Rev. Avena has been working as an Interim Ministry Specialist since 2007. In her over 30 years of ministry she has served many churches in Connecticut, including most recently as Interim Senior Minister at First Church, West Hartford, and as Transitional Associate Minister at Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford. She has dual standing in the United Church of Christ and the American Baptist Churches, USA.

Her M.Div. (Masters of Divinity) and her S.T.M. (Masters in Sacred Theology) are from Yale University Divinity School. She is married to Attorney Robert Avena, who practices law in Stonington; they have three children and make their home in East Lyme.

Rev. Kaleigh Corbett-Rasmussen (she/her/hers) is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. Originally from Northern New Jersey, she graduated with a degree in Biology from Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama in 2009 and then returned back to New Jersey and graduated with her Master of Divinity at Drew Theological School in 2014.

Read her full bio here.

To set up a meeting with Pastor Kaleigh, click here.

Lynne grew up in East Lyme, Connecticut, and has been attending and singing in the choirs here at Niantic Community Church since she was a child. As a choral director, Lynne has worked at Mitchell College in New London and Paradise Valley Community College in Arizona, as well as in churches in Woodstock, CT, Paradise Valley and Scottsdale, AZ.

Lynne is a Summa cum Laude graduate of the University of Connecticut, from which she received dual degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Education.

Read her full bio here.

Jeff Birch is a student at Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky where he is in his fourth year in their Master of Divinity program. He is a member of The First Congregational Church in Essex, CT, and is pursuing his Accountable Ministry here with us. He lives in Flanders with his partner, Mike, and their two cats.

Read his full bio here.

Nan Rigdon has been a member of NCC since 2003. During that time, she has helped create and lead both the Seashore Praise and Worship Contemporary Service and the Liturgical Dance Choir. She was a member of the Chancel Choir for many years and served as interim director for Paul Althouse. She currently conducts the Bell Choir and Men’s Choir for NCC and the Seacoast Youth Chorale 501c3 which operates out of NCC. She can be reached at Nan@nianticcommunitychurch.org.goes here

As a teenager, Leola Wilkerson started playing piano at the church she attended from childhood, which is located in Chicago. She played for the Sunday School and also for the junior choir.

When she moved to Connecticut, Lee became a member of Miracle Temple Church in New London. She started a children’s choir there, which continues today. .“Although I am not an official member of Niantic Community Church,” Lee says, “I feel as if I belong to the family.” She started her music ministry at Niantic Community Church about eighteen years ago.

Read their full bios here.

Theresa comes to NCC with 25+ years of experience in marketing communications and administrative management, and recent church office management. Her work experience included event planning for Waldenbooks corporate book retail in Stamford, event management at Decker Creative Marketing in Glastonbury, and book publicity at Globe Pequot Press in Guilford.

Read her full bio here.

Robin has lived in Niantic for 34 years, She holds a BS in Managerial Accounting from Purdue University Global (online).

She loves gardening, sailing/power boating, reading, and interior decorating, trail walking, and watching my favorite TV programs.

She is a partner in a small business -Sextant Management, LLC. which provides general contracting repairs and maintenance, property management, home watch service, and bookkeeping services for small business's.

She is also a Notary.

Theodore (Ted) Montgomery began his position as Financial Secretary in July 2018. Prior to that he had a long career in financial management. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard as Director of Resources for the East Coast operational budget, Comptroller for the Coast Guard Academy, and Financial Director for the Coast Office of Health and Safety. He holds an MBA from Wallace College in OH, and a BS in Government from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in CT.

In addition to his work with us, he enjoys time with his family, including young grandchildren.