Rev. Cheryl Scramuzza will become the senior minister of the historic First Christian Church of Garland (115 South Glenbrook Drive) Sunday, June 23. She will be the church’s first female senior minister, and her service will follow the 22-year ministry of Dr. Dan Jones.
She is honored to be the next senior pastor at FCCG.
“Following God is a wonderful adventure, and I am excited to see where this journey will lead me and FCCG in the years ahead,” Scramuzza said. “FCCG is a wonderful community full of faithful disciples.”
The incoming senior pastor shared that she wondered if anyone would have reservations about extending this call because of her gender. However, she was pleased to learn that the congregational vote was unanimous in favor of making it official.
She’s also excited to have the opportunity to lead this long-standing body of believers and especially thrilled to be a part of next year’s upcoming 150-year anniversary celebration.
The members wish to serve with open hearts, and they desire to connect with the surrounding community of Garland.
“I have a nice history of living and working in Garland, and the area holds a special place in my heart,” Scramuzza said.
Before Scramuzza answered her call to ministry, she spent 17 years in managerial positions at Plastipak Packaging in Garland and at various other locations for the Coca-Cola companies. She also worked with Methodist Health Systems as a Chaplain.
At the end of her first year of seminary in 2016 at Perkins School of Theology, she accepted a call to serve as the Interim Minister to Children and Families at Northway Christian Church. She joined the church and was called to be a part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
While at Northway, Scramuzza served and received their care and affirmation of her call to ministry. They sponsored her ordination with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Southwest Region. She continued to serve at Northway as the interim youth minister, then as the interim associate minister.
Scramuzza was ordained in May 2019 and assumed the role of executive minister and minister of spiritual formation and connections at Northway. She also served as pastor at Bethany Christian Church in Dallas beginning in January 2022.
She attended the Methodist Church while growing up in Florida. She’s a 1993 graduate of the University of North Florida where she earned a degree in Business Administration. Scramuzza then went on to earn her Master of Divinity at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology in 2018.
She is currently a candidate for Doctor of Liberal Studies at SMU’s Simmons School of Education and Human Development. In addition, she has participated in numerous continuing education opportunities including completing a year-long Chaplain Residency with Methodist Hospitals in a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program, as well as Disciples History and Polity.
Scramuzza has been married to her husband, Michael, for 22 years, and they have lived in Rowlett for nearly 20 years. He serves as supervisor of the facility maintenance programs for a large manufacturing business. The couple has a Goddaughter they adore, and they share their home with their pets.
Church History/Details
First Christian Church of Garland will reach a significant milestone in 2025 when it celebrates 150 years of ministry. The church was organized in 1875 by Rev. W.B. Cole, and the first sanctuary was built in 1888. Its current building was constructed in 1922 and has been through many renovations and additions since then. At one point, over 1,000 people called it their church home.
“Our members love the sense of belonging to a people who sense the presence of God through prayer, biblical preaching/teaching, and passing the Christian faith on to future generations,” Rev. Dr. Larry J. Ross, Interim Senior Minister said. “We are eager to increase our diversity and are enthusiastically welcoming to all who visit.”
He added that the church has been blessed with an absence of conflict or division. There are 200 members, and all age groups are represented. There is a strong Disciples Women’s group, and the men meet monthly for breakfast. Currently, the attendance at morning worship averages about 120, and most members attend one of the Sunday school classes, and/or weekly Bible studies.
FCC Garland is supportive of the city of Garland’s efforts to revitalize downtown and participates in supporting many of the community non-profits. They also conduct a shoe drive every year for students of local schools. Early this year they packaged 10,000 meals to be distributed by Rise Against Hunger. The church building is also used by two AA groups for weekly meetings, as well as by scout leaders.