(From Left to Right: Rev. Karen E. Barker-Duncan, Rev. Dr. David Young, Rev. Talia Raymond, Rev. Dr. Sherie Lindamood)
The Rev. Dr. Young is a native of Kokomo, Indiana, where he grew up in the United Church of Christ. He attended Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, graduating with a degree in Religious Studies. He then went on to San Francisco Theological Seminary. He has served three large UCC churches since being ordained just over 30 years ago. The first was in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he began as an Associate Minister and after several years transitioned into Interim Senior Minister upon the departure of the Senior Minister who had been at the church 14 years. He was then called to be the Senior Minister of the First Congregational Church of Battle Creek, Michigan, serving there for 15 years. Most recently he has been the Senior Pastor of the First Congregational Church of Greenwich, Connecticut, for the past seven years. David did his doctoral work at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago focusing on the organizational and corporate aspects of larger church ministry. His thesis was on wholeness in the church as a body. He has been active in the UCC over the course of his career serving on conference boards of directors, church and ministry committees, planning committees for the annual gathering of Senior Ministers of the larger membership churches, and most recently serving as a delegate to General Synod. He has also served on many community boards over the past three decades; and until very recently, had been offering leadership as the President of the Greenwich Fellowship of Clergy. He has a heart for mission work and loves sharing in the life and ministry of the church.
Reverend Karen E. Barker-Duncan has served as Associate Minister since 2001 and has been an Ordained Minister since 1987. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development and received her Master of Arts degree in counseling in 1984 from St. Joseph College in Hartford, CT. Following graduation form Yale Divinity School with a Master of Divinity degree, Karen founded Family Life Education Programs, Inc., serving Hispanic teen moms until 1991, then as Campus Minister in Greater Hartford until 1996. She was then called to serve The Church of the Holy Cross in Hilo, HI, a Japanese American United Church of Christ congregation. Rev. Duncan oversees First Congregational Church's Outreach Ministries, Gurtler Center for Families, Youth and Children and is currently co-head of staff and a regular worship leader. She is married to Roger and has two grown sons and three grand daughters.
Reverend Talia R. Raymond serves as Minister of Arts and Education. She was ordained as a minister in the United Church of Christ on February 25, 2007. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rollins College and a Master of Divinity degree from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkley, CA. She holds a Master of Arts in Art and Religion from the Graduate Theological Union. Among other things, she leads regularly in worship, oversees the Christian Education Ministries of the church, including the W.I.N.G.S. youth program, liturgical dance groups, and the drama portion of our Jeremiah Project.
Reverend Dr. Sherie A. Lindamood has served as Minister of Worship (part time) since 2003. She holds Masters degrees in both Divinity and Christian Education and a PhD in Adult Education and Rehabilitation Counseling. She is an Ordained Minister in the United Church of Christ and has served churches in Ohio and New York. At present she is studying Hindu Philosophies at the Hindu University of America in Orlando, FL. She leads in worship, prepares worship liturgy, teaches in Adult Education programs, and serves many of the other pastoral needs of the congregation.
