Ron Adams

Ron Adams has just completed three years as President of the Board at the First Parish Church in Waltham, MA, where he is now experimenting with classes for members new to Unitarian Universalism. Ron was a founding board member of the New Massachusetts Universalist Convention, and a founding member and chair of the program committee planning annual conferences for 55 Eastern Massachusetts Unitarian Universalist churches.

After graduating from Andover Newton in 1963, he was pastor of two small Northeastern Ohio UCC churches, and served as chair of the district Rural Church Committee and as a world religions teacher and non-violent protest trainer. For more than twenty years he has produced college textbooks for private publication, and he was for nine years a founding director, publisher, and production manager of The Newton Times, a prize winning liberal weekly newspaper in Newton, MA.

R. A. Adams
37 Riverview Avenue
Waltham, MA 02453
781.647.0617

Rev. Karen L. Peters

M.Div. '2000 and member of the Jonathan Edwards Society, is a United Methodist elder and pastor of Bethany First United Methodist Church, 100 Cummins Hwy, Roslindale, MA. since July 2000. She has been Co-chair of the board of directors for Safe Havens, an Interfaith Initiative on Domestic Violence from 2002 to present, and a board member of Safe Havens since 1996.

Rev. Karen L. Peters
5 Summer St.
Newton Upper Falls, MA.
Home e-mail:
Church e-mail:

Carol A. Brink, Clerk

After graduating from Hood College with a religion major, Carol worked as an editor for the UCC publication, Colloquy. She spent four years at Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia before returning to Boston. She received her MDiv from Andover Newton in 1980 and then serviced as Associate Minister of the Congregational Church in Camden, Maine until 1986. She has served as pastor of the Original Congregational Church (UCC) in Wrentham, MA for the past eighteen years. She has led mission trips to Hopital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti, helped create a labyrinth ministry, and is co-founder of Community Voices, a peace group of local citizens. She lives with kitties Lily and Sienna, has been taking courses in calligraphy and hand drumming, and recently planted a flower garden.

Rev. John Reynolds, President

Rev. John Reynolds received a B.A. degree in Political Science from Rhode Island College in 1982 and his M.Div. degree from Andover Newton in 2000. He was ordained in the American Baptist Churches USA in 2000 and has served as Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, since 2000, having previous served as Interim Pastor at Bethany for three years. He also served as Assistant Chaplain at Brown University from 1974 to 1976. Rev. Reynolds, , who was born in Troy, Alabama, spent seven years working with Dr. Martin Luther King as a Field Secretary in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Currently Rev. Reynolds serves as President of the Rhode Island Baptist Education Society, of which he has been a member since 2000. He is Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Ordained Ministry and is a member of the Ministers Council of ABC-USA. He also serves on a committee established by the Rhode Island State Council of Churches which was formed in the aftermath of the Station Nightclub fire to deal with trauma training and response to emergencies.

Elizabeth French

Rev. Elizabeth (Betty) French received her M. Div degree from Andover Newton in 1998. Prior to seminary, Betty raised four children then entered the work force and over a period of years worked in different fields. Her experience is varied and includes banking, real estate, legal and social work. She also has done a great deal of volunteer work both within the realm of the church and with social service agencies. Ordained in the United Church of Christ, Betty now serves as pastor and teacher of The First Congregational Church, UCC in Webster, New Hampshire. She continues to be very involved in the work of the New Hampshire Conference, serving on several committees.

Celestine Reid

Reverend Dr. Celestine Traynham Reid is an associate minister at the Belmont Street African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Dr. Reid graduated from Virginia State College, Petersburg, VA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, with honors. She earned her Master of Science degree in Numerical Science, with honors, from The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. She holds a Master of Divinity, with honors, from Andover Newton Theological School, Newton Centre, MA, which was conferred in 1998, and a Doctor of Ministry, with honors, conferred in May 2001.

Dr. Reid was ordained a Deacon in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church in 1999, and an Elder in 2001. She has served as interim pastor at Clinton AME Zion Church, Great Barrington, MA, and as pastor of John Wesley AME Zion Church in Attleboro, MA and New Life AME Zion Church in Brockton, MA. In the AME Zion Church she has held positions as the Boston District Director of Adults, overseeing the Christian Education of adults in 12 churches located in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine.

Dr. Reid's professional career has included positions as Research Chemist at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD and for the Department of the Army, Physical Scientist with the Central Intelligence Agency, adjunct faculty of Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, MA, where she taught Calculus and Advanced Algebra.

Dr. Reid has continuously studied music since she began piano at the age of 5, and is an accomplished musician on the piano and organ. She also plays the recorder, African drum, and harp.

When she was working as a chemist, Dr. Reid's hearing was damaged by an ultrasonic centrifuge. She is now accompanied at all times by her hearing assistance dog, the beloved 8 1/2-lb Trixie.

Dr. Reid is a member of the American Association of University Women, Beta Kappa Chi National Scientific Honorary Society, Jonathan Edwards Honor Society, and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Society. In 1998 she was the Andover Newton Theological School year's recipient of the Russell Chase Tuck Biblical Studies Award for excellence in the field of homiletics, and the Massachusetts Bible Society Award for excellence in the public reading of Scripture. She is on the Board of Directors of Center for Living and Working in Worcester, MA, and has served on the Board of Directors of CASA - Court Appointed Special Advocates - in Worcester, MA.

Dr. Reid is the author and producer of Hidden Meanings in Negro Spirituals from Slave Times, a multi-media show on the meaning of slave songs during slavery in America. This show is focused on transmitting the history of African Americans to the current generation, using images of the slave market, poetry, song, and narrative. It is performed on an ongoing basis throughout Massachusetts.

Elizabeth Watson

The Rev. Elizabeth G. Watson, M. Div. '63, has been Director of Spiritual Development at First Baptist Church in Fall River, MA since September 2000. She is also a guest director in the Spirituality of Christian Living program at Our Lady of Peace Spiritual Life Center in Narragansett, RI. Previously, she edited church school curriculum with the former Board of Education of the American Baptist Churches in Valley Forge, PA, and has many years experience in retailing. Before attending Andover Newton, Watson recevied an A.B. in English from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA.

Sandra (Jones) Stephenson

Class of 1963
Contact:
168 Pilgrim Trail
Plymouth, MA 02360-5432
508-747-2234

Sandra Stephenson worked for three years at the First Baptist Church of North Abington, MA before taking up a career as a teacher. She began teaching seventh and eighth graders at the John W. Rogers Junior High School in 1971. She retired in 2002 after 32 years of teaching. During her years in the field of education, Sandra served on the boards of the local, county, and state education associations and served in many other capacities in the county, including the office of President. Additionally, she served on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Teachers Association, on many committees, and as a delegate to the Annual Meeting

She currently works part time for the MTA as a Retirement Consultant. In her spare time, Sandra enjoys traveling, reading, knitting and crocheting (though not necessarily in that order). She is the mother of a first child (born 1965), a second child (born 1967), an adopted daughter (1973) and an adopted son (1974).

Joe Tripp

Joe graduated from Andover Newton Theological School in May of 1987 and received a call to serve as Pastor of the Falls Village Congregational Church in northwest Connecticut. He was ordained into the United Church of Christ on October 10, 1987 and has since served as Pastor of the United Parish of Fall River, Massachusetts, a church dually aligned with United Church of Christ and Presbyterian Church, USA.

He is currently serving his seventh year as the Pastor of the United Congregational Church in Middletown, Rhode Island. With the help of a talented and caring Church Staff and many skilled and dedicated lay leaders, Joe led the church through some major decisions. In addition, he helped lead them in a successful Capital Campaign which has prepared the way for some long-needed capital improvements. With hope for the future, a good sense of humor, and a heart full of love, Joe looks forward to many more years of challenging and joy-filled ministry at United Congregational Church!

Joe has previously served on the Alumni/ae Board of Directors, and as its President in the mid-1990's. Most recently he has served on Andover Newton's Building Committee for the new Wilson Chapel. He also established a scholarship, the Tripp Friendship Fund, at the school on the occasion of his 40th birthday to be awarded to a deserving M.Div student each year. Joe's hobbies are many including a love for his many circles of friends, his international and domestic travels, his affection for all things related to the PEANUTS gang and Lucille Ball, and time spent on the beach!

Veronica Lanier

Rev. MJ (Mary Jane) Hinchliff

Rev. MJ (Mary Jane) Hinchliff~~~M. Div.,Class of 1997~~~Currently serving as Pastor for the First Church of Christ, Congregational, UCC, in East Haddam, CT. MJ is working toward a D. Min from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO. For 10 years, MJ has been involved in medical mission trips serving in the sugar cane villages of the Dominican Republic. She lives in Meriden, CT with her two Boston Terriers: Fanny and Phil.