Reverend W. Alan Froggatt - Minister
A native of Meriden, CT, Alan comes to the United Church of Chester with 40 years of pastoral experience, 36 of them in New England.
A commitment to the congregation and surrounding community has always been a driving force in Alan’s ministry, and it is one of the factors that drew him to our church. In the early 1980s he was instrumental in starting a Hospice in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula; he served on the Board of Directors for the United Way in western Connecticut; led his church’s Men’s Group to establish a scholarship fund for a small Hispanic church in Danbury; served 10 years for an organization that built more than 300 affordable housing units on Boston’s north shore; and built a congregational partnership with a high school that works exclusively with students who are dealing with drug and alcohol addiction.
After graduating from Barrington (RI) College in 1976 and Princeton Theological Seminary in 1980, he was called to The Community Church of Calumet, Michigan, in the northwest corner of the Upper Peninsula hard by Lake Superior. The Community Church is both Congregational and Presbyterian, and he served there for 4 years before returning to Connecticut to lead the Bridgewater Congregational Church, UCC, where he ministered for 16 years. In 2000 he was called as Senior Minister of Second Congregational Church, UCC, in Beverly, Massachusetts. Seventeen years later, he accepted the position of Pastor and Teacher here at our United Church.
In his spare time Alan enjoys bicycling around the lower CT River and the shoreline, is an amateur violinist, and enjoys cooking, swimming, reading and spending time with family. And yes, he has also been a Red Sox fan since his youth, and can often be found in Fenway Park and at performances of the Boston Symphony, the American Repertory Theater, the Goodspeed, and any number of local musical venues. He and Debbie live in Old Lyme, and his two daughters, Clare and Blythe, along with grandson Connor, live in the greater Boston area.
Karli Gilbertson Spinella
Music Director and Organist
A native of Minnesota, Karli Spinella has lived in Chester since 1996. She has a Master’s degree in vocal performance from the New England Conservatory of Music as well as a Bachelor’s degree, summa cumlaude, from the University of Minnesota. Ms. Spinella performed leading roles with the Connecticut Opera Company and the Hartford Symphony on the Bushnell stage. She also sang the title role in a national tour of The Merry Widow. She has taught private voice lessons for 20 years and is currently the organist and music director at the United Church of Chester.
Sally Marston - Parish Administrator
Sally grew up in the CT Valley Shore area and currently resides in Deep River with her dog Maggie. Sally and Maggie can be found walking in and around Deep River center. Besides walking she enjoys knitting, gardening, travelling and learning how to play the guitar! Recently retired after working 36 years in the insurance industry, Sally is looking forward to working with the UCC congregation. Stop by and visit Sally and Maggie in the office!
