Donor Spotlight: Reverend Darren Morgan

For almost every Sharing Kindness event or fundraiser, one person is among the first to sign up. If you look closely, you can usually spot him at the Suicide Awareness Walk or among the cyclists on our team at Second Summer Cycle, a local charity ride.

But most days, you’ll find him at his day job as the pastor of The Federated Church of Orleans, where he has been serving since 2020.

Reverend Darren Morgan values the “ministry” of Sharing Kindness: “You’re walking with people, not in the religious aspect of the ministry – it’s a ministry of presence. Because to a certain extent, whatever is hurting somebody, I’m here to walk with you through this pain,” he said. “The work that Sharing Kindness does I really appreciate. They really are putting a spotlight, shining a light of love through dark times.”

Rev. Morgan has worn many hats throughout his life. Originally from Maine, he previously served as the Associate Conference Minister of the Maine Conference for the United Church of Christ. Prior to entering the seminary, he was in law enforcement, working as a criminal investigator in the United States Army, and then, a police officer for the York Police Department (today, he is a police chaplain for both the Town of Harwich and the Massachusetts State Police).

Every role he has fulfilled has been driven by a common purpose: walking with people in their time of need. Rev. Morgan served for 12 years as a bivocational minister, leading a small church while also working as a licensed social worker with the specialty of adult mental health. He describes the position – which was essentially 24/7 – as a combination of serving people who

are vulnerable while keeping one foot in the “real world”: “It was, ‘This is what we teach in the scriptures about the vulnerable, and I’m working with them.’”

Many years ago, Rev. Morgan lost a cousin and a great uncle to suicide. “Back in that generation, nobody talked about it,” he said, adding that he frequently uses the Sharing Kindness tagline for various projects in the church. “I like that whole concept of ‘Start the conversation’ because it takes away the stigma. If you’re not talking about it, it’s almost like [saying] you shouldn’t talk about it.”

Since 2020, Rev. Morgan has raised tens of thousands of dollars for our nonprofit. Unsurprisingly, he is already registered – and taking on the role of team captain – for this year’s Second Summer Cycle with $1,000 donated (click here to view his fundraising page). To say the least, we could not be more grateful for his kindness, which has helped sustain and expand programs for suicide awareness and grief support throughout the region.

The work of suicide prevention resonates with Rev. Morgan on both a personal and professional level. And, he noted, while he can help people in his congregation, there is a need to increase awareness of community services for those who struggle with their mental health.

“People who are at that point… they just want the pain to go away. And to a certain extent, [sharing] where the resources, where the support can be found is the most helpful thing you can do.”

Save the date: On October 17 at 4 PM, the Federated Church of Orleans will be hosting the Tomat Community Concert at Nauset Regional Middle School. Featuring folk artist Bobby Jo Valentine, the concert will be free to attend with donations accepted – and this year, all proceeds will benefit Sharing Kindness (our sincerest thank-you to Rev. Morgan and the church!).