The Staff of Eliot Church
Please don't hesitate to contact us - or simply stop in for a Sunday service!
Church office hours:
Monday - Thursday : 7:30am - 3:00pm
Friday : CLOSED
Church office hours:
Monday - Thursday : 7:30am - 3:00pm
Friday : CLOSED
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Senior Minister
The Reverend Susan Brecht Associate Minister The Reverend Reebee Kavich Girash Director of Music Ministry Monique Weiss Byrnes Church Administrator Natasha Collins Treasurer Mary Anne Schoonover Financial Secretary David Wood |
Phone: 617-244-3639 ext. 202
Email: rev.susan@eliotchurch.org Phone: 617-244-3639 x204 Email: rev.reebee@eliotchurch.org Phone: 617-244-3639 x203 Email: music@eliotchurch.org Email: childrenschoir@eliotchurch.org Phone: 617-244-3639 x201 Email: office@eliotchurch.org Email: treasurer@eliotchurch.org Email: financial.secretary@eliotchurch.org |
Senior Minister, The Reverend Susan Brecht
Susan was raised in the Midwest as the oldest of four children in what she describes as a "very Catholic family." Her siblings have reminded her that as a child she liked to play church, but she had to be the priest and hand out the host. She also liked to dress up as a nun, and thought she might like to become one, until she hit puberty and discovered all that it entailed.
In high school Susan discovered drama and decided on a career as an actress. She earned her BA in theatre with a minor in art at the University of Iowa, and earned an MFA in acting at Ohio University. Her acting career took her to New York City, where she co-founded an off-off Broadway theatre, and then to Los Angeles, where she did theatre, commercials, TV and film work.
She combined acting with a career as an oil painter, specializing in portraiture and photorealistic figurative work. She has shown in galleries in California, Iowa and Arizona.
Shortly after moving to L.A. Susan was invited by friends to their UCC church and it was there that she found a new home and church family. She put her creativity to work within the church while chairing the Arts Board; directing dramatic productions and musicals and organizing art exhibits.
She also became impassioned about issues of Social Justice and chaired the outreach and social concerns board. She credits her work as a lay leader in the church with putting her on a path to ministry, but it wasn't until years later that she admitted to having a call.
Susan earned her Masters of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, and shortly after graduating was called to The Community Church of Atascadero, a progressive, Open and Affirming, Just Peace church on the politically conservative Central Coast of California where she served for eight years, before accepting a call to The Eliot Church of Newton.
While on the Central Coast she served on the board, and later as co-president of People of Faith for Justice, a non-profit alliance of progressive interfaith leaders, both clergy and lay, working for social justice in the areas of peace and non-violence, human and civil rights, economic and environmental justice.
She is excited to be back on the East Coast, and to have found The Eliot Church, where she can share her creativity and passion for social justice.
Susan was raised in the Midwest as the oldest of four children in what she describes as a "very Catholic family." Her siblings have reminded her that as a child she liked to play church, but she had to be the priest and hand out the host. She also liked to dress up as a nun, and thought she might like to become one, until she hit puberty and discovered all that it entailed.
In high school Susan discovered drama and decided on a career as an actress. She earned her BA in theatre with a minor in art at the University of Iowa, and earned an MFA in acting at Ohio University. Her acting career took her to New York City, where she co-founded an off-off Broadway theatre, and then to Los Angeles, where she did theatre, commercials, TV and film work.
She combined acting with a career as an oil painter, specializing in portraiture and photorealistic figurative work. She has shown in galleries in California, Iowa and Arizona.
Shortly after moving to L.A. Susan was invited by friends to their UCC church and it was there that she found a new home and church family. She put her creativity to work within the church while chairing the Arts Board; directing dramatic productions and musicals and organizing art exhibits.
She also became impassioned about issues of Social Justice and chaired the outreach and social concerns board. She credits her work as a lay leader in the church with putting her on a path to ministry, but it wasn't until years later that she admitted to having a call.
Susan earned her Masters of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, and shortly after graduating was called to The Community Church of Atascadero, a progressive, Open and Affirming, Just Peace church on the politically conservative Central Coast of California where she served for eight years, before accepting a call to The Eliot Church of Newton.
While on the Central Coast she served on the board, and later as co-president of People of Faith for Justice, a non-profit alliance of progressive interfaith leaders, both clergy and lay, working for social justice in the areas of peace and non-violence, human and civil rights, economic and environmental justice.
She is excited to be back on the East Coast, and to have found The Eliot Church, where she can share her creativity and passion for social justice.
Associate Minister,
The Reverend Reebee Kavich Girash
Reebee Girash is Eliot Church's Associate Pastor with an emphasis on children's and youth ministry. Reebee joins the Eliot Church pastoral staff after serving UCC churches in the Boston area for over a decade as an associate and solo pastor as well as a sabbatical interim pastor. Most recently she served on the pastoral staff at First Church in Cambridge, UCC, in an interim role.
Reebee also serves as the Denominational Counselor to United Church of Christ students at Harvard Divinity School, where she received her M.Div. in 2002. She has a great passion for social justice ministry, and particularly for climate action. She is a volunteer with 350MA as well as the Massachusetts Interfaith Coalition for Climate Action.
Reebee grew up in Nashville, Tennessee – and still contends that y'all is proper English. When she's not pastoring or doing social justice work, you might find her biking or hiking with her family, knitting, or reading science fiction. She lives in Arlington with her husband, John, and their son Zachary.
The Reverend Reebee Kavich Girash
Reebee Girash is Eliot Church's Associate Pastor with an emphasis on children's and youth ministry. Reebee joins the Eliot Church pastoral staff after serving UCC churches in the Boston area for over a decade as an associate and solo pastor as well as a sabbatical interim pastor. Most recently she served on the pastoral staff at First Church in Cambridge, UCC, in an interim role.
Reebee also serves as the Denominational Counselor to United Church of Christ students at Harvard Divinity School, where she received her M.Div. in 2002. She has a great passion for social justice ministry, and particularly for climate action. She is a volunteer with 350MA as well as the Massachusetts Interfaith Coalition for Climate Action.
Reebee grew up in Nashville, Tennessee – and still contends that y'all is proper English. When she's not pastoring or doing social justice work, you might find her biking or hiking with her family, knitting, or reading science fiction. She lives in Arlington with her husband, John, and their son Zachary.
Director of Music Ministry,
Monique Weiss Byrnes
Music has been a significant part of Monique’s life, and a second language for her family as she and all her siblings grew up studying several instruments and performing in school, community, church, and family music ensembles. Monique attended Oberlin Conservatory of Music for organ performance and choral conducting for her bachelor and master's degrees. While at Oberlin she spent time in Europe teaching and performing, inspiring her to continue this life professionally in the Boston area.
Monique has been a music director, organist, pianist, accompanist, singer, and teacher for churches and communities in the Boston Area. She has accompanied and vocally coached the Newton Community Chorus since 1998. One concert was held at Eliot and Monique got to play Eliot's fabulous organ in their performance of Benjamin Britten's "Rejoice in the Lamb." Monique has also played piano in Leggiero Trio, played piano and sang in a jazz quartet and founded the Mosaic Modes Music Studio. As a church musician between the years 1987 - 2014, she was music director of Grace Episcopal Church in Norwood and St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Natick. She is on the music faculty at Newton Country Day School as a choral director, accompanist, and organist. Classical, jazz, and choral music are languages that she continues to learn and practice and actively perform, conduct, and teach.
Monique lives in Foxborough with her husband Brendan, a professional drummer. They have a son Luke and a daughter Chloe. Monique's interests include gardening, painting, and cooking and takes part in yoga and kayaking.
Monique Weiss Byrnes
Music has been a significant part of Monique’s life, and a second language for her family as she and all her siblings grew up studying several instruments and performing in school, community, church, and family music ensembles. Monique attended Oberlin Conservatory of Music for organ performance and choral conducting for her bachelor and master's degrees. While at Oberlin she spent time in Europe teaching and performing, inspiring her to continue this life professionally in the Boston area.
Monique has been a music director, organist, pianist, accompanist, singer, and teacher for churches and communities in the Boston Area. She has accompanied and vocally coached the Newton Community Chorus since 1998. One concert was held at Eliot and Monique got to play Eliot's fabulous organ in their performance of Benjamin Britten's "Rejoice in the Lamb." Monique has also played piano in Leggiero Trio, played piano and sang in a jazz quartet and founded the Mosaic Modes Music Studio. As a church musician between the years 1987 - 2014, she was music director of Grace Episcopal Church in Norwood and St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Natick. She is on the music faculty at Newton Country Day School as a choral director, accompanist, and organist. Classical, jazz, and choral music are languages that she continues to learn and practice and actively perform, conduct, and teach.
Monique lives in Foxborough with her husband Brendan, a professional drummer. They have a son Luke and a daughter Chloe. Monique's interests include gardening, painting, and cooking and takes part in yoga and kayaking.
Director of Children's Choir, Lauren Whittaker
Lauren Whittaker studied piano with Ina Pihlman of Chatham, New Jersey, and Rachel Goodwin, Music Director of the Ashmont Hill Chamber Players in Boston, Massachusetts. She has also studied the Suzuki Talent Education Program for Piano with Kiki Barley and Sue Vasquez of the Pittsburgh Music Academy.
In addition to piano teaching, Ms. Whittaker has directed both children’s and youth choirs as well as English hand bell choirs for teens and adults at the Church of Christ, Congregational in Millis, Massachusetts. She also acted as substitute (adult) choir director and organist there.
Holding a degree in Music Education (cum laude) from Boston University, Ms. Whittaker taught general music in elementary and junior high school in addition to recorder ensembles and string classes in the Wellesley (Mass) Public Schools. There she also directed elementary choruses in productions including The Music Man, The Mikado, and The Velveteen Rabbit. Ms Whittaker has been certified in Orff-Schulwerk from Carnegie Mellon University. She is Level II Suzuki Piano certified and has achieved certification Level I in Music Together®. Ms. Whittaker is current President of the Southeast New England Chapter of the Chorister’s Guild, the association dedicated to supporting Children’s Choirs.
Lauren Whittaker studied piano with Ina Pihlman of Chatham, New Jersey, and Rachel Goodwin, Music Director of the Ashmont Hill Chamber Players in Boston, Massachusetts. She has also studied the Suzuki Talent Education Program for Piano with Kiki Barley and Sue Vasquez of the Pittsburgh Music Academy.
In addition to piano teaching, Ms. Whittaker has directed both children’s and youth choirs as well as English hand bell choirs for teens and adults at the Church of Christ, Congregational in Millis, Massachusetts. She also acted as substitute (adult) choir director and organist there.
Holding a degree in Music Education (cum laude) from Boston University, Ms. Whittaker taught general music in elementary and junior high school in addition to recorder ensembles and string classes in the Wellesley (Mass) Public Schools. There she also directed elementary choruses in productions including The Music Man, The Mikado, and The Velveteen Rabbit. Ms Whittaker has been certified in Orff-Schulwerk from Carnegie Mellon University. She is Level II Suzuki Piano certified and has achieved certification Level I in Music Together®. Ms. Whittaker is current President of the Southeast New England Chapter of the Chorister’s Guild, the association dedicated to supporting Children’s Choirs.