The Eliot Church of Newton

474 Centre Street     Newton, MA  02458

617-244-3639

   
Staff

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Senior Pastor

Rev. Anthony S. Kill

 

Associate Pastor

Rev. Karla Jean Miller

 

Minister of Music

David Castillo Gocher

 

Church Administrator

Terri Whitney-Jackson

 

Seminary Intern

Emilia Halstead

 

Information

 

The Staff of Eliot Church

 

If you would like to learn more about Eliot,

please don't hesitate to contact us—or simply stop in for a Sunday service. 

Church office hours are 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Monday through Friday,

or please email us:

 

Senior Pastor

   Rev. Anthony Kill

      Read Tony's Bio

Phone:   617-244-3639 x202

Email:    sr.pastor@eliotchurch.org

  

 

Associate Pastor

   Rev. Karla Jean Miller

      Read Karla's Bio

 

Phone:   617-244-3639 x204

Email:    assoc.pastor@eliotchurch.org

Minister of Music

   David Castillo Gocher

      Read David's Bio

 

Phone:   617-244-3639 x203

Email:    music@eliotchurch.org

 

Church Administrator

   Terri Whitney

      Read Terri's Bio

 

Phone:   617-244-3639 x201

Email:    office@eliotchurch.org

 

Seminary Intern

   Emilia Halstead

      Read Emilia's Bio

 

Phone:   617-244-3639 x206

Email:    seminary.intern@eliotchurch.org

 

Information

 

 

Phone:   617-244-3639 x201

Email:    info@eliotchurch.org

 

Treasurer

Email:     treasurer@eliotchurch.org

 

Financial Secretary

Email:    financial.secretary@eliotchurch.org

 

Senior Pastor, Rev. Anthony S. Kill

Rev. Tony Kill has served UCC Congregations in the Boston area for over 20 years.  He is active in denominational leadership, clergy training, and interfaith networking.  Rev. Kill was initially ordained in the Roman Catholic Church, where he was a member of a religious order of monks and a seminary spiritual director.  After post-graduate study at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, he received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ in 1983.  Rev. Kill is the 13th senior pastor of Eliot Church in it’s 160+ year history.

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Associate Pastor, Rev. Karla Jean Miller

Rev. Karla Miller recently relocated to Boston from Raleigh, North Carolina, where she served as Minister with Youth and Children at North Raleigh United Church, a new church start in a growing suburban community. Prior to serving NRUC, Karla was the Chaplain and Director of Spiritual Life at Peace College in Raleigh for three years, where she created weekly worship, taught courses in  Hebrew Bible and New Testament and helped spearhead the Office for Community Involvement, the college’s community service and learning initiative.  Karla earned her Master’s of Divinity Degree at Union Theological Seminary in NYC, where she focused on worship, the arts and spiritual formation in young people. She has taken graduate courses in Pastoral Care and Counseling, as well as in literature and functional pottery. Prior to ordained ministry, Karla taught religious studies at Riverside Presbyterian Day School (PK-6) in Jacksonville, FL and worked in youth ministry.  

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Minister of Music, David Castillo Gocher

David Castillo Gocher is currently pursuing the Master of Sacred Music and Choral Conducting at Boston University, under the tutelage of renowned conductors Dr. Ann Howard Jones and Dr. Andrew Shenton. Mr. Castillo received a Bachelor in Music Education Magna cum Laude from Texas Christian University, where he was a student of Mr. Ronald Shirey and pianist John Owings, and a Choral Conducting Artist Diploma Suma cum Laude from the National Conservatory in Mexico. 

Prior to his current position at Eliot Church, Mr. Castillo served as the Music Minister of Trinity Church of Northborough and Ridglea Christian Church in Fort Worth, Texas. This year, Mr. Castillo celebrates ten years of uninterrupted music ministry.

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Church Administrator, Terri Whitney

Terri Whitney. Terri feels she has been blessed to serve the Congregation of Eliot.  She serves as Church Administrator, Facilities Manager and Publications Designer.  She derives great pleasure from the wide variety of responsibilities the Church has entrusted to her and sees her job as a ministry to the Church.  She enjoys traveling on her Buell motorcycle with her daughter across the country, in all types of weather.

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Seminary Intern, Emilia Halstead

Emilia Halstead was born in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, just outside Cleveland to Rev. Gary and Suzanne Halstead.  Her family moved to the Chicagoland area when she was 5 yrs old so that her father could study for his PhD at Chicago Theological Seminary.  The summer before her junior year of high school the family moved to Royersford, Pennsylvania, an hour from Philadelphia.  All through her life, Emilia has been an avid reader, camper, singer, and theatrical performer.  She received her BA in Theatre Arts and English from Arcadia University in Glenside, PA.  She also had the honor of studying abroad in Glasgow, Scotland for nine months during her junior year of college. This summer she worked as a chaplain at Pine Valley Campground and R.B.Winter’s State Park in Pennsylvania and is now beginning her second year at Andover Newton Theological School.  Emilia is looking forward to a wonderful year with everyone at Eliot UCC.

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