Newtown Well Represented

At Fairfield East Assn. Annual Meeting

Five delegates and one in-care student preparing for ministry from Newtown Congregational Church attended the annual meeting of the Fairfield East Association of the United Church of Christ, Connecticut Conference at the First Congregational Church of Stratford on May 30.

Paul Allen, Maria Barresi, Paul Gehrett, Darlene Jackson, and Jean Klein represented NCC at the meeting. They were joined by Joy Mounts, who is also a member of NCC, received her master’s in divinity degree from the theological school at Drew University in Madison, N.J., in 2005 and has been “in care” of the Fairfield East Association and also of NCC as she continues to prepare for the ministry.

After dinner prepared by the home church there was a business meeting, program, and worship service in the sanctuary, where the association budget and nominating committee reports were accepted.

Program speaker was Dr Brian Schofield-Bodt, newly appointed director of the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, who talked of the mission and vision for the council, which was founded 62 years ago as an ecumenical social service agency “to act together…people of faith connecting to change lives and strengthen community.” Services concentrate on people from Bridgeport and the suburbs of Fairfield, Easton, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, and Stratford.

“We live this mission through five program emphases,” said Dr Schofield-Bodt. “Project Learn provides after-school homework tutorial help for elementary school students through community-based sites in churches and public housing sites.

“The Janus House Center for Youth in Crisis provides intervention and respite care for youth ages 11–17 and their families … [and] The Co-op Center provides reentry services for ex-offenders to enable them to be productive members of society.”

Two other programs are Hunger Outreach, which manages federal funding and assists more than 30 area feeding programs in coordinating their services, and Bridge Building, which offers ecumenical and interfaith opportunities to build community through education and dialogue.

Reginald Roberts, director of curriculum for the City of Stamford Middle Schools and a talented vocalist, ministered to the group with a solo. The Reverend Edward Rawls, senior pastor, and Joshua Sander, associate pastor, both of the Stratford host church, then led the group in worship with eloquent assistance of Dr Joe Utterback, minister of music, who played the a piano prelude and accompaniment for Michael Jovovich, lay person and choral section leader, who sang two solos.