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Staff
Where Faith Takes Action!
549 Storrs Road
(Junction of Routes 195 & 89)
Mansfield Center, Connecticut
Minister of Faith Formation
The Reverend Joseph Blotz joined us as our Minister of Faith Formation in August 2010. Joseph grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. He has served congregations and community-based ministries in California, Ohio, and New York, most recently as Pastor for Educational Ministries at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ in Syracuse, New York. He is an accredited Godly Play teacher (a Montessori-inspired model of religious education) and has an interest in intergenerational worship, education, and service-learning. His ministry outside of the congregation has been with individuals experiencing homelessness, as an outreach worker for an AIDS resource organization, and as a writer for a local human sexuality curriculum. His published works include a feminist commentary on the book of Ruth and liturgical resources with a preferential option for Earth in the Earth Bible series. He is also a movie buff and enjoys playing guitar.
Contact Pastor Joe: joseph.blotz@FirstChurchMansfield.org
Organist
Erik Haeger has been the organist at First Church since 2000, and a covenantal member since 2006. A graduate of the University of Connecticut, he lives locally with his wife, Rebecca, and their daughter, Julia. Erik started playing piano at a young age. He was a subsitute organist at local churches for years before settling at First Church. He teaches piano for beginners and enjoys jazz and the Red Sox.
Music Director
Michael V. Silvestri is a graduate of the vocal music program at the University of Connecticut. He directs both the vocal and hand chime choirs at First Church. Michael is also a full-time elementary school teacher in Southbridge, MA.
Senior Pastor
The Reverend Ann Plumley joined us as our Senior Pastor in November 2010. She received her Masters of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School. Since 2006 she has been the Assistant Minister at the United Church of Christ in Keene, NH. For the three years prior to her service in Keene, she helped complete a comprehensive analysis of Committees on Ministry of eleven Massachusetts UCC Associations, leading to a new vision of their processes.
Ann is a lifelong member of the United Church of Christ who found, in the midst of a successful international consulting career, that God was calling her to church ministry. She states in her ministerial profile “I’m often asked about my career transition… I believe every experience I accumulated in my ‘former life’ is useful in the complex, often confounding journey of congregational life. God uses it all.”
In addition to extensive involvement in local, state, and national UCC projects, Plumley is an active community volunteer. She is an organizer for church volunteer groups that serve the largest soup kitchen in southwestern New Hampshire, has participated in a SCUBA research team with the Earthwatch Institute in the Philippines that implemented projects to promote sustainable fishing practices, and helped organize adult service trips to Honduras that focused on child nutrition, cooperative housing development, and micro-credit training.
Contact Pastor Ann: ann.plumley@FirstChurchMansfield.org
Office Administrator
Wendy O'Connor has, quite possibly, the most difficult job at First Church - supporting its ministry by taking responsibility for all church office activity/operations. She does this by utilizing her training, talents, experience as well as her sense of humor. Wendy received her formal education at Mitchell College. She resides in Scotland, CT where she is also the Registrar of Voters.
Contact Wendy: FirstChurchMansfield@snet.net
