EAST CHURCH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Christian Education Director
Our Director of Christian Education, Beth Olson, grew up as a PK (preacher's kid), attending United Methodist, UCC, and Presbyterian churches throughout the Midwest. As a kid at heart, Beth loves to connect with kids at their level, sharing deep, progressive theological concepts in ways that children can understand. From statewide leadership in youth ministry to clown ministry, from peer ministry and advising youth groups to teaching Sunday School, Beth brings her many selves-writer, reader, editor, potter, hiker, musician, traveler, gardener, career coach-to her creative work with children and youth. Her favorite place to be is in God's good creation (especially the mountains and the beach)… and with all of us-made crazily and wondrously in God's image.
Catherine Hill, our office administrator, is excited to join East Church this fall! Catherine also holds a position at First Parish in Concord and volunteers at non-profit Feline Fix By Five, where social media, digital communications, and websites are a big part of her work. Catherine has a BA in history from Holy Cross in Worcester and more recently, a Certificate in Contemporary Communications from UMass Lowell. Outside of work Catherine enjoys creating art, reading, spending time with her fiancé and cats, and cooking. She also really enjoys hiking, yoga, kayaking, going to the beach, and visiting museums. A fun fact about Catherine is that she has featured her artwork at several art shows during the last three summers!
Job Titles:
- Choir Director
- Organist and Choir Director
Lynn Salmonsen joined East Church as Choir Director and Organist in 1996. She enjoys preparing and leading the Adult Choir for Sunday services and special occasions, rehearsing the Millennium Choir (younger children and youth) and collaborating with soloists as well as other musicians and members of the congregation.
A pianist who's played organ since high school, Lynn received her Bachelor of Music from The Hart School in W. Hartford, CT and an Artist Diploma in chamber music from the Longy School in Cambridge, MA. She also did graduate studies at the School of Fine Arts, Boston University.
Through the years at East Church, I've had the pleasure of working musically with many members of the congregation and staff in preparation for services and other events such as the "galas" (church-wide musical extravaganzas), the Taber Concert series, Wine and Song evenings, Sunday Brunch afternoons as well as other concerts and fundraisers.
Our Pastor is The Rev. Shelly Davis whose personal mission comes from the prophet Micah: "to do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with God."
Born, raised and seminary educated in the United Methodist Church, Shelly intentionally sought out the United Church of Christ because of the way it understands and lives out the extravagant welcome and life-changing grace of the gospel of Jesus the Christ.
Athletic and book-loving, with a heart as open as a great Midwestern sky, Shelly grew up in Iowa, (the center of the girls' and women's basketball universe!) Her formal education includes a B.A. in Sociology and Religion from Central College in Pella, IA, a Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL and further graduate studies at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and Union Theological Seminary in New York City.
Shelly's love for the church in its many varied expressions has led her to serve in urban community centers, on college and university campuses, as a hospital chaplain, on church camp staffs and as a local church pastor.
Her similarly deep passion for reading and books (her childhood home was right next door to the library) also fueled a twenty-year career in book selling and book publishing sales.
Shelly loves to preach, sing, play and watch basketball, read, take walks on the beach, hike, engage in interfaith conversations and service to the community, write, eat dark chocolate and really good ice cream, and play in the snow.