Rev. Lynn Cairns was born in Michigan in 1944 and attended Houghton College in Houghton, NY where he graduated with a BS degree in history.  He then attended Asbury Seminary in Kentucky for two years and then transferred to Princeton and received his Master of Divinity. While in seminary he served as a chaplain at the Skillman School for Boys. His years of ministry wereserved with the Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church in Montgomery County, Maryland.  Starting out as an associate and youth and education pastor at North Bethesda UMC in Bethesda MD (1973-80), he then went to Hyattstown for 10 years, followed by 15 years at Mill Creek Parish in the Gaithersburg/Rockville area.  While at Mill Creek Parish UMC the congregation built a new sanctuary and education wing. Throughout this period of time, Lynn participated in numerous conference and district committees and served with Gaithersburg Help and other community organizations.  He has also participated in more than 25 work trips to Costa Rica, Appalachia, and Habitat in Alaska, New Orleans and other weather ravaged areas.Summer construction work while in seminary was useful in these endeavors.  

Most recently he and his wife, Dottie, spent 3 wonderful years in ministry in the far north county of Donegal in Ireland, 2005 - 2008.   There he pastored two small rural churches and served as chaplain at Magee University and Foyle Hospice in Derry and participated in many ecumenical ministries.  While there he worked with local committees and an architect to prepare plans and permits for a new parsonage and fellowship hall.  

In the summer of 2008 they moved back to the USA and retired in Gettysburg, PA, where he and his wife ran a program called Bountiful Blessings located at the Methodist Church that provided personal care/household cleaners, participated in many Gleaning events and helped with home food distribution during early COVID.  He is currently a member of the Gettysburg Rotary Club, is participating with PGL (Project Gettysburg-Leon, Nicaragua) and on the board of Habitat for Humanity and Mediation Services of Adams County.