep it that way.”