Bluff Park UMC Pastor Reid Crotty to retire

After serving as senior pastor for Bluff Park United Methodist Church since 1991, Reid Crotty is retiring. The 63-year-old pastor said the decision was made more than four years ago when he and his wife, Martha, aimed to retire together in 2013.

Crotty’s plans are simple – to travel.

“When you’ve been working on weekends for 22 years, you don’t get to do a lot of sightseeing,” he said. “My wife and I plan to go many places in our retirement and see what turns up.”

In his tenure as senior pastor at Bluff Park, Crotty said the church has grown, a new sanctuary has been built and his congregation has taken advantage of participating in many mission endeavors.

He said he’ll miss his interactions with people the most.

“Being a senior pastor means you never know who you’re going to meet on a given day,” he said. “In the morning you may be visiting a hospital to see a newborn baby and that afternoon you’re conducting a funeral.”

Mike Holly will assume the role as senior pastor at Bluff Park United Methodist on June 12. Crotty called Holly one of the most outstanding young ministers in the area. Holly is 34 years old, making him an excellent addition for the younger families attending Bluff Park United Methodist, he said.

Holly has previously served as the associate pastor over contemporary worship at Canterbury United Methodist Church in Mountain Brook.