Come join us in ministry!
At this time the First Presbyterian Church of New Haven is seeking a Bridge Pastor as we search for our new pastor. For the past six years, FPCNH family has been led by the Rev. Jocelyn C. Cadwallader . During her leadership we have grown in our faith, expanded our community outreach, and embraced a strong social justice commitment as a faith community. We are looking for a Bridge Pastor to continue to shepherd our congregation as we transition to a new pastor.
Read the description of the position here.
Resumes will be accepted through December 15th, 2023. Please send resumes to search@fpcnh.org
Patrick McCreless
Patrick McCreless is Organist and Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church of New Haven, where he has served since 1999.
As a Professor of Music at Yale, he teaches music theory in the Department of Music, of which he was Chair in the years 2001-2007.
As a scholar, he has published on a wide range of musical topics—the music of Schubert, Wagner, Elgar, Nielsen and Shostakovich; the history of music theory; music performance and analysis; and music and rhetoric.
In recent years he has lectured on these topics in Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Russia, Brazil, and China, as well as in the US. He also holds church music and congregational song dear to his heart.
He delights in choir leadership, and always welcomes new singers!
Rev. Rachel Paige Mastin
Rachel (she/her) recently moved to Branford, CT after serving as the solo pastor at the Stillwater United Church in Stillwater, NY for seven years. Rachel attended seminary at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, VA and has her Masters of Divinity and her Masters of Arts in Christian Education. She is also in the last year of a Masters of Social Work degree, and will be splitting her time this year between First Presbyterian Church and the Women & Family Life Center in Guilford, CT. Rachel is excited to continue the work that First Pres started with Rev. Jinny, and to explore new ways to make connections between the generations.
Rachel is a lover of arts and crafts, a knitter, a reader, a baker, and a sewer. She is married to Rev. Reilly Paige (they/them), a UCC minister who serves at First Congregational Church in Guilford and together they have an energetic mini labradoodle named Henry.
Rev. Jenny Davis
From now until Christmas, Rev. Jenny Davis will be taking up some of the responsibilities of pastoral leadership, such as leading worship and providing acute pastoral care.
Jenny is a long time member of the FPCNH community, as a former member and elder and now as an ordained clergy serving as the Director of Supervised Ministries at Yale Divinity School. Before her current position, she served as Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Stamford (aka the Fish Church). She is joined by her husband, Steve, another ordained clergy serving in specialized ministry at Yale University teaching early Christian history. Her three adult children who grew up in the church, Evanleigh, Harrison (with his now wife, Yingxue), and Rowyn may be making guest appearances during the Advent weeks ahead.
Martha Smith
Martha Smith is the office administrator, the “go to” person keeping track of the church calendar, building space scheduling, in addition to assembling the Sunday Bulletin and Inkling Newsletter.
A member of First Presbyterian Church of New Haven since 2001, she has served on Session and enjoys singing in the choir.
Katie Grosh
Katie Grosh is the Communication Specialist at First Presbyterian Church of New Haven. After majoring in geology at Carleton College, she taught environmental education at Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee and served as a Chaplain at Camp Wilmot.
She is a recent graduate of Yale Divinity School (MDiv ’22) and currently also works as the Faith Initiative Coordinator at Grace Farms Foundation. She is excited to continue her east coast adventures in New Haven, including hiking in East Rock, visiting nearby friends, auditing courses at the Divinity School, and getting to participate in the life of this congregation.
We are a Sanctuary Church