the reverend Doctor willard W. ashley, Sr.
The Rev. Dr. Willard Walden Christopher Ashley, Sr. (ANTS MDiv ‘84, DMin ‘92) is a retired professor of theology, as well as the founder and senior pastor of the Abundant Joy Community Church, Jersey City, New Jersey. Reverend Ashley has served for 41 years as the pastor at various congregations. In 2012, Ashley was granted tenure and appointed by President Gregg Mast as the first African American Dean of the Seminary in the 228-year history of New Brunswick Theological Seminary (NBTS).
Ashley is the CEO of Dr. Willard Ashley, Sr., LLC, Montclair, New Jersey. Under this umbrella, Dr. Ashley conducts webinars, consults, counseling, and coaching. Willard Ashley is a vocational coach with the Center for Career Development and Ministry. He is also the President of Unity with Diversity, a charitable think tank on diversity, race, and racial inequalities. He is a lifelong NY Yankees fan. Willard Ashley is the proud father of one adult son, Chris. Serafina an 11-pound Shih Tzu keeps him fit and bring Will great joy.
the reverend molly baskette
A native of New England, Molly Baskette traded blizzards for earthquakes and now deeply digs life in the Bay Area with her husband and two kids, where she loves to march in the streets for justice, hike the redwoods, or read in the hammock, depending on God’s agenda for the day. Molly Baskette is the lead minister of First Church Berkeley UCC (CA) and the author of several books about spiritual growth, parenting, grief and church renewal. Her latest, How to Begin When Your World is Ending is part cancer memoir/part practical “disaster theology” for everyone living through the hardest parts of being human. She is a popular speaker, teacher and writer of daily devotionals for the UCC StillSpeaking Writers Group.
the reverend heidi carrington heath
Rev. Heidi Carrington Heath is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and serves as Interim Chaplain to Phillips Exeter Academy, an independent, residential secondary school in Exeter, N.H. Heidi holds an M.Div. from Andover Newton, including a certificate in Spiritual Care and Counseling. She makes her home in Exeter, NH with her spouse, and their two very precocious cats.
the reverend george chochos
George Chochos is a senior program associate with Vera’s Unlocking Potential initiative, where he provides technical assistance to college-in-prison programs. He joined the Institute in 2020 as a senior federal policy associate to work on Pell reinstatement for incarcerated students.
Before joining Vera, he was the assistant director of program management at Georgetown University, where he served as the program manager of the Georgetown Pivot Program—a first-of-its-kind program offering a certificate in business fundamentals and entrepreneurship to formerly incarcerated DC residents. His journey from prison to the Ivy League has been covered by media outlets, including PBS, NPR, and the New Haven Register.
George is a PhD candidate in theological and religious studies at Georgetown University. He holds a BA in social studies from Bard College through the Bard Prison Initiative, an MPS in urban ministry from New York Theological Seminary, and an MDIV and an STM in theology from Yale Divinity School.
The Reverend Abner Cotto-Bonilla
The Rev. Abner Cotto-Bonilla serves as the National Coordinator for Latino/a Ministries for the American Baptist Home Mission Societies. In this role, he works to provide educational approaches for intergenerational and intercultural ministries within the Latino/a community. He is also committed to advocating in matters of justice.
Rev. Cotto-Bonilla has served as president of the National Hispanic Caucus, Inter-Caucus ABCUSA, and Unión de Jóvenes Bautistas de Puerto Rico. He was pastor of Misión Bautista Hispana de Westchester in White Plains, NY; a professor of Christian education at Academia Bautista de Puerto Nuevo; and a member of the board at Andover Newton Seminary at Yale.
Ordained in American Baptist Churches USA, Rev. Cotto-Bonilla holds a B.A. in Theological Studies from Universidad Teológica del Caribe (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico) and a Master of Divinity and Master of Sacred Theology from Yale Divinity School.
When not exploring different cultures, he enjoys long walks, baseball and coffee.
The Reverend Matthew Crebbin
The Rev. Matthew Crebbin has served faith communities throughout New England. A clergy first responder to the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012, Rev. Crebbin has worked with a broad coalition of faith leaders to build bridges of understanding and compassion between diverse communities affected by trauma. He is the creative force behind healingthehealers.org – an online platform that explores how faith leaders have been impacted by mass trauma events and how such leaders have navigated their personal, leadership and communal responsibilities in the years following such traumatic experiences. He has been a leader in promoting gun safety policies and finding other means locally and nationally to reduce gun violence.
The Reverend Jack Davidson
The Rev. Jack Perkins Davidson serves as the Senior Minister of Spring Glen Church in Hamden, CT.
Raised at the First Congregational Church of Greenwich, Jack first felt the call to ministry as a teenager in a very active youth ministry. He then attended Colby College and went straight through to Harvard Divinity School.
Prior to Spring Glen, Jack has worked as a chaplain at Maine Medical Center, as a Youth Ministries Coordinator in college, and in Outdoor Ministry at camps in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, and Minnesota. Jack has also served as Associate Minister at the First Church of Christ, Congregational in Redding, CT.
He loves preaching, campfires on the church lawn, and dreaming up wild experiments in ministry. You may often find him with an instrument or a cup of tea in hand, talking enthusiastically about the future of the church.
The Reverend Nathan Detering
The Rev. Nathan Detering has served as the Senior Minister of Unitarian Universalist Area Church in Sherborn, MA since 2003. Nathan grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He went to Beloit College for his undergraduate degree, where he studied sociology, psychology, and education. As a young adult, he joined the Peace Corps and served in the West Indies and upon his return, applied to seminary. Nathan studied at Boston University’s School of Theology and graduated in 2001. Nathan and his wife, Karen, live in Holliston with their two children: Emerson (named after the famous Unitarian, Ralph Waldo) and Ella (named after Ella Fitzgerald, who wasn’t Unitarian but had a voice that inspired).
The Reverend Kaji Douša
Pastor Kaji’s advocacy expertise helps to build the public and policy imaginary beyond intractable discourse. Her clear moral leadership brings her to a number of venues – from the pulpit to news broadcasts, editorial pages and policy rooms. For her ministry on the US border with Mexico, Pastor Kaji was targeted and surveilled by ICE and CBP, the subject of her lawsuit Douša v. DHS.
The Reverend Matt Fitzgerald
The Rev. Matt Fitzgerald serves as the Senior Pastor of St. Paul’s UCC church in Chicago. Matt is a lover of poetry, a player of basketball, a frequent contributor to religious journals, and a storytelling preacher who’s as likely to reference favorite rappers from the 80s (his kids do try to keep him more current) as he is Barth and Bonhoeffer. A graduate of Macalester College, Yale Divinity School and Union Theological Seminary, Matt lives in Lincoln Park with his wife Kelli, their three teenagers, and Zeus, their dog.
The Reverend Rebecca Floyd
The Rev. Rebecca Floyd Marshall has served as the Senior Pastor of the Little Compton United Congregational Church since 2015. Prior to serving in Little Compton, she served as associate minister for youth at Glen’s Farms Church in Westport, CT. Rev. Floyd Marshall received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, then earned a Master’s in Divinity at Yale where she was awarded the Excellence in Preaching Award.
Bishop Yvette Flunder
The Rev. Dr. Yvette Flunder is the founder and senior pastor of the City of Refuge United Church of Christ. She has served her call through prophetic action and ministry for justice for over thirty years. This call to “blend proclamation, worship, service and advocacy on behalf of those most marginalized in church and in society” led to the founding of the City of Refuge UCC in 1991.
In 2000, she founded the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, a trans-denominational coalition of Christian churches who “desire to celebrate and proclaim the radically inclusive love of Jesus Christ” and was consecrated its Presiding Bishop in 2003.
Rev. Dr. Flunder is on the Board of Starr King School for the Ministry and DEMOS and has taught at many theological schools. She is a graduate of the Certificate of Ministry and Master of Arts programs at Pacific School of Religion and received her Doctor of Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary. She is also an award-winning gospel music artist and author of Where the Edge Gathers: A Theology of Homiletic and Radical Inclusion.
The Reverend Doctor Davida Foy Crabtree
The Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree (ANTS MDiv ‘72) is retired from 23 years as a Conference Minister for the United Church of Christ, with prior service in parish and nonparish ministries. She is deeply committed to theological education, the work of environmental sustainability, and discovering healthy dynamics of life in retirement. She is also an author, amateur historian, activist and informal consultant to congregations and clergy. She leads the Environmental Action Community for Seabury, her retirement community in Bloomfield CT.
the reverend jocelyn b. gardner spencer
Rev. Jocelyn B. Gardner Spencer serves as a community organizer with the Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance, a broad-based organization of 50 congregations spanning diversities of religion, race, geography, and socioeconomics, engaged together in the work of social change toward racial and economic justice. Previously, Jocelyn pastored UCC congregations in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and served as moderator and president of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ. She holds a B.A. in Human Ecology and Environmental Studies from Williams College, an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School, and a Certificate in Executive Leadership from Princeton Theological Seminary.
The Reverend Dana Gonsal
The Reverend Dana Gonsal (ANTS M.Div. 2015) is a native of Boston, MA. He met and married his wife, Wanda, at People’s Baptist Church in Boston, where he served under the leadership of the Reverned Dr. Wesley A. Roberts. They have one daughter, Jaida, and two grandchildren, JaKori and Jazira. Reverend Gonsal began his spiritual journey as a homeless person from age 18-27. Today, Reverend Gonsal is the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dorchester and is an accomplished entrepreneur and community advocate. He serves as senior chaplain at the Nashua Street Jail in Boston.
The Reverend Doctor Gregory Groover
The Rev. Dr. Gregory G. Groover, Sr. is a native of Freeport, Long Island, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his Master of Divinity and Master of Social Work from Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University School of Social Work, respectively. Rev. Groover completed his doctoral work (D.Min.) at the New York Theological Seminary. The focus of his demonstration project and dissertation was on the strategic development of faith based educational initiatives by urban African American congregations.
From 1987-94, Rev. Groover served as pastor of Bright Temple A.M.E. Church in the South Bronx. Rev. Groover was appointed Pastor of the Historic Charles Street A.M.E. Church in Roxbury, Massachusetts in June 1994.
Rev. Groover has served on the Board of Directors for several nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education, including the Boston TenPoints Coalition, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the YMCA of Greater Boston, Center for Collaborative Education and the Boston Plan for Excellence, Gordon College and Andover Newton.
Rev. Groover is married to the Rev. Barbara Ann Groover who serves as Minister to Women at the Historic Charles Street Church. The Groovers share two adult children; Gerami Greer and Gregory, Jr. (G Man).
The Reverend Doctor Jeffrey Haggray
The Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Haggray is executive director of the American Baptist Churches Home Mission Society (ABHMS). In that capacity he also serves as CEO of Judson Press and director of Public Witness and Advocacy. ABHMS cultivates faith leaders and develops resources to equip an emerging generation of disciples to bring healing and transformation to congregations, communities, and regions across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. ABHMS programs focus on chaplaincy and specialized ministries, intercultural ministries, disaster response, community outreach ministries, refugee resettlement, restorative justice, and advocacy. Haggray previously served as executive director of the District of Columbia Baptist Convention and as pastor in New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and Georgia. Haggray holds a D.Min. from Wesley Theological Seminary, an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School, and a B.A. from The University of Virginia. Haggray is an ordained American Baptist minister. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
The Reverend Daniel Haugh
The Rev. Dan Haugh is the Senior Minister at Stowe Community Church, an interdenominational congregation located in the historical village of Stowe, VT. He has served as Associate Minister at Round Hill Community Church in Greenwich, CT, as Associate Pastor of Youth and Young Adults at the American Church in Paris, France and prior to that as Pastor of Student Ministries at Bedford Community Church in New York. A graduate of Gordon College and Alliance Theological Seminary Rev. Haugh was ordained in 2006. Rev. Haugh lives in Stowe with his wife, Lauretta and their twin sons, Jack and Blake who are in the third grade and their dog Billy.
The Reverend Doctor E. Heath
The Rev. Dr. E. Carrington Heath is the Pastor of the Congregational Church in Exeter, NH. They are also the author of three books, including “Called Out: 100 Devotions for LGBTQ Christians,” published by Westminster/John Knox Press in 2022. Dr. Heath received their D.Min. from Andover Newton, and is a member of the Jonathan Edwards Honor Society.
The Reverend Kathleen Henry
The Rev. Kathleen Henry is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. She completed her MDiv and DMin from Andover Newton Theological School. She also earned a M.Ed. from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Rev. Henry has served at UCC churches in Rhode Island, including Mattapoisett Congregational Church and Riverside Congregational Church in Lincoln, RI.
The Reverend Doctor Charles Howard
The Rev. Charles (Chaz) Lattimore Howard, PhD. serves as the University Chaplain and Vice President for Social Equity & Community at The University of Pennsylvania. The author or editor of five books, he is also on the staff of The Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral.
The Reverend richard Huleatt
The Rev. Richard Huleatt (ANTS MDiv ‘78) served UCC congregations in New York, Maine, and Connecticut. He was named Pastor Emeritus after 18 years of service at The First Church in Windsor, and he is currently retired and living in Portland, Maine, where he is a member of Williston-Immanuel United Church.
the Reveverend Doctor David Mehl
An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ since 1978, David (ANTS MDiv ‘78) retired to Rhode Island in November 2019 after serving congregations in New England and St. Louis for more than three decades. Before finishing his career, he served as the Executive Director of Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis - one of the oldest interfaith organizations in the country. David grew up on the Eden Seminary campus in St. Louis where his father was on the faculty and his mother taught at the Seminary’s preschool. Theological education has always informed David’s life and perspective; he is deeply interested in furthering vibrant relationships between the church and seminaries. During his years in pastoral ministry in St. Louis, he served as adjunct faculty at Eden and mentored students in contextual education placements. A newly-elected Andover Newton Advisory Board member, he is intrigued by the opportunity to support the creative ANS mission on the Yale campus.
David is a graduate of Macalester College (BA 1974), Andover Newton (MDiv 1978) and Eden Seminary (DMin 2003). He recently completed six years on the board of the Missouri Mid-South Conference, UCC, during which he served two years as moderator, and two years as co-chair of the Conference Minister Search Committee. He was a General Synod delegate at the Cleveland (2015) and Baltimore (2017) Synods. David is married to Lynne Seacord, MD. (retired), and they have adult children in Boston, Chicago and Rockford, Illinois. He and Lynne love to garden, bird watch, bike and walk to nearby Narragansett Bay. David and Lynne are members of Central Congregational Church in Providence and David has transferred his ministerial standing to the Rhode Island Association of the Southern New England Conference. He remains a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan.
The Reverend Timothy F. Moore
The Rev. Dr. F. Timothy Moore (ANTS MDiv ‘89) is the writer-in-residence and former pastor at Sardis Baptist Church, Charlotte, North Carolina, where he served for nearly twenty years. He is the editor of the book Taking on the Cross: Reimagining the Meaning of Jesus’ Life and Death and the author of Practicing Midrash – Reading the Bible’s Arguments as an Invitation to Conversation. Rev. Dr. Moore graduated with his MDiv from Andover Newton in 1989.
The Reverend Tamara Moreland
The Rev. Moreland serves as the Designated Term Pastor for the Congregational Church of Norwalk, CT. She has served as an Area Conference Minister in the Southern New England Conference of the UCC. Rev. Moreland is also a speaker and coach with expertise in ministerial formation, clergy boundary training, and women in ministry.
She holds a Master of Divinity degree (M.Div.) from Yale University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Hartford, and has completed coursework for a Master of Science in Organizational Behavior at the Barney School of Business.
The Reverend Susan Murtha
Rev. Susan Murtha is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ. Over the past 25 years she has served diverse congregations as a minister and consultant. She has particular gifts for leadership in times of transition, including spiritual grounding, strategic planning, and implementation of key projects and processes. Problem-solving skills from her first career as a mechanical engineer at United Technologies Corporation building the world’s largest wind turbines complement Susan’s gifts for spiritual leadership, preaching and pastoral care.
the Reverend Donald Ng
After 20 years in educational ministries with the American Baptist Churches, USA, Don pastored the historic First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco for 17 years. He is actively serving on boards and initiatives including AB Historical Society, AB Foundation, ABC Creative Justice Network, Friends of North East Christian University in Nagaland, India, and a member of the Advisory Council of Andover Newton Seminary at YDS. Recently, he achieved “Dual Pilgrim,” by walking both UNESCO trails: Kumano Kodo, and the Camino de Santiago.
The Reverend Roberto Ochoa
The Rev. Roberto Ochoa (ANTS MDiv ‘17) serves in the national setting of the UCC as Minister for Ethnic Inclusion, & Congregational Support for Rural and Small Churches. His ministerial call is in congregational care and assessment, support, and advancement for UCC congregations, especially rural, ethnic identified, and congregations of Color. In collaboration with local congregation, Association, and Conference leadership, he offers supportive and pastoral resources for congregational mission and vitality. He graduated with his MDiv from Andover Newton in 2017.
The Reverend Lauren L. OstrouT
The Reverend Lauren L. Ostrout (ANTS MDiv ‘10) is an Ordained Minister in the United Church of Christ and has served as the Pastor of Colchester Federated Church in Colchester, Connecticut since 2017 (a congregation affiliated with both the United Church of Christ and the American Baptist Churches). Originally from Wadsworth, Ohio, Lauren grew up in the UCC and she’s passionate about preaching the Gospel, teaching the stories of the Christian faith, and serving others as Christ calls us. Lauren graduated magna cum laude from Elon University with a Bachelor’s Degree in History and with honors from Andover Newton Theological School with a Master of Divinity Degree.
The Reverend Doctor Kenneth R. Parker
As 2nd of three generations of American Baptist ministers, Ken served five decades as theological educator and church pastor. Since retiring in 2010, Ken has enjoyed great-grandparenting; serving as ANS fellow, spiritual director, and Benedictine oblate; and thinking about the impact upon life and ministry of recent tectonic shifts in communication, culture, and consciousness. A current writing project is editing a decades-long project of Love Songs to God, a metrical paraphrase of the entire Psalter with which to sing to 500 years of ecclesial and cultural music.
The Reverend Patricia Parker
After 10 years of teaching math, Pat played minister’s spouse for 15 years before entering seminary at Palmer in Philadelphia and receiving a call as Minister of Outreach to Drexel Hill Baptist Church in PA. Returning to Maine in 1987, Pat completed studies for the M.Div. degree at Bangor Theological Seminary and was called to serve as pastor at the FBC Waterville, ME where she remained for 9 years until she and Ken received a joint call to the FBC Belfast, ME, from which they retired in 2010. In retirement Pat enrolled in Hospice and Hospital Chaplaincy training in Brunswick, ME. She then volunteered in Hospice and as chaplain at Mid Coast Medical Center until the couple moved to New Haven in late 2018.
The Reverend Alison Patton
The Rev. Alison J. Buttrick Patton (she/her) is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ with 23 years of experience serving urban and suburban communities in graduate academic, church, and conference settings.
She is a recognized community leader and ecumenical/interfaith partner with anti-racism training and interest in teaching, group facilitation, preaching and worship design/leadership. She frames her ministry around the flourishing of God’s creation, with emphasis on racial and environmental justice.
For over a decade, she served as senior Minister of Saugatuck Congregational Church, UCC in Westport, CT and has recently taken a call as Senior Pastor of the First Congregational Church in South Portland, Maine.
The Reverend Sue Phillips
Sue Phillips is the co-founder of Sacred Design Lab and the Impact Lab at On Being. She has worked with clients across nonprofit, philanthropic, and corporate sectors, including Google, Pinterest, Logitech, and the Obama Foundation. She is a former denominational executive at the UUA, and taught at Harvard Divinity School.
The Reverend Jeffrey Rider
Rev. Jeffrey Rider serves as the Senior Minister for Greens Farms church in Westport, CT. Jeff enjoys working with faithful folk who think outside of the box, finding unique solutions that breathe life into the local church. Assembling teams is his passion, as is growing faith through service to strangers. Immersive domestic and international mission trips with both youth and adults help him to get out of his box and re-experience Jesus’ radical call to love one another.
When he’s not at work, you can find Jeff walking his dogs, Tyco and Ida, drinking copious cups of coffee (black), grilling, taking photos, or best of all, heading to the Yale Golf Course for a quiet moment of Zen. Jeff realizes that having adult children is more fun than he ever imagined possible, and he and his wife, Lynn, are grateful beyond measure.
The Reveverend doctor Cody J. Sanders
The Rev. Cody J. Sanders, Ph.D., served for eight years as pastor to Old Cambridge Baptist Church, Cambridge, MA, serving also as American Baptist Chaplain to Harvard University, and Advisor for LGBTQ+ Affairs in the Office of Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life at MIT. He is the author of a number of books including, Christianity, LGBTQ Suicide, and the Souls of Queer Folk (2020), and Corpse Care: Ethics for Tending the Dead (2023). He was appointed Associate Professor of Congregational and Community Care Leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, in July 2023.
The Reveverend Doctor George W. Scott
Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, the Rev. Dr. George Scott attended Michigan State University, where he majored in Labor and Industrial Relations. He also holds a master’s degree in Business Management from Central Michigan University. In 1989, he moved to Hawaii to participate in a yearlong residency in Clinical Pastoral Education with Pacific Health Ministries and never left. He continued his ministerial calling, graduating from the Chicago Theological Seminary in 1996 from the Master of Divinity program. He was ordained as a United Church of Christ minister in 1997 at Central Union Church, United Church of Christ. In 2013, Rev. Scott received a Doctorate in Counseling and Pastoral Care from the San Francisco Theological Seminary with a focus in separation, loss, and grief.
Rev. Scott is currently an Academy Chaplain and Counselor in the Psycho-Social/Support and Wellness Department of Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii. Rev. Scott serves the aged community as an Associate Chaplain with the Arcadia Family of Companies – Retirement Residences. He also enjoys sharing Cedar, his Assistance Dogs of Hawaii Companion Dog, at school, with Arcadia residents, and as part of a Hawaii community response team, including emergency services, to assist in healing and grief response needs. Most recently Rev. Scott was a guest lecturer at Andover Newton at Yale Divinity School in the inaugural Preparation for Clinical Pastoral Education course. Rev. Scott has been involved with youth, young adults and family related ministries through his work as Associate Minister at Central United Church of Christ, Honolulu, The Hawaii Conference of The United Church of Christ, and as Varsity Football Coach at Punahou School. Rev. Scott resides in Hawaii with his wife, Bridget. They have four grown children.
The Reverend Judith Swahnberg
The Rev. Judy Swahnberg (ANTS MDiv ‘06) is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. She has served the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church in MA since 2011. Judy served previously as Associate Minister at Union Congregational Church in East Walpole, MA. Rev. Swahnberg is an Andover Newton MDiv 2006 alum and has served as a Trustee since 2006. She currently serves on the ANS Advisory Council in emerita status.
She serves as an Honorary Member of the Board of Directors of the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Care and as a Member of the Board of Ministerial Aid, and the Philanthropic Council of the Developmental Medicine Center at Children’s Hospital, Boston.
The Reverend David Taylor
The Reverend David Taylor has recently retired as one of the pastors of the First Church of Christ, UCC of Glastonbury, CT. Prior to those final 20 years of 43 years in active ordained ministry, he served parishes in both CT and NH, as well as serving as an Area Conference Minister for the CT Conference and an Associate for Church Empowerment with the national UCC’s Office for Church in Society. In each of these settings, he understood his calling to be this: To seek to build God’s beloved community of peace and justice to work to make the world a better place for all of God’s children.
The Reverend Susan Townsley
The Rev. Susan Page Townsley has served as the minister of South Church UCC in Kennebunkport, ME since 2020. Previously to this ministry, Susan was the Minister of Innovation, Leadership and Change for the Southern New England Conference. In this role, Susan supported leadership development, created “Blue Sky” spaces for creative and innovative thinking, and worked to enhance the church’s capacity for change.
A PCC level certified professional coach (ICF) Susan has training in executive, clergy, group and general coaching techniques, and often uses laser coaching to help leaders get unstuck. Susan also is trained in large group facilitation through The Art of Hosting.
Susan has taught The History and Polity of the United Church of Christ at Yale Divinity School. A graduate of Smith College (mathematics) and Harvard Divinity School, Susan has ordained been for over 30 years and served in a variety of settings, including churches in Connecticut, New York and Maine. She was trained in church planning and conflict management through the Connecticut Conference, and the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, and in Family Therapy at the Cambridge Family Therapy Institute.
She is married to her husband Greg Davis and they have two children. Susan practices Yoga, studies Kanji (Japanese characters) makes candles, bread and pie, and can be seen on the trails around the Kennebunks and New England with her husband, family and friends, and two chocolate labs, Bento and Mochi.
The Reverend Kate Vanderzee-Glidden
Born and raised in Connecticut, Kate VanDerzee-Glidden (ANTS MDiv ‘09) received her BA from Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, her MA in elementary education from Clark and her Master of Divinity degree from Andover Theological School in 2009. During Kate’s 20 years at First Church in Glastonbury, she has enjoyed working in a variety of program areas. Kate’s passion for creating a welcoming, justice-seeking, hope-filled and compassionate community where love is shared is at the heart of her ministry. On July 1, 2023, Kate became the first female senior pastor at Glastonbury. While not working, Kate can be found in her garden, playing whiffle ball with her family, reading, walking, hiking or searching for beach glass.
The Reverend Bernard Wilson
The Rev. Dr. Bernard Wilson is the Senior Minister of Norfield Congregational Church. Dr. Wilson is a retired Navy Chaplain who received numerous awards, medals and citations for his stellar military career of 22 years. Rev. Wilson served as the Executive Minister of The Riverside Church in the City of New York, and as the Interim Minister of the Briarcliff Manor Congregational Church in New York.
Dr. Wilson served as an Adjunct Preaching Professor at The New Brunswick Theological Seminary and at the Howard University School of Divinity for Continuing Education. He serves on the Board of Directors of the David andDovetta Wilson Scholarship Fund (DDWSF), a non-profit organization with his eight brothers and sisters (
www.WilsonFund.org).
Dr. Wilson served as the first Chair of the United Church of Christ Board, the first unified governing body of the United Church of Christ. And he serves as the Police Chaplain for the Town of Weston.
The Rev. Dr. Wilson is married to the former Nereida Torres. Dr. Wilson and Nereida have two sons, Michael Bernard Wilson, a Naval Academy graduate, currently serving in the United States Navy, and Daniel Bernard Wilson, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who is currently working for the Department of Defense. Bernard and Nereida are the proud grandparents of five: Mia Jean, Christopher, Samuel, Penelope, and Benjamin.
You can find a copy of The Rev. Dr. Bernard Wilson’s book Meditations for Tough and Testing Times at Amazon.
