New Elder Candidates 2026
The Nominating Committee has been prayerfully at work the past few months and has presented the following candidates for the Elder Board. Please review these candidate bios, presented in alphabetical order, to familiarize yourself with these individuals. Active members of the congregation will vote for this slate of candidates. Please plan to join us at the upcoming Congregational Meeting on February 1st at 6:00 pm.
Anna Bongiorno
I grew up Catholic but fell away from the church in my 20’s. Twenty years later, at the persistent invitation of friends, I attended their church where I met Jesus for the first time. It seemed rather cultish to me how friendly people were, but I realized that these people truly loved and served one another, and I knew I wanted to do the same. I served in junior high youth ministry and altar guild and went on several mission trips. Unfortunately, that church split up, and then closed.
I church hopped for about 4 years and came to Wellspring occasionally. In 2016, I had a lot of life altering changes happening, and I felt like I’d really made a mess of my life. Something (or rather, Someone) told me to come back to Wellspring. The second I walked through the doors, the Presence of God was so overwhelming, it felt like coming home after a long time away. It was the only solid ground I’d stood on in a long time. That morning, the Pastor gave me “a word from God”. I knew God had heard my prayers, and this would be my church home. I surrendered completely to God, and I was baptized a few months later. Wellspring is truly a place of transforming grace! My prayer is that anyone who walks through our doors feels the same overwhelming Presence of God that I did, and know this is home.
While I love attending the amazing classes we have that have helped me learn and grow in my spiritual walk, praying with and for people, worshiping with dance and flags, serving in Children’s Ministry and Altar Prayer, coordinating our CT Prays team, and being involved in Alpha (all of which I consider places where God pours into me) last fall, I felt a pull to start pouring out where He leads me, even if He takes me out of my comfort zone. I’m so humbled to be nominated to be an Elder, and this is quite outside of my comfort zone, but I wish to serve God and my Wellspring family in whatever way He leads especially in this transitional time.
Outside of Wellspring, I’m a retired Transportation Engineer and am currently working for Prior Memories Online Auctions. I’m a 4-year graduate of the Firehouse School of Supernatural Ministry’s 2 year program and currently serve as the administrator for school’s Jesus Nights and am a member of a First Fruits of Zion Torah Club run by the Well Church in Plainville.
I church hopped for about 4 years and came to Wellspring occasionally. In 2016, I had a lot of life altering changes happening, and I felt like I’d really made a mess of my life. Something (or rather, Someone) told me to come back to Wellspring. The second I walked through the doors, the Presence of God was so overwhelming, it felt like coming home after a long time away. It was the only solid ground I’d stood on in a long time. That morning, the Pastor gave me “a word from God”. I knew God had heard my prayers, and this would be my church home. I surrendered completely to God, and I was baptized a few months later. Wellspring is truly a place of transforming grace! My prayer is that anyone who walks through our doors feels the same overwhelming Presence of God that I did, and know this is home.
While I love attending the amazing classes we have that have helped me learn and grow in my spiritual walk, praying with and for people, worshiping with dance and flags, serving in Children’s Ministry and Altar Prayer, coordinating our CT Prays team, and being involved in Alpha (all of which I consider places where God pours into me) last fall, I felt a pull to start pouring out where He leads me, even if He takes me out of my comfort zone. I’m so humbled to be nominated to be an Elder, and this is quite outside of my comfort zone, but I wish to serve God and my Wellspring family in whatever way He leads especially in this transitional time.
Outside of Wellspring, I’m a retired Transportation Engineer and am currently working for Prior Memories Online Auctions. I’m a 4-year graduate of the Firehouse School of Supernatural Ministry’s 2 year program and currently serve as the administrator for school’s Jesus Nights and am a member of a First Fruits of Zion Torah Club run by the Well Church in Plainville.
Dawn Speer
Hello, my name is Dawn Marie Speer. I am married to Scott Speer. We have a loving, persevering, growing marriage of 32 years. Scott has always supported the roads the Lord has led me down. We love to travel and explore new places. I especially love meeting the creator in his creation. I am learning to watercolor paint nature scenes. I also spend days caregiving my great niece and nephew. A gift and a joy!
I became a Christian in this church 41 years ago. This has always been my home church. From the beginning I have always been involved with youth and children. I have a master's degree in education. As I finished my degree in 1995, I became deacon of Christian Education. As I served over years it became a full-time position as Children’s Pastor. I stepped down in 2010 and then served in the Big L ministry to the Mount Pleasant housing project. I also served as Greater Hartford Coordinator with an outside church organization called Fresh Air Fund, which placed NYC children in homes for a summer experience. I have served various ways and on other committees over the years here at church.
I believe the Lord has prepared me for this nomination of elder in a couple of ways. I began to feel a stirring in my spirit last year that I was to step into something new. I kept floating ideas by the Lord, but none stuck. I began to think, maybe it is for a time in the future when we have a new Pastor. When I was told I was nominated to be an elder I knew quickly that this is what the Lord had in mind. Another way is I felt a couple of times the Lord’s love for our congregation. The first time I felt it was about a year and a half ago as the congregation was coming out of a difficult time. During worship I felt the Lord’s love and he had me look around at the congregation and I heard “I am well pleased with their hunger and thirst after me.” I am honored to be nominated to serve this congregation as an elder. I am also excited for what the Lord has for our congregation in the coming years. My prayer and hope for the dearly loved people of this congregation is that of Paul’s from Colossians 3:14 “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derive its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God.” I look forward to the ways I can assist the Lord in helping all who walk through the doors of Wellspring know the Fathers great love for them, their identity in Him and the authority He has given them when they come to know Christ as savior. God bless you.
I became a Christian in this church 41 years ago. This has always been my home church. From the beginning I have always been involved with youth and children. I have a master's degree in education. As I finished my degree in 1995, I became deacon of Christian Education. As I served over years it became a full-time position as Children’s Pastor. I stepped down in 2010 and then served in the Big L ministry to the Mount Pleasant housing project. I also served as Greater Hartford Coordinator with an outside church organization called Fresh Air Fund, which placed NYC children in homes for a summer experience. I have served various ways and on other committees over the years here at church.
I believe the Lord has prepared me for this nomination of elder in a couple of ways. I began to feel a stirring in my spirit last year that I was to step into something new. I kept floating ideas by the Lord, but none stuck. I began to think, maybe it is for a time in the future when we have a new Pastor. When I was told I was nominated to be an elder I knew quickly that this is what the Lord had in mind. Another way is I felt a couple of times the Lord’s love for our congregation. The first time I felt it was about a year and a half ago as the congregation was coming out of a difficult time. During worship I felt the Lord’s love and he had me look around at the congregation and I heard “I am well pleased with their hunger and thirst after me.” I am honored to be nominated to serve this congregation as an elder. I am also excited for what the Lord has for our congregation in the coming years. My prayer and hope for the dearly loved people of this congregation is that of Paul’s from Colossians 3:14 “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derive its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God.” I look forward to the ways I can assist the Lord in helping all who walk through the doors of Wellspring know the Fathers great love for them, their identity in Him and the authority He has given them when they come to know Christ as savior. God bless you.