How do you jump into the role of pastor of a church when the congregation isn't meeting in person and most church meetings are being held on Zoom? That's the question and the reality for the Rev. Elisa Lucozzi, who began her tenure as pastor of the Guilford Community Church on September 1. With near-miraculous timing, the 15-month search for a pastor to succeed the Rev. Lise Sparrow was wrapping up just as the state of Vermont was shutting down.
Elisa, an ordained UCC pastor, comes to the Guilford Church from St. Johnsbury, where she served as the pastor of the United Congregational Church for the past three years. She has also worked as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, most recently for Umbrella, Inc., in St. Johnsbury. Before coming to Vermont, Elisa spent 20 years working in higher education.
One thing that drew Elisa to the Guilford Church was its commitment to social justice. When asked about her priorities for the beginning of her ministry, she said, "I think our priorities are pretty much laid out for us, aren't they — if we're paying attention at all." Racial justice and supporting queer youth are high on her list. But she says that all these issues are interconnected. "Racism is connected to climate issues is connected to poverty "
Another appeal of the Guilford Church was the music. While Elisa grew up a "hip-hop girl," she came to appreciate folk and bluegrass music later living in Vermont. She spent 10 years singing in a Gospel choir, calling it "the most profound prayer." She feels especially fortunate ("I'm just pinching myself") to be coming to Guilford Church where Peter Amidon and Andy Davis are choir directors.
Early challenges will be figuring out what "being a church" looks like in COVID times, and supporting people who have been most affected by the pandemic and by discrimination. She is moving to Brattleboro later this month with her spouse, Rosanne Hebert, and will be getting to know not only the congregation but the wider community. "How do we build relationship safely and in a way that will support those who are most affected and most vulnerable?" is the way she frames this challenge. Because the church decided to follow a rarely used overlap succession model, Elisa is working with Lise Sparrow during the month of September to make church and community connections.
Elisa has family in the area — a cousin lives in Vernon — but she grew up in the Boston area, living for some of that time in a house her grandfather bought when he emigrated from Italy in 1958. She came to Vermont when Rosanne was hired to work at a Buddhist retreat center in the Northeast Kingdom while Elisa was finishing her ordination process through Andover Newton Theological School. Elisa said it was "the shock of my life" how formative it was for her in Christian ministry that Buddhist teachings contributed to her understanding of Christ's messages of love and compassion. Her time there also reconnected her with prayer as a regular part of daily life.
Elisa loves to talk about her wife, Rosanne, who brings multiple gifts to our community. Rosanne started a Faith Community Nursing ministry in St. Johnsbury, which she made into her own nonprofit. Her nonprofit also runs a free foot-care clinic called Soul to Sole, which she is hoping to establish in the Brattleboro area. Describing her as an RN gives only a fragment of the picture. Rosanne has a Masters of Divinity, and her undergraduate work was at Berklee College of Music, where she studied jazz (and continues to play). She enjoys riding her motorcycle and her family considers her an excellent chef. Elisa and Rosanne have an elderly cat named Ben who thinks he's a dog.
Guilford Community Church is conducting all services online; links to the 10 a.m. service and archived services can be found at guilfordchurch.org and services are available on BCTV.
Connie Green is a longtime member of the Guilford Community Church and served on the Pastor Search Committee that called Elisa.
