The Reverend Scot A. McCachren (he, him) joined the Hilltop family as pastor in June of 2022. A second-career pastor, Scot worked in the corporate insurance sector for about twenty years, where he served primarily as a learning & development manager. Before, during, and after that time, Scot and his wife, Linda (happily married since 1987), were members of the Presbyterian Church in Morristown, where they raised their now-adult daughters, Emily and Julia. Emily, also a PC(USA) pastor, lives in Pennsylvania with her husband Peter and their daughters Rosie and Sybil. Julia lives in New Jersey and is a graduate student in clinical psychology.

Scot’s faith journey was greatly reinforced by their time in Morristown, where he was ordained as both a ruling elder and deacon. There he also discovered his passion for Christian Education as he led many adult education programs, taught Sunday School at several grade levels, and served as a youth group and youth mission leader for twenty years. God called Scot into pastoral ministry as he bounced around in the back of a pick-up truck on a hot dusty road in Haiti.

Scot enjoys the Biblical books of Genesis and John the most, though he really likes to preach from Matthew. Most days, his favorite hymn is “How Great Thou Art,” but that varies by his mood, the weather, what scripture passage he’s been reading, etc. He’s officially a dog person but loves the family cats a lot too. Scot enjoys a hearty serving of ice cream, building fires, and relaxing by the side of a lake with friends and family.

A native of Salisbury, North Carolina, Scot graduated from Catawba College with a BA in Theatre Arts. He earned an MA at Drew University and MDiv at Princeton Theological Seminary. Before coming to Hilltop, Scot served a congregation in East Hampton, NY.