Leadership

Our Elders

Elders, elected by the congregation, lead the congregation by exercising both discernment and compassion. In addition, they are called to assess the congregation’s fidelity to the Word of God, and strengthen and nurture its faith and life.

  • Ben serves as Clerk of Session, supporting the leadership and ministry of the church through organization, communication, and record keeping. In this role, he prepares session meeting agendas and minutes, maintains official church records, and helps ensure the work of the session is carried out effectively and in accordance with church governance. Ben is dedicated to supporting the mission of the church and fostering strong connections within the congregation.

  • Tracy Johnson, a lifelong member of WPC, serves as an Elder and chairperson of the Nominating Committee, which nominates elders, deacons, and trustees for church leadership positions. She has been a devoted leader in the Ladies Benevolent Society and more recently at GriefShare as well. She enjoys her loons and eagles on Canobie Lake, as well as gardening and yard sales! 

  • Michele (Mike) Hutchings chairs the Connections Committee, which plans gatherings for fellowship and outreach. She can be found in the choir, the Fellowship Hour after church, GriefShare, and the Christmas play.  She volunteers teaching ESL in Manchester, has a Masters in Education, and raised her four wonderful children at WPC.

  • Joanne Vignos (vin-yo) chairs the Personnel Committee which handles staff issues including contracts, health and other employee benefits, hiring, performance reviews, and more. She has very much enjoyed being part of the WPC church family for more than 20 years, and feels fortunate to have raised her children (Rachel and Sarah) here. Joanne is a marketing consultant and writer, but prefers to spend her time hiking, skiing, golfing, playing pickleball and walking her dog, Riley.

  • Marjorie Burdette is the former Elder for Missions and current Elder for Finance, which records, maintains, and manages all finances of the church. Marjorie is a sewing aide at Lazarus House, helps lead the Women's Bible Study, and is chair of the Team for the Interim Pastor Search. She has four grown children, four son/daughters-in-law, and ten very special grandchildren.

  • Jim Morton chairs the Spiritual Formation Committee which aims to foster growth for our members outside of the Sunday Morning worship gathering. This is done through encouraging small group studies, Children’s Sunday School, Youth Group, retreats, our library, as well as suggestions for online learning resources. A member of WPC since his retirement from the Navy in 1993, Jim lives to serve, and he can be found working in many areas of our church community. His mantra is, “man, we get to do this.”

  • William (Bill) Miller chairs the Missions Committee, which supports ministry partners both locally and around the world through prayer, volunteer involvement, and financial support.     He also serves in other activities of the church, where and when needed.  Bill is a retired attorney; he and his wife live on a farm in Hudson and have been members of WPC since 1995.

  • Greg serves as our Worship Elder, a spiritual leader within the church, helping to guide and support the worship life of the congregation. He works closely with the pastor, worship committee, musicians, and volunteers to ensure worship services are meaningful, welcoming, and reflective of the church’s mission and traditions. Greg also provides leadership, encouragement, and care to the congregation through participation in worship planning and church life.

Our Deacons

Deacons are elected by the congregation for a ministry of compassion, witness, and service. They are called to exhibit spiritual character, honesty, exemplary lives, brotherly and sisterly love, and sound judgment as they attend to the needs of members and friends of the congregation.

Those who currently serve as Deacons are: Anna Bradley, Melissa Bristol, Marilyn Dube, Jonathan Eckerman, John Goudreau, Barry Hebsch, Sandee Hebsch (Moderator), Lavinia Miller, Karen Kasper, Jennifer Rettig, Dot Pinet and Anne Goudreau.

Our Trustees

Trustees are elected by the congregation to manage the resources entrusted to the church. They are called to oversee all issues regarding the building and property, assuring that proper maintenance and issues of safety are addressed.

Those who currently serve as Trustees are: Bill Bristol, Ken Daley (Chair), and Garrett Kerr.