Pastor Henry Pablo III of Dixon United Methodist Church hosted his final Sunday service on June 22. He is moving to Vallejo to continue pursuing his Master of Divinity degree from the Pacific School of Religion at Berkeley. Photo by Nicolas Brown

DIXON, CA (MPG) - Sunday, June 22 might have been an average day to many Dixonites, but to the Dixon United Methodist Church members, it was the end of an era.

On this day, Pastor Henry Pablo III, who has been with the church since 2022, hosted his final service. Pablo is moving to Vallejo to complete his Master of Divinity degree and continue to support others through worship.

According to Pablo, he became a pastor to serve others.

“I became a pastor because I enjoy serving people, walking with them in their stories and serving the community,” said Pablo. “People should be loved and cared for, seen and heard, and they should know they belong. Worship services and things of that sort support this goal.”

Pablo began his path to pastorship in 2021. Coming from a religious family, Pablo grew up in the church, faith being an active part of his life.

A potluck was held immediately after the June 22 service to honor Pastor Henry Pablo III’s time at Dixon United Methodist Church. Photo by Nicolas Brown

Initially, Pablo pursued a mechanical engineering career, earning a degree at the University of Rochester in New York. Pablo said he worked as an associate engineer for a year and a half in California but was left unfulfilled. During this time, Pablo was also volunteering for the youth administration at his local church.

“I started feeling unfulfilled in my work as a mechanical engineer but was fulfilled by my time working in the youth administration,” said Pablo. “I spoke with my pastor, went through a whole discernment process and quit my job.”

This decision led Pablo to pursue a Master of Divinity degree at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley. Pablo is moving to Vallejo to continue his master’s degree at Vallejo United Methodist Church.

With Pablo’s transition, members of his flock recount his service.

Mike Wood has attended Dixon United Methodist Church for 30 years. He considers Pablo’s transition “a changing of the seasons” and said that he and the Dixon United Methodist Church members are fortunate to have attended Pablo’s services.

“I liked the services where he made it more personal and shared his experiences,” said Wood.

Carrie Senecal, the church secretary, also reflected on Pablo’s time with Dixon United Methodist Church.

“We really enjoyed his time here. We are going to miss him and wish him the best in his future endeavors,” said Senecal.

Senecal’s grandson, Quinn Senecal, 8 and a church member for most of his life, talked about the impact of Pablo’s final Sunday at the church.

“He was a good pastor because he let me play the organ and I really liked that. I liked him; he was pretty nice and the music was really good,” said Quinn Senecal.

In his final sermon, Pablo spoke of creating spaces of belonging and inclusion.

“Even in times of tension, love should be the answer,” he said.

Musicality and creativity are common elements in Pablo’s sermons. His final service focused on creating spaces of inclusion and belonging, leaning into the diversity of others and leading with love, even in times of tension. Photo by Nicolas Brown

Through his musicality and words, Pablo has positively impacted Dixon United Methodist Church members.

“There’s an interwoven connection of a feeling of belonging and community that’s fostered through the musicality and creativity of the people in this space. If you enjoy being moved by music and creativity, Dixon United Methodist Church is the place for you,” said Pablo.

For more information about Dixon United Methodist Church, visit dixonumc.org or call 707-678-2191.