Leadership & Staff

Rev. Cindy Maddox, Senior Minister
Cindy Maddox is honored to serve as Senior Pastor of this amazing congregation where head and heart work together to make a difference in the world! Cindy has lived throughout the South, Northeast, and Midwest. Her first career was in publishing before answering a call to ministry. [Read more...]

Rev. Lauren Baske Davis, Associate Minister
Lauren serves alongside people of all ages at First UCC. Her role encompasses congregational care, faith formation for children, youth, and adults, Our Whole Lives (OWL), worship leadership, and preaching. Lauren works to support continued growth in God’s people at every stage of life, developing relationships and building community in the congregation and in the wider community. [Read more...]

Derek Melby, Finance Manager
Derek serves as the Financial Manager for First UCC. He welcomes the opportunity to serve the congregation which has become important to him in the last few years. [Read more...]

Chris Brunelle, Director of Music
Christopher Brunelle has served First UCC as its Director of Music since 2003, conducting the Senior Choir and organizing the musical life of the church. His Congregational roots go back to his childhood at Plymouth Church in Minneapolis. [Read more...]

Catherine Rodland, Organist
It is a delight to welcome Catherine Rodland, our new organist, to the bench! [Read more...]

Kathryn Kvasnak, Director of Communications / Office Manager
Kathryn (Kate) Kvasnak is a new addition to the First UCC Northfield team as of February 2023. Her role encompasses all things communication and correspondence while taking care of the functioning of the Church office. Kate's work is to support the Pastors and Financial Manager, as well as the congregants and community. [Read more...]

Bob Gregory-Bjorklund, Worship Arts and Spirit Voices Director
Bob Gregory-Bjorklund serves as Arts Coordinator and Director of Spirit Voices at First United Church of Christ. He is a past UCC workshop presenter at the state and national levels and was a member of the music worship teams for General Synods 24, 25 and 26. [Read more...]

Mark Fischer, Sexton
Mark Fischer has served First UCC as "church checker" since 1982, checking the building and its contents every night. Mark is a Registered Piano Technician; working on pianos is his day job. [Read more...]