Meet Pastor Dwight Woodward

Pastor Dwight Woodward leads Newbury United Community Church with a deep commitment to the Bible and teaching the scripture. A lifelong learner, he brings together theological depth and practical compassion, helping people encounter faith in ways that are both accessible and relevant to daily life.

Rooted in Scripture and guided by love, Dwight leads Sunday service with scripture-based preaching and the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has extensive service in pastoral care.

Dwight completed a B.A. in International Studies which included experience teaching English and studying Mandarin in Taiwan (ROC). He returned to Ohio University and completed MAIS and MSJ degrees before working for some 30 years in the news and information business as a writer and editor for newspapers and The Associated Press. He later worked as a writer, editor and spokesman for Ohio University. He raised his grown children, James and Loretta, on a small farm in Athens County. After years of involvement in his home church, the United Methodist Church of Chagrin Falls, Dwight attended Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, from 2019 to 2023, completing a MATS. From 2023 to 2024, he served as a co-pastor at the Fitzgerald United Methodist Church in Covington, Louisiana.

A native of 'Chagrin Falls and a graduate of Chagrin Falls High School, Dwight was baptized in the UMCCF where his parents, James and Virginia Woodward, were married and served as lifelong elders. Dwight is a daily swimmer and rides a recumbent bicycle

“Prayer is the mother of all blessings.”

-- Pastor Dwight Woodward