of Tolland
United Church of Christ
45 Tolland Green, Tolland, Connecticut 06084 · 860-875-4160
Meet Our Staff
Rev.
Dr. Robert J. Wright, Jr.
Rev. Judith
C. Medeiros
With an undergraduate degree in psychology from Cambridge College, Cambridge, MA, specializing in Family and Community Systems, Rev. Judy is attentive to the covenantal relationships of a Congregational UCC church. Her background in family systems enhances her ability to observe and lead the challenges of church life to which Christ calls us. Knowing that the meaning of “liturgy” is “the work of the people,” Pastor Judy advocates for the importance of lay leadership and ministries and seeks to empower and encourage the laity in discovering their gifts for serving and answering God’s call. Before her arrival at United Congregational Church
of Tolland, Rev. Judy served as the Senior Pastor for the Second Church of
Plymouth in Manomet, MA, for
3˝
We accomplish in our
lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s
work. We plant the seeds that one
day will grow.
We water seeds
already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in
realizing that.
This enables us
to do something, and to do it very well.
It
may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an
opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.
Steven C. Lowry
Attending Hartt College of Music, Steve played piano,
oboe, and organ, but focused on voice and choral
conducting, graduating with a Bachelor of Music
Education degree. He later earned a Master of Arts in
Human Resource Development from Webster University in
St. Louis.
Steve enlisted in the Navy in 1972, and was assigned as
a theory instructor on the staff of the Armed Forces
School of Music in Norfolk, Virginia, where
instrumentalists from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Army
bands receive training. As a relatively junior sailor,
he was promoted to Head, Basic Theory Department, and
taught intermediate and advanced course theory and
counterpoint.
Leaving the Navy in 1978, Steve took the position of
Head of the Music Department and Choral Director at a
junior high school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he
led several singing groups, prepared students for formal
concerts, and all-city and all-state competitions and
musicals.
Returning to the Navy in 1982 as a commissioned officer,
Steve received assignments up and down the East Coast
and in Scotland as a designated Public Affairs Officer
beginning in 1989 to his retirement in 2007. During
virtually every assignment except when at sea, he also
held down a church music position. He has served as
organist and/or choir director for churches in United Church of Christ, Episcopal, Lutheran (ECLA and
Missouri Synod), Roman Catholic, and United Methodist
churches, and has served as substitute organist for
other denominations.
Steve has also sung with many volunteer organizations,
including the Virginia Beach Chorale, Charleston (SC)
Symphony Chorus, South Weymouth (MA) Fine Arts
Chorale, Unicorn Singers in Hingham, MA, the Cantata
Chorus in Norfolk, VA, the Memphis (TN) Symphony Chorus
(where he also served as soloist, member of the
executive board, and Vice President for Communications),
City Singers of Hartford (CT), and most recently the
Springfield Symphony Chorus.
Steve and his wife, Anita, live in East Windsor, CT.
Debra
Simpson
As Financial Secretary, Debbie is responsible for maintaining data on contributions and accounts payable, calculating payroll for the church staff and Tolland Green Learning Center, keeping statistics on our annual Stewardship Campaign, and generating monthly reports for church committees.
Linda
Johnson
Stephanie
Howard
Amie
Giguere
Kimberly
Gottier
John
Frassinelli, Gary Lotreck
Liz
Thornton
Liz has been educating and learning
from children since 1987. She taught and directed a childcare center in Bloomfield for 10 years. Liz gained much insight from her tenure
at the center and has brought this insight with her to the Tolland Green Learning Center.
Updated
January 02, 2012
|
Rev. Dr. Robert J.
Wright, Jr. has served as our Senior Minister since January 1999,
coming to Tolland after serving 18 years as the Senior Minister at
Second Congregational Church of Beverly, MA, and 5 years as
pastor of First Church of Bethlehem, CT. His B.A. degree
is in psychology from Northeastern University; Master of Divinity was awarded from
Andover Newton Theological School; and his Doctorate of Ministry, specializing in ministry to
marriages and families, was earned at Eastern Baptist Seminary.
Ordained in June 1975, Bob is married and has four adult
children, three of whom are adopted and biracial. His love
of ministry embraces all facets of the pastorate, from preaching
and leading worship to teaching confirmation and adult Bible
study, to leading periodic mission work trips (the most recent
of which was in July 2011 to Appalachia involving many adult and
youth members), pastoral counseling and visitation, and much more. A
recent accolade was that Sunday worship is always “an event”
here, not to be missed. Please come, give us a try and
find out for yourself how true this is!
Steve began playing the piano at age six, and nine years
later began playing the organ for church services. At
19, he began directing choirs, and has had numerous
positions as organist, choir director, and bass/baritone
soloist for more than four decades. He accepted his
first church music director position as a sophomore in
college.
Debbie has worked in
an administrative capacity for United Congregational Church of Tolland since 1992,
the same year she became a member of the congregation. Prior to joining the staff, she served five years as secretary
of the Vernon United Methodist Church and the United Methodist
Church of Bolton. Before moving to Connecticut, she held
positions as Administrative Assistant to Vice Presidents of the
Industrial Products Division of Hughes Aircraft Company in
Carlsbad, CA, and Baltimore, MD, as well as to the Chief Claims
Attorney for the Maryland Casualty Company. In addition to an
associate's degree in Office Management, Debbie has also taken
courses in Accounting, Legal Research, Business Writing, and Small
Business Development, and has participated in various managerial and
computer software workshops.
Stephanie grew up in Franklin
Square, New York, and received her associate's degree in Business
at Nassau Community College. She was married in the United
Congregational Church of Tolland in 1992 and moved to Vernon,
CT. Stephanie became a member of our church in 1995 and
began working in the church office in 2007. She
currently resides in Tolland with her husband and two children.
Amie Giguere grew up
attending the South Congregational Church in Granby, CT, and
transferred her membership to UCC Tolland after moving to
Tolland with her husband, Bruce, in 1994. They
have three daughters. Amie is a certified teacher with 10
years' experience in the classroom. Amie has many other
varied experiences working with children, including holding many
summer camp positions over 15 years and being a Girl
Scout leader. She joined the church staff in 2008
and is committed to providing the children of this church and
their families with opportunities to grow in their relationship
with the Lord.
Kimberly is a
long-time active member of our church. She has served as a
church school teacher, held a position on the Board of Missions,
and has been a member and secretary of the Board of
Deacons. She enthusiastically joined the staff as
Coordinator of Caring Ministries in 2008. She brings
to the position experience working as a volunteer in
pastoral care and, later, formal clinical pastoral care training
at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA. She resides
in Tolland with her husband and three sons. 
It is with great pleasure that we welcome John
Frassinelli and Gary Lotreck as Co-directors of our Pilgrim
Fellowship Program. Gary and John have served in the Cradle Room and Sunday School. 
Liz Thornton currently resides in Vernon with her
husband Randy, their 7-year-old daughter Lexie, and their dog
Lillie, whom they rescued last year. They love to hike the
trails near their home and enjoy bike riding and kayaking on
Bolton Lake.