Keeley DiMartino
I was born in Westerville, Ohio (home of Cheryl’s Cookies) right outside of Columbus (go Buckeyes!). Me and my husband, Joseph, both grew up Catholic but joined Hudson United Methodist Church in Ohio where I was hired as a paid soloist. I received a Bachelors in Music Education from Kent State University and a Masters in Elementary and Special Education from Seton Hill in Greensburg. I worked in various teaching and childcare positions until feeling called into ministry.
Joseph and I were married at Phipps Conservatory in 2010 and had our first child, Clayton, in 2012. We joined Community Church later that year and Clayton was baptized by Pastor John Ciampa who some of you may remember. Then in October 2013, I became the Director of Traditional Worship Arts at Community. We welcomed our daughter, Isla, in 2014 and our youngest, Bennett, in 2017. I served at Community until the end of 2020.
In 2021, our family was called south to Bluffton, SC where I became the Music Director. The next year, I felt God’s pull to go deeper and began my online seminary studies at Candler School of Theology (part of Emory University). After three long years of balancing ministry, family, and school, I graduated this past May with my Master of Divinity degree… Woohoo! Also in May, I was selected to represent Candler on a trip to Israel organized by our UMC Global Ministries. The purpose of our trip was to connect with Palestinian Christians to discuss peace and justice in Israel. I’d love to share more about that with anyone who is interested!
At the end of last year, our family began to discern that God was calling us back up to Pennsylvania. When the opportunity to serve once again at Community became a possibility, I knew it was time to go home. I continue to be amazed at the way God orchestrates our journey. I am continuing the process of being ordained as an elder in the UMC here in Western PA.
What else should you know about me? I am a dog person, 100%. We currently have three dogs and in the tradition of always naming our dogs with F names they are Feodore (maltese mix), Furiosa (short-haired pointer/lab mix), and Figaro (airdale terrier). I love music (all kinds except country), enjoy crafting, and am a big fan of home renovation shows. I love BINGO and other games, but can get rather competitive. I’ve never played Pickle ball but look forward to learning!