An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ
Rev. Sandi Hood, Pastor
Rev. Sandi Hood serves as the pastor of Peace United Church of Christ. She did her undergraduate work in journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her MDiv In Pastoral Care and Counseling from Gardner-Webb University. Through her pastoral counseling, Pastor Sandi has worked with bereaved families in the community and has provided numerous training workshops and presentations on grief, advance directives, and self-care for caregivers. She has served as a volunteer associate and adjunct chaplain for the two local hospitals in Catawba County, is past president of The Hickory Area Ministers, a member of the Hickory Racial Reconciliation Committee, and is a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of Hickory. Pastor Sandi was awarded the Spirit of King Award in January 2013. She is married to David Hood, and they have two adult children, Wilson, and Callie. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, film, reading, cooking, and spending time with her family (including her pets).
Rev. Terry Parrish, Associate Pastor
Rev. Terry Parrish is an eastern North Carolina native (which means he knows that barbecue is pulled or chopped and served with a vinegar-based sauce, like God intended) now living in Hickory, NC, homesteading with his husband Lee and puppies Adele and Bella. He earned his BA in Business Administration from Queens University in Charlotte in 2001, a Master of Divinity from Wake Forest University School of Divinity in 2013, a Master of Arts in Religious Studies with a concentration in Pastoral Leadership from Grand Canyon University in 2014, and is currently working on a Doctor of Ministry at Wake Forest School of Divinity.
He served as Pastor of Hebron United Church of Christ in Midway, NC, from August of 2017 until the church closed in November 2022.
In addition to serving as Associate Pastor of Peace, Terry currently serves as an officer on the Board of Directors of the Western NC Association, is a facilitator for a Community of Practice support group for pastors and sits on the leadership team of the Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ.