The Rev. Dr. Judith A. Gooch, Pastor

Dr. Judith Ann Gooch is the pastor and teacher of Plymouth Congregational UCC.  A 1999 graduate of Chicago Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching, the title of her thesis is Preaching What We Practice:  One Community's Experience in Faithfully Speaking.

Judith came to the Plymouth Church in the summer of 1991.  She was called to strengthen the youth ministry and education programs.  She was also requested to increase lay participation in the leadership of the church.  Today, it can be said that both these goals have been accomplished and continue to grow.

Judith's ministry began at First Church of Christ Congregational in Bethany, Connecticut, where she served as Director of Christian Education before attending Yale Divinity School.  She earned a Master of Divinity degree and a Master's of Sacred Theology in Pastoral Counseling.  Judtih is a 'second career' pastor who worked 16 years in health care, mostly in in critical care.  She is a graduate of Combia University School of Nursing.

Prior to coming to Plymouth, Judith served the Middlebury Congregational Church in Middlebury, Connecticut as the Associate Pastor.  While in Middlebury, she co-founded the Pastoral Center of New Haven, a pastoral/counseling center that provides mental health care on a sliding scale basis for those without health insurance or other resources.  Judith is a member of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.

Judith is deeply committed to wholeness and journeying in faith.  She welcomes all who seek to grow, learn and serve in this community of faith.  Judith makes her home in Holderness, New Hampshire with her life partner Larry.  They have three young adult children.

Mr. Kyle Masterson, Director of Music

Mr. Kyle Masterson, a native of Saratoga Springs, NY, earned a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from Plymouth State University and a Masters Degree in Voice Performance from the New England Conservatory in Boston where he served as a sacred music librarian for Dr. Daniel Pinkham.

 Kyle currently teaches at the Newfound Memorial Middle School in Bristol, NH where he directs the 6th -8th  grade Choral Ensembles, Select Chorus, and instructs Guitar and Piano Ensemble classes.  In addition to his teaching duties, Kyle spends his time as coach of the soccer, ski, and track and field teams. Kyle also serves as the Director of Music at the Plymouth Congregational Church in Plymouth, NH.

Kyle has performed professionally as a tenor soloist throughout the North East and abroad.  His most recent engagements include the Evangelist in Bach’s St. John Passion with the University of Alabama, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Mozart’s Great Mass in C with the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, Mozart’s Coronation Mass with the Granite State Symphony, Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit Pour Noel with the Concord Chorale, and Bach’s St. John Passion with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

This past May Kyle conducted the 2007 New Hampshire Northern District All- State Middle School Festival Chorus and will direct the 2008 Maine High School All-State (Div III) in January.

Kyle, and his wife Catherine, now call Canterbury, NH their home where they are enjoying the arrival of their first son Carter William Masterson.

Veronica Mueller, Administrative Assistant to the Pastor

Veronica Mueller began her work at Plymouth Congregational Church in 1998.  She is a graduate of Plymouth State College and holds a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature.

Responsible for the day-to-day operations of the church, her ministry ranges from  personally assisting the Pastor and many of the church leaders, office management, church publications, scheduling and liaison work, and offering social service advice and aid to those in need.

Originally from Nebraska, Veronica moved to New Hampshire with her daughter in 1993.  Her daughter is now enrolled at the University of Southern Maine's College of Music. Engaged to be married to the Director of Information Technology at an area school, Veronica looks forward to a ceremony at the Plymouth Congregational Church.

 

Coming Soon

The Rev. John Davies, Minister of Pastoral Counseling

John and Susan Davies moved to Center Sandwich from New York State to retire and become innkeepers at the Jonathan Beede House Bed and Breakfast a few years ago.  Until then, John had spent his professional years as an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church —5 years as a hospice chaplain, 30 years as a pastoral psychotherapist and 34 years as pastor.

When retirement grew old for John (which didn’t take as long as he expected) he dreamed of putting his gifts to work for the good of the greater Plymouth community.  The Plymouth Church called him to our staff where he has been kept quite busy with the Grace Counseling Center, and by serving as Pastor while Dr. Gooch was on sabbatical.

John has shared his gifts by seeing individuals and couples for counseling, running a clergy support group, facilitating an occasional Adult Education class, participating in Good Grief, presenting at the Prayer Chain Breakfasts and filling our pulpit now and then.

Since moving to New Hampshire, John has served churches as a trained interim minister, including two-years with the UCC church in Rochester. In addition to his ministry with the Plymouth Church, he is currently serving as Chaplain and Bereavement Coordinator with Community Health & Hospice in nearby Laconia.