Summer 2017 Covenanter

THE

EAST COAST COVENANTER A TRIANNUAL PUBLICATION OF THE EAST COAST CONFERENCE OF THE EVANGELICAL COVENANT CHURCH

SUMMER 2017

Growth

HOWARD K. BURGOYNE SUPERINTENDENT EAST COAST CONFERENCE

As I write this article, spring is emerging into season across the eastern seaboard.

May has brought hope of warmth, even as cold – and even some snow, continues to harass our northern climes. But it is as inevitable as mosquitoes – the cycle of the planet brings us into the verdant rebirth of nature. It is the season of new birth and new growth. Hopefully what we plant and nurture will flourish. This is true in the spiritual realm as well – for God is the one who gives growth (1 Cor. 3:7) and the promises of God are that what we sow, we will also reap, in due season (Psalm 126).

Across the East Coast Conference, we are blessed to observe a great amount of growth in ministry. This gift of God is evident in many significant dimensions of the Kingdom’s advance among us.

Our recent Annual Meeting held in Attleboro, Massachusetts celebrated much of this, and you will find highlights of the meeting in the stories in this edition.

I hope you will take the time to peruse these evidences of God’s mercy and power

at work among us. We praise God for His faithfulness and fruitfulness across the region.

As we look, pray and plan forward we are on track towards our 2025 Vision (now only 8 years away) to continue growing and flourishing as a movement of God across the region. God continues to portray a compelling vision before us that calls us to join hearts and hands in mission partnerships that bring hope and healing to our communities. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God that fuels transformation at every level of relationship from personal to cultural expression. It turns doubters into disciples as the Spirit’s influence provides ample evidence that resurrection and new creation is the central narrative of the universe, written by its Author, the Living Word, our Lord Jesus Christ.

As we plan and pray together towards the upcoming year, we are particularly focused on what God is bringing to fruition presently.

These evidences of resurrection power include:  The call of Barbara Ettinger to our

staff this August, as she takes point on resourcing pastors and congregations in developing pathways for discipling and leadership development. Look for increased opportunities for your church to participate in.

 The development of multi-church networks is advancing the mission of Jesus with strength and speed as each network plants new churches this year – three in NYC/NJ in the Hope Church network (2 in Manhattan, Midtown and the Upper West Side, and 1 in Jersey City, NJ); one on the east side of Providence in the Sanctuary network (making 3 in this network); and three in the Boston area in the Highrock Church network (Needham, Medford, and potentially Roslindale, MA). Continuing strong parenting and partnerships are also cultivating new church plants in Brockton, MA and in Nashua, NH. We praise God for new creation!

CONT'D à

Have a question for Howard?

Email him at howard@eastcoastconf.org

IN THIS ISSUE: issuu.com/eastcoastcovenanter

From the Superintendent: "Growth" Annual Meeting Recap: MOVE Award Recipients Vitality Updates

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 facebook.com/eastcoastconf

Church Planting Updates

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Board Nominations Appeal New Associate Superintendent Save the Dates / Transitions

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Brockton | Hope Westside | Hope Midtown Hope Jersey City | Sanctuary Eastside

eastcoastconf.org

EAST COAST CONFERENCE 52 Missionary Road Cromwell, CT 06416 860.635.2691

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G r o wt h CONT'D

 The growing saturation of congregational vitality resources, now engaging almost 50% of our established churches and improving the health and mission strength of churches fully engaged.

Numerous churches have moved from “critical moment” to “stable” and on to “health/missional” in trajectory and trends. We praise God for resurrection!

A Recap of THE

127 th Annual Meeting of t h e e ast c oast c on fe re nc e

 As churches form partnerships to advance the Kingdom, discipleship engages in works of justice and mercy.

This includes the formation of the Covenant Justice Coalition and the Open Door Immigration Services, Inc., reaching out to those the Kingdom of God prioritizes and prizes: the poor, the mourners, the marginalized, the prisoners, the strangers, and the aliens that God calls “blessed.”

You’ll find out more about these and other evidences of resurrection and new creation in this edition, and in ongoing news posted on our website, and Facebook page.

As the Psalmist prophesies, (126:5) “Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.” Continue to pray for the continuous cycle and labors of sowing, watering, cultivating, and harvesting – and give God glory, for God alone is the one who gives growth!

On the move,

à

Read the 2017 Mission & Ministry Partnerships Annual Report online at:

tinyurl.com/mission-ministry2017

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Evangelical Covenant Church, Attleboro, MA

THE 127 TH ANNUAL MEETING of the East Coast Conference convened in April 27-29, 2017 at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Attleboro, MA. The Annual Meeting theme was "Catch & Release" based on Mark 1:17-18: "'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will send you out to fish for people.' At once they left their nets and followed him."

Our conference was warmly embraced and welcomed by our gracious and generous hosts at ECC Attleboro.

Attendees were led beautifully into worship by Senior Pastor Doug Bixby, the ECC Attleboro Choir, organist & choir director Cheryl Duerr, and harpist Terra Burgoyne. Conferees were touched and moved by powerful testimonies from church members and ordinands, and challenged by the message on "Adulting & Other Hard Things" based on Colossians 1:21-29 from newly installed Associate Superintendent of Discipling & Leadership, Rev. Barbara Ettinger. She challenged us to actively engage in "adulting" so that "we may

present everyone mature in Christ," for this is why we toil with His energy and power at work within us.

Superintendent Howard Burgoyne gave his 11th report to the Annual Meeting –the third report in his third quadrennial term of elected service.

Now having served as conference superintendent for over a decade, he was reflective of his time supporting the East Coast Conference, as well as galvanized to continue the work: "We have come a far piece; we have a long way to go." Focusing on Jesus' call to two sets of brothers in Mark 1:17-18, Superintendent Burgoyne reflected that when Jesus called them, "They left their family business and joined His family business...Jesus intends for his disciples to take up His Father's family business."

This is what it means to be part of the family of God—to be engaged in the Father͛s business is to become disciples who go forth to make disciples. So then, "How’s business?”

Clergy Demographics: Increasingly over the next few year, retirements of "Baby Boomer" era pastors are anticipated as reflected by our conference clergy demographics: Age Breakdown: 20s: 2 30s: 38

40s: 43 50s: 41 60-66: 31 67+: 9

Churches Closing Report: Last spring, Emmanuel Covenant Church (Nashua, NH) came to a unified discernment to conclude their ministry in August 2016.

Pastor Whitney Hall walked with the congregation through the process alongside Conference counsel and support. The church's tenant Iglesia Betesda, rented and purchased the property in Jan 2017. The net proceeds will be used towards the planting of new churches in the region. The launching of Nashua Covenant Church brings those resources to bear as a living legacy.

Conference Church Attendance:

รก Barbara Ettinger's Installation at the Annual Meeting

Church attendance, as reported by our congregations, continues to grow year over year, especially with the planting of new congregations and churches involved in the vitality process.

Overall attendance has grown from 11,691 in 2015 to 12,126 in 2016, an increase of 3.6%

Financial Reports: Giving from our churches grew in 2016 over the previous year by $7,700. This support came from 90% of our churches. This giving represents 2.5% of the total tithes and offerings received by our churches in response to a request of 5% to the Conference.

As the Conference continues to grow, and in order to sustain our commitment to plant six churches a year and support coverage across the region keeping with our 25:1 target ration of churches to conference field staff, we need 100% of our churches' support, at or above 3.5% by 2018 on average to make that sustainable.

We will be reaching out to churches in the coming months to personally connect and stimulate conversations towards this goal.

รก Superintendent Howard Burgoyne presiding over the 127th Annual Meeting

Evangelism & Disciple Making: A key recognition is that just about everything in our congregations rises and falls on the state of discipleship and disciple making. Behind every thriving congregation is an intentional vision and sustaining ministry of disciple making and maturing followers of Jesus who make new disciples. Churches decline because discipleship and disciple making decline. As projected from last year, beginning in fall of 2016, we engaged Rev. Barbara Ettinger on progressive part-time basis to help advance resourcing and networking our churches for faithfulness and fruitfulness in these areas of Kingdom life in 2017 and beyond.

รก Laying hands in prayer

รก Superintendent Burgoyne with retiring Board Chair David Holder

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2017

Move Award Recipients

Rev. Linda Williams & Salem Covenant Church Washington Depot, CT

Awarded for their demonstrated vitality and exemplary work as a discipling and mentoring church for pastoral leadership in CT.

While other churches have trouble attracting pastoral interns from urban North Park Seminary, Rev. Linda Williams and Salem Covenant Church in rural western Connecticut have welcomed interns for the past three years--catching emerging leaders, developing them for nine full months, and then releasing them back into the larger Kingdom of God. Pastor Linda pours herself into her pastoral interns to “form someone for the totality of pastoral leadership." She generously shares her pulpit and worship planning; encourages access to her At the 127th Annual Meeting, the following churches and individuals were honored with MOVE Awards leadership council and lay leaders; and wisely insists on interns becoming involved in every aspect of life in the church and community for the benefit of developing each pastor’s formation. Congruently, the church intentionally chooses to put their limited staff budget dollars into pastoral interns instead of administrative support, meaning that church members need to volunteer to do the support staff functions so that the pastoral internship can go forward. Additionally, a laity group (without Pastor Linda present) meets regularly with each intern throughout their nine months to give feedback and encouragement from the point of view of the congregation. With our emphasis this year on Catch and Release, that is exactly what they are doing in their pastoral internships.

Movement Covenant Church Staten Island, NY

For the last several years the church has served in disaster relief and community rebuilding efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.

Since 2012, Movement Covenant Church has made notable efforts in engaging and penetrating the broader community and effectively utilizing the Hurricane Sandy disaster relief funds from the East Coast Conference. Their work in the community to date includes: rebuilding five homes, hosting over 600 missionaries aiding in the ongoing Sandy work, and distributing all types of goods including clothing, backpacks and school supplies for over 700 students. With their ongoing work in the community, Movement witnessed 26 baptisms last summer, 17 being teens and children. God is on the move through the hands of his people at Movement.

Sanctuary PVD Network Providence, RI

For their continuing and unprecedented planting efforts in the Providence area over the past five years, most recently as a “Parent Church” for the newly launched Sanctuary North and Eastside.

With a founding vision and strategy, Sanctuary PVD Network continues to develop and partner together as a “church network” through church planter cohorts and training events, coordinated staff and resources, and strongly parented/network planting efforts, working with Rick Jakubowski, Sanctuary North Planting Pastor and Andrew Mook, Sanctuary Eastside Planting Pastor.

Highrock North Shore – Open Door Immigration Services [ODIS]

Salem, MA

For their compassion and engagement in community outreach in response to the growing number of immigrants in their community.

Highrock North Shore is a congregation that often serves immigrant families as a result of the changing demographic makeup of their neighborhood. They are living out the Gospel message as they serve those in need, and are providing a voice for the voiceless and marginalized in their community.

Rev. Dr. John (Jay) Phelan

For his lifetime of exemplary, courageous, and compassionate service in the ECC, and often towards and among the East Coast Conference congregations and ministers

Dr. Phelan is retiring this year Senior Professor of Theological Studies at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL, where he has served since (1996). John came to NPTS to serve as President and Dean of the Seminary in (1996-2010), and also served during the University’s Presidential transition as part of the Office of the President. Jay has served the ECC as a pastor, administrator, theologian, educator, author and columnist. For many years, he maintained a monthly column in the Covenant Companion, entitled “Markings” which was most popular. He has been regularly engaged in interreligious and ecumenical dialogue, particularly with leaders in the Jewish community. He has authored numerous scholarly articles and books, and has exemplified the pursuit of the high and holy calling of ministry in the ECC. He has devoted himself to the pastoral disciplines and arts of preaching, teaching, leading, and caring. In so doing Jay has become a mentor and confidante to numerous pastors and lay leaders, and is a beloved colleague and disciple of Jesus Christ.

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Vitality Updates BY KREIG GAMMELGARD

DIRECTOR OF CONGREGATIONAL VITALITY

á Vitality Pastors Retreat (Mystic, CT) focused on Intentional Evangelism with Dr. Beth and Rev. Mark Severson

On a recent trip to California, I witnessed the record snowfall this year that has eliminated their 7 year drought. 800 inches of snow fell and 100 inches of rain. With rivers and lakes full to capacity, they will certainly be enjoying their water sports this summer, just like many of us out here on the East Coast. á The MOVE Award

A popular summer activity in our shoreline community is floating in the Long Island Sound in an inflatable tube or raft. There is no destination to get to or particular purpose to fulfill, but to just relax, cool off, and ponder while bobbing to the waves. I can imagine this "activity" happening all over New England in lakes, rivers, and beaches throughout the warmer days ahead.

While our summers offer us a wonderful opportunity to personally rest and renew and soak in the sun, I want to encourage our churches, and especially our church leaders, to collectively take advantage of these less strenuous months of ministry to ponder about your church. In other words, I want to ask you, while taking a break from working IN your church, to take advantage of the opportunity to work ON your church. á Steve Martino Movement Church

á Aaron Engler & Abby Conger ODIS

á Linda Williams & Salem Covenant Church

á Andrew Mook of the Sanctuary PVD Network

In the Vitality process churches are introduced to the concept coined by Ron Heifitz of The Harvard Leadership Forum, of Balcony Space. Most of us live our lives constantly in Reactive Space, and as a result, we rarely have any time to do anything other than react to every circumstance that presents itself to us, whether it be a family crisis, a work assignment, or a church activity. We just keep doing what we need to do, which is often the same old thing we've always done. Balcony Space is that place in our lives that provides us with some breathing room because we have "an opening" in our schedules.

Summers can provide such a space because of a slower pace and some additional margin. Retreats and vacations, at any time of the year, create similar opportunities in our lives to think more deeply and listen more clearly to the voices (or voice) in our lives that matter most.

Without these breaks in our lives that allow us the margin to get out on the "balcony" periodically, we don't just bob up and down, we actually float wherever the current takes us. In the church, as in life, we rarely float in the right direction. Without taking the time to think, and pray, and work ON our churches, we often continue in the current of doing what we've always done, which causes us to drift away from what God wants for us. To fight this drift, we must plan for balcony space. Without a plan, we rarely get where God wants us to go.

So, as strange as it may sound, let me encourage you and your church to take advantage of the slower pace of summer to purposely plan to get out on the balcony together and work ON your church. Your fall ministries will be better as a result of your focused discernment, prayer, and planning together.

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Church Planting Updates

BY JASON CONDON DIRECTOR OF CHURCH PLANTING

As the first half of 2017 demonstrates, God continues to bless the East Coast Conference with gifted Church Planters and a rich diversity of new churches!

Unique in this latest round of five new churhces are two seasoned church planters signing Covenant Agreements for their second Church Planting projects. As part of their call to church planting, both Drew Hyun and Andrew Mook have begun “Church Networks” (see 2016 FEB-MAR Covenanter), and now personally are planting again within those Networks. Dave, Craig, and Mike also show the fruitfulness of these Networks, with Dave doing his Church Planter Residency at Highrock Quincy, and both Craig & Mike doing Residencies and planting through Hope Church NYC. As you read their blurbs, take in these images, and visit their websites, please pray for these pastors, their burgeoning congregations, and the neighborhoods God has called them to.

They and I are grateful for the strong support of all our Conference churches, as together we further the transforming work of Jesus through birthing new communities of faith.

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DAVE CAPOZZI:

BROCKTON COVENANT CHURCH

It has taken us four months to crystalize our vision through a series of gatherings we've entitles "Table Conversations". These conversations have taken place among a diverse group of people and have been centered around topics like race, culture, religion and the Bible. What began as an excuse to get together in order to talk about big topics with my launch team turned into the impetus for our vision and values. Through these listening exercises, we discovered that it is questions that fuel us and cause us to dive deeper into the way of Jesus. Therefore, we came to embrace a vision question, rather than a vision statement. And that question is this: What does it look like to be a peacemaker in our world today, in the way of Jesus?

DREW HYUN:

HOPE CHURCH MIDTOWN

Hope Church Midtown is part of a family of diverse churches in NYC called Hope Church NYC. We’re located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Midtown East, and we’re a little over two years old as a church. We’ve got an eclectic congregation—mostly 20- and 30-something professionals, but also diverse smatterings across age and race.

We chose this neighborhood because not many churches have been planted in Turtle Bay in many years, yet it’s a place that can draw people from all over Manhattan and serve as a generative hub for new congregations to form throughout the city. So far, our church has sent groups of people to help start Hope Brooklyn, Hope Jersey City, Hope East Village, and Hope West Side.

MIKE PARK:

HOPE WEST SIDE

Young families raising kids in New York City. Young professionals navigating faith and work. College students figuring out themselves and their futures. Different ages, cultures, and backgrounds. This is what we want Hope West Side to be - a diverse, intergenerational church in the city where people can experience the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Board of Nominations

Annual Appeal for Names CRAIG OKPALA: HOPE JERSEY CITY

Over the last year, we realized God was calling us to form a community where people feel loved, feel welcomed, feel known, but most especially for them to enter into a loving relationship with Jesus Christ….

Why Jersey City? It’s full of life…there’s this rich combination of old Jersey City and new Jersey City where you find people from different backgrounds, who have lived here their whole lives and then you find people who are just moving here. So you have this rich connection of people that makes this place just so beautiful and so profound. This is why we feel God is calling us here to create a community that actually looks like the community, that actually looks like heaven. Hope Jersey City had their preview service June 18th at 111 Bright Street, Jersey City.

ANDREW MOOK:

SANCTUARY EASTSIDE

We have a few strategic initiatives lined up to serve the East side of Providence. We will be focusing on a summer of outreach -- developing partnerships with an area elementary school, serving together at the central farmers market, as well as hosting prayer and vision nights throughout the summer.

We will also spend time this summer prayer walking and further developing a women’s Bible study that has started and has helped grow the launch team.

For the latest on church planting news and updates in the East Coast Conference, visit: www.eastcoastconf.org/church-planting-news

Each year the East Coast Conference Board of Nominations works faithfully across our 95 congregations and 12,000 church members to identify the women and men that Jesus is calling to invest some of their energies in serving on one of our four Conference Boards. We also share potential names with the ECC for denominational boards and for Ädelbrook, here in Connecticut. All told we have 72 board positions across these ministries. Each year, 1/3 of the positions are under transitions. With the potential for people to serve two 3 year terms, most often we are looking for about 20 new persons per year.

In a conference with 12,000 church members that should not be difficult - and yet our greatest challenge is simply identifying capable, qualified, and potentially available persons to enter into discernment with. We don’t know who your members are – but you do!

Here's our appeal and request to you as delegates and representatives of our member churches: Would you please help us identify a couple of people (women and men) that you would be able to endorse to us?

We are not asking you to formally nominate them; we are not asking you to recruit them. We are only asking for you to identify them to us so that we can consider engaging them in conversation about the possibility of service.

rest of the year, usually during the week. The Ädelbrook Board meets Monday evenings, five times per year. Boards reimburse for board expenses and travel, and provide members with a great opportunity to get to know, serve and support our broader mission. They return to their congregations energized, informed and able to serve as ambassadors for the movement of the ECC. The demands are not so great that they are unable to serve in their local church at the same time.

Here's our vision and prayer: that each of our churches offers us 1 or 2 possible nominees each year. That would give us almost 200 people to give consideration to who might be able and willing to serve. That would be a tremendous opportunity and privilege for us to participate in! In each year, we would only be able to place 10% of those names on the ballot. But having a great pool to draw from is what we are lacking – and for which we need your help.

We are looking for men and women, all generations, clergy and laity, representing the cultural, geographic, ethnic and marketplace diversity that comprises our conference. Active membership in good standing in your congregation is foundational; having your recommendation as someone who could contribute to the governance of the Conference would be the basis of your recommendation.

Would you give this five minutes of reflection right not and take action today? You can drop your recommendations at: eastcoastconf. org/governance - scroll down to the Board of Nominations section where you’ll find a link to referral page.

The boards of the East Coast Conference, Pilgrim Pines, and New England Seafarers Mission meet quarterly for part of a Saturday.

The Board of Nominations meets once per year in person, and then convenes on a teleconference call the eastcoastconf.org/governance

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SAVE

East Coast Conference calls and Appoints a new

Associate Superintendent: Barbara ETTINGER

With the unanimous concurrence of the Conference Board, Superintendent Howard Burgoyne announced the call of Rev. Barbara Ettinger to a new staff ministry appointment, to be effective in August. The new position will focus on resourcing pastors and congregations in establishing and strengthening intentional pathways for discipling and leadership development.

In accepting the appointment, Rev. Ettinger remarked, “We serve a God who is in the business of changing lives. One of my greatest joys is the opportunity to be part of that life transformation in God’s people. Whether it's discipling toward a moment of decision or all along the continuum of growth and change from that point forward, watching God conform his people to the image of Jesus never gets old! Now, after a season of making and deepening disciples through parachurch ministry, I return to my first love of working with God’s church. I am delighted to be part of the East Coast Conference staff and look forward with great anticipation to all God will do in and through our pastors, lay leaders, and congregants. As we deepen our discipleship and strengthen our leadership, we can expect a multiplicative effect of disciples who make disciples in a multiethnic movement of Christ followers all throughout our Conference.”

TRANSITIONS

 

FINANCIAL TRAINING FOR CHURCH LEADERS WORKSHOP is being offered by National Covenant Properties hosted in two different locations in the East Coast Conference: This workshop is invaluable for all pastors, church planters, executive pastors, associate pastors, and especially church leadership (board chair, treasurer, financial director etc) and church financial staff (bookkeeper, finance person, etc.). This workshop will provide opportunity for your church to gain its very own dashboard and fraud assessment from Capin Crouse at no additional cost.

Saturday, November 18, 2017 Salem Covenant Church 215 Mountain Street East Worcester, MA 01606 **Early Registration ($25) & Submission of Church Financial Statements Deadline for Salem: Friday, October 27, 2017 Saturday, December 2, 2017 New York Covenant Church 500 Main Street New Rochelle, New York 10801 **Early Registration ($25) & Submission of Church Financial Statements Deadline for NYCC: Thursday, November 9, 2017

THE

dates COVENANT JUSTICE COALITION October 20-21, 2017 New York Covenant Church 500 Main Street New Rochelle, NY 10801

128TH CONFERENCE ANNUAL MEETING April 26-28, 2018 Bethany Covenant Church 785 Mill Street Berlin, CT 06037

COMINGS & GOINGS WITHIN THE CONFERENCE

Steve McDonald to Glenburn, ME, March 2017 Joshua Olivero from Englewood, NJ (Staff) to NJ (Baptist Church), March 2017 Mary Hendrickson to Orange, MA, April 2017 J.D. Brenke to Sammamish, WA, June 2017

THE EAST COAST

COVENANTER

Andrew Hyun from NYC, NY (Sr. Pastor) to NYC-Midtown, NY (Church Planter), June 2017 Kevin Lockett (USAF Chaplain) from Manasses, VA to Washington, D.C., June 2017 Lyle Mook from Greenwich, RI to Kingstown, RI (Hospice Chaplain), June 2017

Paul W. Kahn

EDITOR / GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT / WRITER

Craig Okpala from Roosevelt Is., NY (Church Planter Residency) to Jersey City, NJ (Church Planter), June 2017

Sandi Lee

Michael Park from NYC, NY (Staff) to NYC-West Side, NY (Church Planter), June 2017

EDITOR / WRITER

Howard Burgoyne

Stratford (Bo) Bannister from Lafayette, IN (Staff) to Hilltown, PA, July 2017

PUBLISHER

Joshua Danielson from Greenwich, RI (Staff) to Lexington, MA (Staff) July 2017 James Fox from Hilltown, PA to retirement, July 2017 www.issuu.com/eastcoastcovenanter

Allison Corriveau from UCC (Medfield, MA) to Berlin, CT (Staff), March 2017 EAST COAST CONFERENCE

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52 Missionary Road, Cromwell, CT 06416  (860) 635-2691 FAX: (860) 398-5071  www.eastcoastconf.org

SUPERINTENDENT:

Howard K. Burgoyne

DIRECTOR OF CHURCH PLANTING:

Jason Condon

DIRECTOR OF CONGREGATIONAL VITALITY:

Kreig Gammelgard

DIRECTOR OF DISCIPLING & LEADERSHIP

Barbara Ettinger

OFFICE MANAGER:

Sandi Lee

FINANCE MANAGER:

Robin Jones