New Elder Candidates

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 at the upcoming Congregational Meeting on February 2nd.

It was around the summer of 2018 when I walked into Wellspring for the first time with my then-10-year-old daughter Haylee. I had been going through a stagnant stage in my life and had decided that God needed to confirm which church would be my future house of restoration (since I needed one) or I would stay home until he did. Not long after, my daughter and I were walking at Walnut Hill Park one summer day and some youth asked if we needed prayer and we accepted it. They happened to be part of the youth group from Wellspring and when they finished praying, in the sky the most remarkable and beautiful double rainbow appeared out of nowhere and I was sure it was God telling me this is where he wanted me. I must say that this sign kept pushing me in the early days in which I felt that a Hispanic (with a very strong accent) like me, did not fit in this mostly Caucasian congregation but that thought could not be further from the truth…

Fast forward almost seven years. I feel that Wellspring has become my new family and they have welcomed me and my blended family with open arms. A little over a year ago I saw my then-fiancé Alex accept Jesus as his savior and get baptized and a little later we were married by Pastor Rick in December 2023. My daughter Haylee has grown as a leader within the youth group and my son Hector and step kids, Dylan and Enilexys, often visit Wellspring too. I have been helping with live Spanish interpretation for over a year and have had the pleasure of leading two Spanish Alpha sessions with my husband and we’re working on our third one. While being a member of Wellspring I published a children’s book in 2019 and a second book in 2023. I have created many new friendships and continue to do so. Secularly, I have worked in the school system for over 20 years, the last 10 in a small private center in Wethersfield.

I have a passion for homeless people and victims of domestic violence and abuse, thus I have a degree in domestic violence intervention. My vision for Wellspring is that it will become exactly that, a spring of fresh water to our immediate community, a place where anyone whether from within or from the outside can come for aid and healing and receive it. A multicultural center where many races and backgrounds come to worship together. A place where the church will become the number one resource for the community that is so desperately in need of both spiritual and physical help. A real house of restoration where we shine our lights towards the darkness that surrounds us and not only amongst ourselves.

I grew up completely unchurched right here in Berlin. During my undergraduate years at UCONN, I was introduced to Jesus for the first time. I am eternally grateful for those who prayed, the campus ministry that reached out intentionally, and the Lord of the harvest, who patiently confronted my self-centered worldview and drew me in. From that moment, everything changed!

At UCONN, I met my wife, Andra, and we began a journey together that has spanned over 32 years of marriage, raising four wonderful children, and welcoming four grandchildren (with number five on the way!). Over the years, we’ve worked both inside and outside the church to help our family and others live Biblically grounded, spiritually vibrant lives. Serving in various roles - from changing diapers in the nursery to leading small groups and serving on church Boards - has been both rewarding and a great education. With a professional background in Mechanical Engineering, I enjoy applying problem-solving skills while remaining sensitive to the Lord’s leading and the needs of those around me.

We first visited Kensington Baptist more than 30 years ago and periodically attended events over the years. Although we live an hour away, it has been well worth the effort for the past five years to regularly worship, learn, and pray with the community at Wellspring, which feels like our “tribe.” Knowing the pastoral staff’s heart for outreach, discipleship, and revival, we feel honored to be members of this congregation. We look forward to all the Lord has planned for Wellspring and the region!

My wife, Marilyn, and I have been attending Wellspring for the last 9 years after moving back to CT, having lived for many years in New Jersey. We were drawn to Wellspring by the vibrancy of spiritual life and the strong preaching/teaching ministry of Pastor Rick. I am willing to serve as an elder during this time as Wellspring transitions to its next stage of ministry. Saved in the “Jesus movement” revival in the 70s, I have been serving in ministry for many years including as a pastor, teacher, and organizational leader. The last 15 years have been largely focused on leading marriage retreats and seminars, as well as counseling couples and individuals. Yet recently, since our cultural crisis has come to a point of turning, revolution, and opportunity, my ministry has included another focus. It appears that God is again bringing spiritual revival and even the potential for a cultural Reformation which could be as significant to the world as the 16th century Reformation. In this environment, my passion has developed into participating in this Reformation by clarifying and teaching the Christian world view in the current cultural atmosphere of deception – I am involved in various Christian endeavors, in this regard. Any deep impact on people in our current cultural milieu requires a clear theological understanding of the clash of the Christian world view with the largely anti-Christian public world view. I believe we are at a unique moment where God is awakening the church to the current kingdom mission of this new Reformation by teaching the truth of the gospel and the Christian world view to people confused by the godless dominant culture. I hope to assist Wellspring in ongoing discernment as to how we as a church can glorify God by participating in this Revival/ Reformation, in Connecticut.

I have been a lifelong learner, having attended 13 colleges and universities in 6 states. I have a BS in Nuclear Engineering, an M.Div. from Princeton Seminary, an MA in Counseling, in addition to the equivalent of a BA in Biblical Studies and Liberal Arts. My “tent making” secular work has been in areas such as nuclear engineering and real estate investing. Having been married for 50 years, I have two married adult daughters and five grandchildren, whom I enjoy immensely. In addition to learning, I also enjoy playing guitar, riding a motorcycle, and traveling - especially in an RV.

A little over 10 yrs ago, my wife, Dawn and I were in search of a new church. I felt God calling our family out of a mainline denominational church where we had raised our two daughters, Abigail and Madison. Not knowing where to start looking, my cousin had invited us to visit Wellspring. Upon entering worship, I felt a Holy Spirit peace about the congregation and the presence of the Lord was strong. Even though I felt comfortable, it was a bit of a culture shock for the girls from what they were accustomed to, and connecting with kids their own age seemed afar. Guilt from uprooting them and placing them into unfamiliar surroundings crept in, and I felt like I was still at a crossroads. Soon after, I found myself sitting at the steps of the alter pouring my heart and testimony out to Pastor Rick. He said he saw me as courageous, and that he sees a great blessing over me in the coming week. I believe the blessing I had received was the blessed assurance that he had given me that day. One morning during worship I felt the Holy Spirit of the Lord overcome me in a powerful way, and from that second on, I knew I was home. I re-committed myself to the Lord through Holy Baptism and became a member of Wellspring. Since then, God has led me to men that have helped me breakthrough childhood wounds and strongholds through the Crucible Project with whom I continue to do work with by helping other men identify their woundedness and by helping lead them into seeing their God given purpose.  I have also been involved in seeing what God has done in community through participating in Crosscut ministries, Hope Immanuel Street ministry, Family Promise, and now in working with Stephen Ministries. God has created in me a heart for loving and caring over others and my soul mission and purpose is to nurture my environment into a world of acceptance by listening and affirming the needs and desires of others. My desire for Wellspring is to see her continue to grow in the newness of the Lord in the direction from when I first came. With the leading of God’s providence, the effort and teamwork of the elder board, including all in our community who desire Wellspring to continue to grow God’s Kingdom here, I humbly accept the nomination of Elder, and I would be honored to serve in such a way as this. I am excited to see what God’s blessings for Wellspring look like in this coming season and for the next generation to come.

I’m married to my best friend, my wife Dawn of 33 years. It’s been quite a great life journey of highs and lows, and I wouldn’t have it any other way, as our love continues to grow. Our two adult daughters came to know and love the Lord and have a personal relation with Jesus, their Lord and Savior. Abigail and her husband Adam who are newly married, are expecting their first child and we are excitedly waiting in anticipation for our first grandchild.