Katie Toalson

Pastor Katie was raised in Hondo by her parents Alan and Sonya Toalson, and she has a younger brother named Andrew. Katie graduated from Hondo High School and went on to pursue her second-grade dream of attending college at Texas A&M University. As a first-generation college student, she graduated in 2015 from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science in Bioenvironmental Sciences.

Katie is a lifelong United Methodist and grew up at New Fountain UMC in Hondo. Pastor Katie first heard the call to ministry right before she graduated from high school while sitting in the sanctuary at New Fountain UMC. She briefly entertained the idea of entering into ministry but instead focused on her studies at Texas A&M. She attended an Emmaus Walk during her sophomore year in college where she began to further discern her call to ministry. After graduating from college and working for three years, Pastor Katie answered her call to ministry and started seminary. She graduated from Duke Divinity School with a Master of Divinity and a Concentration in Methodist/Wesleyan Studies in 2021.

While attending Duke Divinity School, she completed two field education experiences. The first field education experience was a student-initiated placement at Medina Valley UMC in Castroville during the summer of 2019. She served as summer seminary intern where she participated in every aspect of the worship service including preaching a sermon, helping lead Sunday School, becoming involved in the church ministries, starting a contemporary worship service led by some of the high school youth group students, and learning more about how a church is managed. Katie’s second field education experience was Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Duke University Hospital where she served as an intern during spring of 2020. After graduating from Duke Divinity School, Pastor Katie entered into a CPE Residency program with the Baptist Health System in San Antonio where she completed three units of CPE. Throughout her residency, Pastor Katie provided pastoral care to patients, families, and staff members during times of joy as well as times of grief and loss.

Pastor Katie loves doing anything creative, trying out new recipes, working on the ranch, and learning new things to grow as a person and a pastor. She enjoys the company of her two dogs named Emmett Oakley and Floyd Buckley, and she appreciates spending time with her family and being a part of a small-town community. Pastor Katie is enjoying her first appointment as a pastor at Devine First United Methodist Church. She is making meaningful relationships and journeying with the congregation in ministry through the church and in the surrounding community.