Rev. Dr. Rebecca, Clergy. Rebecca came to First Church in 2000, with degrees in political science, theology, and education. She is particularly interested in cross-cultural peace movements, and in the spiritual wisdom that comes from prayer and meditation. A fun fact about Rebecca is that she has a column in the local paper for athletes who run with the birds of the area: it’s part sport, part ornithology, part ethics, part ecology.
Stacey, Coordinator of Religious Education and Worship for Young Children. Stacey and her family joined First Church in 2016. She is a Master of Divinity student at Boston University. Stacey’s family includes two children and her spouse Chris. She loves walking the dunes of Crane’s Beach, sharing a good meal with friends and family, and is committed to learning more and taking action to address the multiple forms of injustice that exist in society and the world.
Tom, Resident Theologian. Tom has been at First Church in Ipswich, offering sermons, classes, and trips to the Outdoor Church, since 2013. Ordained in 2005, Tom came to Ipswich after serving churches in New York and Maryland. Fun facts about Tom are that he played collegiate basketball, and collects model trains.
Joanne, Minister of Music. Joanne came to First Church in Ipswich in 1967, and has been a music teacher and leader, bringing excellence to Ipswich schools, private students, and First Church music ministries. A fun fact about Joanne is that she can make beautiful things out of flowers.
Alex, Children’s Music. Alex has been coordinating children’s music at First Church since 2016. A fun fact about Alex is that she likes to get up early and hike in the sand dunes in Ipswich at sunrise.
Carmen, Office Manager. Carmen came to First Church Ipswich in 2017; originally from Romania, she is a wizard in managing details, budgets, and emergencies. A fun fact about Carmen is that she loves all the people at First Church, even though they have funny accents.
Farah, Housekeeper. Farah has been the First Church housekeeper since 2016. She loves animals of all kinds, and one of her favorite things in Ipswich is to visit the seagulls, ducks, hawks, eagles, and pigeons at the river, and see what they are up to.
Jim, Project Manager. Jim came to First Church Ipswich in 2008. A fun fact about Jim is that he teaches ballroom dancing, and one of his students once said, “Jim is a fun dance teacher, and now that I know how to dance, I can dance around all of the questions that he asks me at work.”
First Church in Ipswich, MA, UCC 