Maddiepalooza Hopes to Help Maddie Downer Continue Her Spiritual Journey

Though Maddie Downer enjoyed church as a young girl, going as far as helping reinstate the junior choir with a friend, her interest faded after her confirmation in 8th grade.

“I wanted to do my own thing and be a teenager and have fun,” said Downer. “I had plans to head out to the west coast in a VW bus and live on the beach for the rest of my life. I’m glad that didn’t happen.”

Though Downer didn’t take the trek across the country, she has certainly been on a journey since then. Like many students, Downer went to college after high school.

“After my first year at Southern, which was a total fail, I took a year off because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” she said. “During that year, I kind of had a conversion experience where I felt I was being called back to faith and Christianity. I started coming back to church.”

Though Downer was nervous about rejoining the church, she was welcomed by her congregation at (NBCC). She soon got involved with the youth group.

The more she got involved, the deeper her spiritual connection became. She began talking to Rev. Matt McCaffrey, NBCC’s minister at the time, about taking her journey to the next level.

“I prayed about it and talked to my mentor pastors–I felt like I was being called to ministry,” said Downer, who also writes a blog.

Becoming a minister is not an easy path. McCaffrey brought Downer to the Committee on Church and Ministry, which serves as a support system, after Branford Congregational Church’s Rev. Vance Taylor encouraged her to start the process.

After visiting a number of schools, Downer was accepted to her top choice, Andover Newton Theological School in Newton Center, Massachusetts. Achieving a masters in divinity involves a three-year full-time program with an equal focus on academic and spiritual education. The school also requires a “border-crossing” experience, which Downer is excited about.

“You have to go outside of the country to a place like Mexico or Africa where the life and culture is so different than here,” said Downer, whose ultimate goal is to ordained ministry in the United Church of Christ and she would love to focus on youth and young adult ministry. “That is part of what really drew me to this school.”

As she was getting ready to start the next chapter of her spiritual journey, Downer approached Lisa Nanamaker, who has seen Downer grow up through NBCC, about the cost of heading to school.

“Maddie came to me and said she was worried about tuition and said, ‘Maybe I’ll have a fundraiser’ and I told her I’d be happy to hold one for her,” said Nanamaker. “I’ve known her since she was six or seven and she’s always been involved in music.”

Nanamaker was the Christian education director at NBCC and she is the one Downer approached about starting the junior choir. When Downer returned to church, she and Nanamaker often sang together.

So when it came to the fundraiser, it was only fitting to focus on music. Maddiepalooza came about in just two weeks and will be held on Sunday, Aug. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. At the event, which will include a free will offering, people can expect music and refreshments. Local bands set to perform include The Last Hayride, Madelyne Acoustics and Trees of the Field, which is NBCC’s contemporary worship band.

Though the event will be held at the church, it is not a church-sponsored event. The church, however, does serve as Downer’s spiritual sponsor. She thanks her mentor pastors for their support in her quest, along with her mom, Jennifer Ramsay, and Nanamaker.

“Current Pastor Deborah Roy has always looked at me as a colleague and that’s so encouraging,” said Downer. “My mom is amazing and has supported me no matter what–no matter if I wanted to live in California in a van or now. As far as Maddiepalooza, it’s so awesome that Lisa stepped up and so many other people have taken an interest. I’m surprised and amazed by everyone’s generosity.”

Nanamaker, however, was not surprised at all at the outpouring of support for Downer.

“My husband, Paul, and I have not only seen her grow spiritually but soar. If you ever got a chance to listen to her sermons, it’s great–she’s intense,” said Nanamaker. “I can’t wait to see what happens because I know her life is an inspiration to everyone I know and I can’t wait to see what’s next for her.”