Our Pastor

Our pastor, Rev. David Montanye, preaches from the Bible with a sense of humor and an enduring faith in the wonderful possibilities that God offers us for a good life and the chance to help change the world for the better.  Dave graduated from American University and Drew University, where he received a Doctorate of Ministry. He has recently celebrated 35 years in ministry.

Dave has been a pastor at United Methodist Churches in Garnerville, New York and Branchville, New Jersey. He founded and directed an innovative multicultural community center called The Downtown Center in Haverstraw, New York which served over 450 at-risk children and youth. Pastor Dave brings to his ministry at Avalon a global perspective from when he served as Program Coordinator of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. He served as the director of the Virginia Council of Churches Refugee Resettlement Program and from there was promoted to be the Domestic Resettlement Program Coordinator at Church World Service, where he helped welcome and resettle over 5,000 refugees each year.

Pastor Dave has been on the Advancement staff of four colleges and universities: University of Louisville in Kentucky, Pace University in New York City, Bacone College in Muskogee, Oklahoma and Keuka College in New York.

In 2012 Dave felt called to return to the local church with the idea of finishing his ministry in the same way he started - as a local church pastor. That summer he joined the Avalon community as the Pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Avalon.