Covenanter - Feb 2011

F E B 2 0 1 1 A T R I A N N U A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E E A S T C O A S T C O N F E R E N C E O F T H E E VA N G E L I C A L C O V E N A N T C H U R C H

THE BIG ‘MO‘

BY HOWARD K. BURGOYNE

L E A N I N G INTO THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT

SUPERINTENDENT - EAST COAST CONFERENCE

With the start of a NEW year comes a lot of reflecting, planning and visioning.

Many churches hold Annual Meetings this month, and leaders present reports that look back and cast visions that invoke a challenge to us to lean forward in the power of the Spirit. In the liturgical calendar of the Church, Advent leads to Christmas and rapidly flows forward into Epiphany. The story of Jesus builds momentum as the Gospels move us from birth to exile to Jesus’ baptism and all the way to a mountaintop of transfiguration, driving us into Lent. The gospels all tilt forward, moving towards a destination on the far side of Calvary. It’s like being on a roller coaster. Each turn and roll builds on the previous forces that accumulate. The Holy Spirit, always generative and full of wisdom, is the source of momentum in the gospels and in the Church.

For a leader, momentum is either our best friend or our worst enemy – it depends which side of it we’re on. The momentum of the Spirit is focused on the advancement of God’s Kingdom.

If we are, with Jesus, “about my Father’s business” we have a tremendous asset in the strength that the Spirit gives to those who obey Jesus (Acts 5:32). Momentum builds in ministry because of the movement of the Spirit in real time. God acts, and continues to direct our path (Proverbs 3:6).

The movement of the Spirit often creates friction, and friction always creates heat. Good leaders manage the heat without loosing the momentum of the Spirit! Momentum is our friend when it directs forward progress towards the unfolding of the Kingdom. It is our nemesis when it is the accumulation of resistance, decline, or distraction from the genuine advance of the Kingdom.

Want to share your thoughts on this? Have a question for Howard?

Contact him at howard.burgoyne@gmail.com

It takes a courageous leader to leverage momentum; a wise leader to respect it, and a faithful leader to build upon it. Effective and faithful leaders work to cultivate a generative environment of prayerful imagination where vision is imparted, direction is established, and progress is made. Where is the momentum of the Spirit leading your church in ministry in 2011?

What are you doing to make the most of it?

In this edition of the East Coast Covenanter, you’ll find stories that highlight the momentum of the Spirit all around you. I hope this will ignite the flames of possibility and hope for you and your congregation in the New Year.

Yours because of Him,

in this issue u THE SPIRIT PULLS & PRODS IN CAPE TOWN 02 u JOURNAL EXCERPTS FROM KOYUK 03 u LARGEST VERITAS TURNOUT EVER 04 u MIDWINTER REFLECTIONS 05 u WALTHAM COVENANT CLOSES ITS DOORS 06-07 u A CHRISTMAS CONCERT TO REMEMBER (AGAIN) 08

 NEXT ISSUE: Like a Mighty Wind: Moving in the Power of the Spirit

T H E E A S T C O A S T C O V E N A N T E R

01

The Spirit Pulls & Prods in Cape Town

BY ADAM PHILLIPS

This past October I had the unbelievable opportunity to be a delegate at the Third Lausanne Congress in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Congress was noted by the People's Republic of China clamping down and forbidding Chinese delegates to travel and participate. Even so, some 5000 delegates from 200 countries gathered from the countless traditions making up the larger global Evangelical movement.

The first thing about Cape Town one realizes is its extraordinary beauty. Table Mountain and the bay are magnificent.

And the people are, for the most part, outrageously kind and fun to talk with.

Inside the convention center at the Congress, we searched God's continued call on us to world evangelization - and we also wrestled with the incarnational and contextual demands on the church in the 21st century: increasing technological advancement, the reality of living in a pluralist society, the increased role (thankfully) of women in the church, the fight against poverty, human trafficking and solidarity with those living with HIV/AIDs. I was part of a small band of Covenanters at the Congress, where I realized again what a peculiar sort of bunch the Covenant is: evangelical but more globally attuned, able to move beyond the old gender and identity-politics battles of past Congresses. I think we would've made David Nyvall proud, who, at the World Parliament of Religions in 1893 said, " [the] Christian church is a free union of persons united by the same spiritual life on the foundation of a common faith in Christ and brotherly love..." Some of my favorite memories from the Congress were coffees with Al Tizon and late night conversations watching soccer on SuperSport with my seminary comrade Leonid Regheta.

I also got to spend a couple days with my friend Kimberly Burge who was on a Fullbright scholarship teaching women's empowerment through creative writing

in and around the Western Cape. To my surprise, Kimberly was teaching one course each week at Bridges of Hope, founded by Covenant pastor Dennis Wadley, and his wife Susan. Attending one of the classes, I was struck by how these young high school aged women, orphaned by the AIDS pandemic, were seeking to live lives in the new South Africa with the strongest of voices.

Kimberly also attended Central Methodist Mission, a church in the heart of Cape Town with a mission for racial reconciliation and renewed sense of mission in the city. Rev. Alan Storey's sermons, like his Manna and Mercy workshops, point towards a more beautiful world with God's kingdom breaking into the now - addressing everything from spiritual growth, meditation, labor movements, gun control and political advocacy.

The Congress itself was a testimony to the Holy Spirit's movement throughout the world, yet I was struck by Cape Town's enduring legacy and continued action for God's mission in parts of the world that were not part of the Congress. This at times was frustrating to me.

Cape Town 2010 at times felt triumphal and not fully attuned to the continuing struggles of gender, race and class. The Congress glossed over many historical blemishes of the larger church. And one prominent American preacher publicly seemed to challenge an impassioned Biblical plea from the Global South to

consider American imperial implications, much like St. Paul did with Rome.

We must remember and have eyes to see where God is moving wherever the Spirit may be found.

One lasting memory of Cape Town was the legacy of the anti-apartheid movement. In so many ways Archbishop Desmond Tutu's presence remains strong and compelling - even though he is now long since retired from his post at St. George's Cathedral. At the humble cathedral, they have a remarkable exhibit of the peaceful "Rainbow Nation" marches, in the crypt. What continues to vex me was that apartheid was not mentioned during the Congress - the first since the new South Africa under Nelson Mandela's leadership was born.

Evangelicals were slow to be part of that struggle - we need to admit and repent of that. Because God's spirit was moving in that time - thankfully many others had eyes to see. The Holy Spirit pulls and prods in ways that often feel uncomfortable or we do not understand, yet there we find grace and redemption.

I left Cape Town marked more by the Spirit's prodding than necessarily renewed and comforted by the Church's movement. The memories will certainly pull me back to consider where the Spirit is leading me / us.

ADAM PHILLIPS is the Faith Relations Manager at ONE. An ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church, he previously co-led the revitalization of the 11-yearold Resurrection Covenant Church in the city of Chicago. Adam studied International Relations at The Ohio State University and pastoral ministry at North Park Theological Seminary. Adam lives with his wife, Sarah, in Baltimore.

T H E E A S T C O A S T C O V E N A N T E R

FEB 2011

JOURNAL EXCERPTS FROM KOYUK, aLASKA

BY EARL DUNBAR

Earl Dunbar & his wife MARCIA ANNE traveled to Koyuk, Alaska last summer to help out with VBS in Koyuk, Alaska. Below are excerpts from his journal during his time there.

Tuesday, August 24: Day 1 –

I am strangely nervous. It is because we are entering another culture. I have heard about this culture from my wife for our nearly 20 years of marriage. She had served in Unalakleet, Alaska about 30 years ago and it was a foundational experience for her. But, though I think I know some of the culture, it is another matter entirely to actually live in that culture. This is going to be a call to trust. Now, I have the chance to give and receive the Lord’s grace on this trip which will be a way of giving and receiving Christ’s power. His glory can shine through me whether I’m at home or in Koyuk, Alaska. So, I’m coming to offer and receive God’s glory as well. This is at the heart of building relationships in Christ. This is the prime thing we are going to be doing in Koyuk.

Friday, August 27 – Day 4:

We had a good morning conversing with Wass. We simply joined him in his living room to listen and talk. He encouraged us. The conversation involved how people earn a living in Koyuk. Pastor Wass lives a subsistence lifestyle. This basically means that all the meat/fish on the table has been caught or shot by Wass. They may buy other things at the store, but all of the main items for the meal come from what they grow, hunt, or fish. This was the basic lifestyle for most native Eskimos. But, now Wass tells us, only a few families in the community engage in this life style. So, how do people make a living? They can either work at the store or at the school. Otherwise, the majority of the people live off of government subsidies from welfare to the annual oil subsidy given to all Alaska residents.

The East Coast Conference is continuing its ministries in Alaska this summer. We are looking to send two one week long teams (July 27-August 3; August 3-11) or one team for two weeks (July 27-August 11) in order to build a service shed at the parsonage - as well as possibly take part in a VBS partnership. For shed building portion, we are specifically looking for individuals who have basic carpentry and construction skills.

For questions on the construction project, please contact Bob Lindquist * lindqu22@optonline.net For information regarding the East Coast Conference’s Alaska missions, please contact Rob & Ruth Satterberg. * rrsatterberg@juno.com

Sunday, August 29 – Day 6

We finally had a chance after evening worship to talk with a native Alaskan and his wife. We talked about life in the Alaskan bush. I thought he would be a good person to talk to about the issue of suicide in the Alaskan villages. I had seen public service ads on suicide, along with pamphlets. The subject appeared to be around, so, I asked about it. They shared that their son died of a suicide. This is a huge problem in the villages. They told the story of six suicides in one school year in one village. They told the story of one family of four with two small kids. The mom died at the beginning of the summer of alcohol poisoning, while the dad committed suicide just a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, this story isn’t too far beyond what happens in other villages. These tragedies rip the heart out of a village! Suicide knows no race or age differences. Some do it as a youth, but there seems to be also a significant increase in the rate of parent and grandparent suicide. There would be more conversation on this subject. But, for now, we need to pray.

Final Alaska Journal Entry:

It took several days to get used to the Eastern Time Zone. But, clearly we came back with a piece of Alaska in us. We have been blessed by how those in the village and in Anchorage practiced the gift of hospitality. We are moved by the scourge that is suicide.

We have great admiration for Wass and Jean: for their love of the Lord and their love of the Koyuk people. Again, I am reminded that going to other places to see how Christ is working is energizing for our faith. We have been given a great gift! I wonder about my children. I trust and hope that they have also been moved and that the lessons they learned and the life they experienced will make an impact on them for the rest of their lives. We thank all of our friends and relatives for supporting us and allowing our kids to be able to come.

03

trinity hosts LARGEST VERITAS vitalization gathering REFLECTIONS BY PASTOR PHIL HAKANSON & SUSAN FALCETTA | TRINITY COVENANT CHURCH

Trinity Covenant embarked upon this because we have come to understand as leaders that even as a healthy, stable church we have to be proactive. Stable churches don’t stay stable. Either they move toward stagnation and crisis or toward being a healthy missional congregation. We decided that the process of rethinking our ministry needs to happen while things are still going well.

PHIL HAKANSON SENIOR PASTOR TRINITY COVENANT MANCHESTER, CT

We had approximately 140 people come out for Veritas in November, and at that event we were able to discern many aspects of health in our congregation. It was very positive and encouraging. We’re currently in the process of appointing a “Vitality Team” of seven people who will meet twice monthly over the next months and help to guide us through the Vitality process.

In early April of 2011, John Wenrich is going to make a return visit to do the EPIC seminar, which has to do with navigating the dynamics of change in a congregation. Then, at the end of the process, we hope to develop a comprehensive ministry plan that will provide a context and a framework for future decisions regarding the direction of the church.

I have been involved with Trinity for over 34 years, coming to the Lord and being nurtured here as a new believer. I have served in many leadership roles and varied areas of ministry; it has been a blessing to be part of the ministry staff for almost ten years. You could say I’ve been around for a long time and care deeply about my church family.

SUSAN FALCETTA DIRECTOR OF MINISTRY CONNECTION TRINITY COVENANT

It was very heartening to hear the comments from people newer to our faith community and young adults that have grown up in the church and are stepping up to leadership positions. I am excited to see what God has in mind for our future and how He will use the Vitality Team to influence the coming months. We are a vibrant church that God is using and this process can only make us better!

MANCHESTER, CT

Pray for the NINE CONFerence Church Plants

1 5 1,8 6 7

metrohopenyc.org Jose (& Myra) Humphreys

4

jhumphreys@aol.com 646-684-2825

3 9

Metro Hope Community

2,4

2

Highrock Brookline

highrockbrookline.org Josh (& Minhee) Throneburg

Evergreen Covenant

evergreencovchurch.org Frank (& Austin) Catalano evergreencov@live.com 207-423-3342

worshipfrontier.org Kiho (& Sungseong) Lee

7

kiholee@mac.com 978-578-7151

5

joshua@highrockbrookline.org 978-473-6496

3

Worship Frontier

Christ the Cornerstone cornerstonenewyork.org Nathaniel Perez

pxchin@gmail.com 323-356-4266

8

nathanielbperez@gmail.com 914-318-7671

6

Life Covenant

lifecovenantchurch.org Derrick (& Linda) Jackson djacks01@gmail.com 732-895-3381

The Riverside

theriversidedc.org Peter (& Carol) Chin

Promised Land Covenant Church Michael Carrion

revmichaelcarrion@gmail.com 323-356-4266

9

T H E E A S T C O A S T C O V E N A N T E R

Sudanese Evangelical Covenant Church Monyroor (& Amou) Teng kuecuk@yahoo.com 603-264-3428

FEB 2011

conference pastors anticipate midwinter 2011 REFLECTIONS BY PASTORS FRANK CATALANO, JOEL ANDERLE, BRIAN ESTRELLA, & LYLE MOOK

THE PURPOSE OF THE COVENANT MIDWINTER CONFERENCE IS TO ADVANCE THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST

BY ENCOURAGING AND EQUIPPING PASTORAL LEADERS THROUGH EDUCATION, INSPIRATION, FELLOWSHIP, AND CONNECTION WITH THE MISSION AND MINISTRY PARTNERSHIP OF THE EVANGELICAL COVENANT CHURCH.

FOUR PASTORS FROM THE EAST COAST CONFERENCE LOOK AHEAD TO MIDWINTER THIS YEAR: FRANK CATALANO PASTOR EVERGREEN COVENANT SANFORD, ME

joel anderle SENIOR PASTOR COMMUNITY COVENANT WEST PEABODY, MA

BRIAN ESTRELLA PASTOR RIVERSIDE COVENANT RIVERSIDE, RI

lyle mook SR. TEACHING PASTOR CHRIST CHURCH EAST GREENWICH, RI

I look forward to participating in a Midwinter without Orientation classes! I really enjoy the opportunity to catch up with 'old' friends: While we are relatively new to the Covenant, we made friends and connected with colleagues during some of those early Covenant experiences - like Church Planter Assessment many of whom now live in different conferences and we only get to see now once a year at Midwinter.

Midwinter always proves a privileged time of fellowship and renewal. Not only is it wonderful to spend a week with sisters and brothers who do the same work I do and understand my life intimately, but the experience of learning, growing, and being challenged pushes me to renewal. There are formal times, sure, of worship, and it’s lovely, but even more powerful are times of one-to-one conversations with mentors and peers, group times over Chicago deep dish pizza hashing out pastoral life complexities, or simply, quiet moments listening to a speaker reflect on our strange vocation. Having lived in Chicago for four years, I know the weather will be brutal. Having attended Midwinters for nearly 20 years, I know that the Hyatt Regency O’Hare will be boring and prison-like at times. Yet, the gathering of God’s people provides that rare short season of refreshment and renewal.

For me, Midwinter, first and foremost, is about (re)connecting with friends and colleagues and sharing the highs and lows of ministry. It’s an opportunity to laugh (a lot) to encourage and be encouraged.

The times of worship, continuing ed, the workshops- that’s all an added bonus. It seems like every year I come back from Midwinter thinking, “Wow…I needed that.” It’s sounds cliché, but it’s a time of refreshment for sure.

The Midwinter Conference was my first exposure to the Covenant back in 1998 when Christ Church was young and considering a new church plant, merging with West Bay Covenant. Since then it has been a “don’t wanna miss” yearly event. I quip that “the Covenant loves us so much that they invite us to Chicago in February!” But it’s worth it! It’s a time to feed my own soul and be challenged about taking my leadership to another level. And as an added bonus - I will get to visit my little girl at North Park along with one of my sons who is attending Midwinter also.

05

for god's glory: waltham covenant closes its doors

BY PAUL W. KAHN

On a sun-filled Sunday afternoon in Waltham, Massachusetts, a long stream of congregants exited the solid wooden red doors of Covenant Congregation Church, each holding a single candle as they walked out into the November air. Fitting that the last ever action of the church - also known as Waltham Covenant - was its members bringing light into the world - something it has done for 122 years.

From its beginnings as a nine-member house church in 1888, to its move into what was once a Swedenborgian Church just outside of the town’s center during the early 1950s, the defining characteristic of the church on Lexington Street was caring for her neighbors - near and far, locally and globally - with a bold, brave, and unconditional love. Or, as Pastor Linda Williams said of her church during the final sermon, “You have particularly reflected the glory of God - you’ve really shined.”

God’s glory was the constant element of Waltham Covenant’s last service. Reflecting afterwards on that day, Pastor Williams recalled that in preparation for closing out the church, many thoughts had run through her mind. “One, I wanted it to be very genuine,” she said. “And I wanted it to include many people, to cover the depth and breadth of this church and its life.” Then, she paused, recollecting those often agonizing days and nights leading up to that ultimate service. “The theme, the word that kept coming to my mind,” she said, “was ‘glory’ the glory of God.” Moreover, Pastor Williams remembered that most of her favorite elements of that final service were the result of being woken up in the middle of the night with ideas. There was the idea of having everyone in the sanctuary who had been confirmed at the church to stand following the confirmation of the final class (three boys) - so that they could see the legacy before them. Then there was the idea of how the church’s Register of Ministerial Acts (the book recording all births, confirmations, weddings, baptisms) was to be given up. She awoke with the notion of having it pass from her hands through the hands of seven others - each

representing different decades and ministries of the church, from the oldest to the newest, most recently joined members - before finally being given to Superintendent Howard Burgoyne.

These and other divinely orchestrated personal touches (including the singing of ‘Happy Birthday’ to the oldest member, Winnie Isaacson, whose grandfather was the founder of the church, and who just so happened to have November 21 as her birthday), were witnessed by a couple hundred visiting well-wishing Covenanters from dozens of churches and ministries (from as far away as Minnesota). For one last Sunday at least, the church’s burgeoning pews harkened back to an earlier time of vitality in numbers.

Pastor Williams was called to Waltham in August of 2008, knowing that she was coming on board a church that had been wrestling for some time with revitalization - whether or not it should close its doors or continue on. “Interim pastors Warren Lindstrom and Daniel Clayborne met with Howard Burgoyne, and together they decided to look at the glass half full, rather than half empty,” she remembered. “They were pretty courageous and took the plunge.”

Following graduation from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (and having passed by a big “Waltham” sign every day going to class and thinking about how wonderful it would be to serve there), Pastor Williams “felt compelled to come to this church.” Little did she know when she arrived, that her role and responsibilities would cover far more than just ministering to the 40 or so people who came each Sunday. As as result of her becoming the primary caretaker of an ancient building, her knowledge grew in areas such as plumbing, roofing, heating systems, and the removal of raccoons who had somehow settled in to the sanctuary!

As a result, she became almost like a colleague to the myriad tradesmen who came by to service this boiler or fix that leaky pipe, talking shop

T H E E A S T C O A S T C O V E N A N T E R

FEB 2011 with them about what needed to be done and how best to do it.

“You know what I will miss? The personal relationships here. I know the roofers, plumbers, snow plow guys...I know that whole boiler room like it was my own home. Everything I was excited about was grounded in relationships. Whether it was children, teens, adults, non-profit agencies in town, sister churches...”

A little over two years later, she says with the fullest confidence in her voice, “to this day, I will never ever regret my time serving here. What I would say is that they’ve helped me become a pastor in my time here.”

On November 21, 2010, Pastor Williams guided her congregation one last time in the reading of God’s Word, the singing of hymns, and in the service of Communion. From the pulpit, she preached about Stephen from Acts 7, about how he acted graciously in his final breath, reflecting the glory of God, and how upon “love drenched words” he was ushered into eternal rest. She encouraged her flock, telling all in attendance of how the final weeks and months of the church were ones full of living, of steadfast faith, of working together when things could have easily become divisive.

“I knew that I wanted the service to touch people’s hearts,” said Pastor Linda. “But ultimately, that they walked away feeling that they’d been in the presence of God and that they’d be okay. And that this church had done well, and had done good things over the years. Just to be encouraged that although it’s the last days of the church, that it’s just the turning of the chapter, and not the end of the book.”

And so, the members of Covenant Congregational Church walked out, candles clutched tightly, to continue the story of God’s people sharing His love to the outside world.

“

A PERSONAL NOTE TO PASTORS GOING THROUGH A SIMILAR PROCESS...

I guess what I would want to say to anyone who goes through this process is to let them know that dying is a lot of hard work. We get the sense that it’s sudden - and that’s true of some (and that’s a blessing if it happens). But for most people, dying takes time, and it’s really hard work, and it’s hard to watch and sit back and watch someone die. And it’s hard to be the person dying. And so all are in a different place for grieving.

We all process our grief differently and it manifests itself in very different forms. I found that many in our church were internal processors and needed time to percolate. My role as pastor was to give language to the grief they were feeling; there’s a great deal of fear involved, there is such a huge unknown...

Another thing - give yourself lots of space and time - pace yourself - give yourself a lot of grace and a lot of room for feeling and doing. And to permit that for other people too - that people need a lot of grace, people act in very different ways than they might under normal circumstances.

I found that our church was extremely composed and gracious and respectful towards one another. And yet very thoughtful. They didn’t stick their heads in the sand. They didn’t deny what was going on - they had a hard time articulating it - but they didn’t deny it, which I think was a very healthy process for them.

When it really began to sink in for me that we weren’t going to make it - that we had to make some very difficult decisions - I reached a point where I realized that I couldn’t do it on my own. And certainly I’m not going to put that burden on our people.

The most humbling point in this whole process was when I had to pick up the phone and call different pastors within the District I conference and say, “I can’t do this anymore on my strength, and I can’t do it alone.

Will you come to the church and be physically present with me and pray for me and my people? I called four or five of them - and every single one of them said yes. And so for once a month, for three months in a row, they stopped their busy schedules, drove to this church, and sat down and prayed for me and these people. It was a real turning point for me in terms of recognizing how important community is for walking through a process like this. From that point on, I just asked for a lot of help, and got a lot of guidance along the way from different people, from all different walks of life.

” 07

A christmas concert to remember (again)

CONFERENCE

PHOTO CREDIT: ALICE KIM

TRANSITIONS

BY PAUL W. KAHN

Stuart McCoy from Riverside, RI (open to call)

Brian Estrella, Riverside RI from Associate to Interim Pastor

David Chandler from Plainville, CT (church closed - open to call)

In what has become a particularly meaningful tradition in Arlington, Massachusetts, Highrock Church held its fourth annual Christmas Benefit Concert - this year, with a remarkable six concerts held over three days. Over 1,400 people crammed the church sanctuary to hear over 60 Highrock choir members and instrumentalists sing contemporary songs of worship and Christmas carols - with soloists, dance, and video all beautifully testifying to Christ’s birth.

Eva Cudmore to Västervik, Sweden (Pastor)

Richard Cudmore from Naugatuck, CT (to Sweden)

The annual concert began in 2007, inspired by a real need in the town just miles outside Boston: the Arlington Food Pantry was virtually depleted of supplies - leaving families potentially hungry. Noted Pastor Eugene Kim, “From the beginning, we’ve envisioned this concert to be more than just entertainment, and our guests who come, more than members of an audience. We hope this will be an experience of genuine community as we support another great cause together. What better way to spend an evening than to celebrate Christmas in a way that honors its spirit and helps others in need?”

Elizabeth Leggett to Naugatuck CT (Interim)

Peter Morris from Springfield, VA (Interim) to Madison, WI (Pastor)

Earl Dunbar to Springfield, VA (Interim)

With the yearly large donation (100% of profits were donated), the Pantry thrived - so much so that in 2010, it enjoyed a financial surplus for the first time in many years. This led to a rather wonderful dilemma for Highrock in 2010: who else in the community needed assistance? The beneficiary of the 2010 concert ended up being Arlington’s Safety Net, benefiting families in need (youth and family mental health, domestic violence prevention, etc.). With the record turnout in December. a part time social worker could now be hired to help out for the entire year.

Linda Williams from Waltham, MA (church closed - open to call)

Herb Frost from E. Greenwich, RI to Rochester, MN (Pastor)

Stephen Sharkey

Thus, with another Christmas in Arlington gone by, another need of the town is met - all the result of a church singing and praising and rejoicing in the birth of the Savior.

from Fort Lee, NJ (Staff) to Arlington/Brookline, MA (Residency)

Philip Nace from Thomasville, PA (to retirement)



Elinor Carriere from Cranston, RI (church closed - to retirement)

David Pope from Worcester (Bethlehem), MA (to law enforcement career)

Chris Adams

The complete yearly East Coast Conference calendar can be viewed online at eastcoastconf.org/calendar.

 CONTACT THE COVENANTER: THE EAST COAST COVENANTER is the triannual publication of the East Coast Conference (eastcoastconf.org) of the Evangelical Covenant Church (covchurch.org).

to Worcester (Bethlehem) MA, (Interim)

Faith Totushek

SUPERINTENDENT:

from Wilton, CT (open to call)

Kevin Swanson

from Murphys, CA to Fort Lee, NJ (Executive Pastor)

Ryan & Devyn Chambers-Johnson from Chicago (Grace), IL to Springfield, VA (Co-Pastors)

THE EAST COAST COVENANTER

Howard K. Burgoyne EDITOR/WRITER/GRAPHIC DESIGNER: ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT:

EAST COAST CONFERENCE 52 Missionary Road Cromwell, CT 06416 PHONE: (860) 635-2691 FAX: (860) 632-5422

Paul W. Kahn

Jason Condon EDITORS:

Beverly Freeman

Howard K. Burgoyne Beverly Freeman

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE:

CONTACT:

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT:

Karen Manlove

eastcoastcovenanter@gmail.com

 To adjust the number of copies your church receives, contact Beverly Freeman at: office@eastcoastconf.org

T H E E A S T C O A S T C O V E N A N T E R

08