I am a person who feels gratitude for the blessings in my life, and compassion for those who are oppressed, disenfranchised, or confronting seemingly insurmountable obstacles. My work with mission over the last few years has allowed me the privilege of gaining a better understanding of existing inequities in the world, their underlying causes, and the landscape of intervention possibilities.

The welcoming atmosphere at the Union Church of Waban provided respite for me during a difficult time and I am continuously humbled by the compassion, generosity, and sense of community present here. 

I was introduced to UCW back in 2006 and it is the first church in my life to which I feel truly connected spiritually, emotionally, and socially. As many of you know, I am married to Karen OBeirne, who was responsible for my UCW introduction. We have two wonderful boys, Wil Bedford (21) and Aden OBeirne (19) who are also active (most of the time) in the church and have joined us for many Nicaragua trips and grew up as UCW youth with all its’ benefits. We are officially empty nesters with Wil in his Junior Year at Connecticut College and Aden in his Sophomore Year at Penn State. 

Karen and I were married by Stacy in 2010 and I was baptized by her right before she left. We have enjoyed the social aspect meeting so many friends through UCW, traveled to Nicaragua a number of times and have taken place in many church activities. One of my favorite has been our UCW Men’s Group, JAVA Gents, which I have been coordinating with Jay OBeirne for 10 years now. I look forward to the Search Committee journey.  

I grew up in Towson, Maryland, near Baltimore, and came to faith in Christ while in high school. A lifelong Presbyterian, I pastored the First United Presbyterian Church in Cambridge for 25 years (1982-2007), and served two other churches as Interim Pastor during my retirement.

My wife Priscilla, a winsome college professor, and I were married for 52 years, and traveled to the Philippines, her home country, numerous times, for work and pleasure. She and I came to love this church, its Pastor and its members, when we were seeking a church home, and found it to be a "fit," a family of faith, with whom we could continue to grow and serve.

I have been at UCW since 2000 and over the years have been able to participate in the life of the Church. As a youth, I attended Sunday school, was baptized and confirmed, and was a youth voice and co-leader of the Nica Task Force. I have a strong interest in mission and social justice. Today, I am grateful to be part of the Youth Ministry Task Force and an EOF mentor. 

Currently, I am the Assistant Director at the Center for Spirituality, Dialogue, and Service at Northeastern University, working with the interfaith community of faculty, staff, and students. This was an opportunity developed through networking at the Union Church and the UCC community. 

I'm Elisabeth van Reijendam, I'm 16, and I have been attending this church since I was 4 years old. Over the last 12 years, I have spent a lot of time at the church, from playing dodge ball and dumping glitter all over the floor, to ringing bells and participating in worship. This past year, I served on the Music Director Search Committee.

This church and the people in it have had an immense impact on me as I’ve grown up, giving it a special place in my heart.