Bishop Gordon Paul Scruton
Click here for Bishop Scruton's biography.
The Venerable William H. Coyne
Archdeacon for the Diocese of Western Massachusetts
A member of the Bishop's staff since 1998, Bill's primary area of responsibility is congregational development - assisting each of our congregations in being healthy and mission-focused. His passion and call centers in developing new expressions and communities of faith.
Other responsibilities include oversight of Diocesan missioners, conducting mutual ministry reviews (goal setting and mission discernment) with congregations, serving as Secretary of the Diocesan Convention and Council, and sharing with the Bishop's Executive team in providing oversight, prayer and direction for the Mission.
e-mail Bill: WCoyne[at]diocesewma[dot]org
413.737.4786 ext 19
The Reverend Sarah Shofstall, Canon to the Ordinary, assists the Bishop in the shared oversight of the Diocese in several areas.
She grew up in Nebraska where she practiced law. During her first years as a priest she was bivocational, serving small congregations in Nebraska and Western Kansas while continuing her law practice.
She served for three years in the Diocese of Iowa as chaplain at Iowa State University and vicar of Grace Church in Boone before coming to Western Massachusetts to become the rector of Grace Church in Amherst. As Deployment Officer, she assists congregations who are seeking new clergy leadership.
Canon Shofstall is the Bishop's liaison to the Commission on Ministry, working with the Commission and those who feel called to Holy Orders.
As the contact person for issues of clergy misconduct, she works with persons and congregations who have experienced inappropriate conduct by members of the clergy. She also visits with congregations on request to assist in parish planning, goal setting, mutual ministry review and conflict management.
e-mail Sarah: SShofstall[at]diocesewma[dot]org
413.737.4786 ext 11
Steve Abdow is the Diocesean Administration and Finance Officer
Steve manages the financial services team at Diocesan House, and serves as Treasurer of the diocese. Steve is staff liaison to Diocesan Council for financial and human resource matters, and to the council’s Budget and Financial Planning Committee and Human Resources Committee. He is also staff liaison to the Bement board of directors.
He comes to the Diocese after many years running a local, family owned business. He enjoys sailing, skiing, and theatre, and occasionally finds the opportunity to do some stage acting. He is married to Susan, and has three children - Luke, Erik and Jessica.
Steve is pleased to assist parishes with their administrative and financial issues and challenges.
e-mail Steve: sabdow[at]diocesewma[dot]org
413.737.4786 ext 21
Cozette S. Haggerty is the Executive Assistant to Bishop Scruton
Before joining the Diocese, Cozette was an executive assistant to the Head of the School at The MacDuffie School in Springfield. She and her husband, Joe, enjoy bicycling in the summer (especially on Cape Cod!), and skiing in the winter.
In her spare time, she enjoys reading a good book and when out and about, identifying birds and their calls.
Cozette's knitting “habit” lured her onto a new journey as the founder and leader of a nation-wide, internet-based prayer shawl ministry titled Prayer Shawls 4 Fallen Soldiers, PS4FS, encompassing more than 250 groups of knitters and crocheters from all over the country.
Since October 2007, our ministry has delivered more than 3, 700 prayer shawls to comfort grieving military families. You are welcome to visit the website and read many of the heartwarming stories that have come out of this ministry.
e-mail Cozette: chaggerty(at)diocesewma(dot)org>
413.737.4786 ext 23
Carol LaPlante is responsible for computer Network Administration, Diocesan database management and working with parishes as they implement computerized church management systems and accounts payable as part of the Financial Services team.
She has been working for the Diocese in Financial Services since July 1982. Carol is a member of St. John's Church in Northampton, has served on the vestry and has been Parish Treasurer.
She is one of the founders of Integrity/Western Massachusetts. Carol enjoys exploring genealogy and proudly roots for the New York Yankees!
e-mail Carol: CLaPlante[at]diocesewma[dot]org
413.737.4786 ext 16
Sue O'Hare serves as the Receptionist and Administrative Assistant for the Diocese.
Sue is a former Director of Recreational Therapy in several area Nursing homes for 20 years and most recently a parish Secretary for St. David's Church in Agawam.
She is a Lay Eucharistic Minister and Lay Eucharistic Visitor at St. David's.
Sue and her husband Jude have 3 children: Gerry, Patrick and Melissa. In her spare time, Sue enjoys gardening, floral arranging, scrap booking, watching the Red Sox and Patriots and dog training.
e-mail Sue: sohare[at]diocesewma[dot]org
413.737.4786 ext 10
Esther Barker serves as the Diocesan Accounting Manager.
Esther joined the diocesan staff after having served in accounting manager positions in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.
She is responsible for the diocesan general ledger accounting and financial reporting and works with the Financial Officer in matters relating to budgeting and the development of internal controls and financial policies and procedures.
Esther is available to provide advice to parish treasures about accounting and budget matters.
e-mail Esther: EBarker[at]diocesewma[at]org
413.737.4786 ext 15
Susan Olbon serves as Human Resources Manager for the Diocese.
Prior to joining the Diocese, she worked in the areas of pension administration and trust account/investment management. As Human Resources Manager, the major areas of responsibility are all aspects of payroll and benefits administration.
Susan can offer assistance in the areas of payroll, clergy and lay pension plans, medical, dental and life insurance. She is also a contact for questions concerning property, liability, workers compensation and boiler/machinery coverage for each parish.
e-mail Susan: SOlbon[at]diocesewma[dot]org
413.737.4786 ext 20
Karen Warren serves as Administrative Assistant to the Canon to the Ordinary and to the Archdeacon.
A mid-life college graduate, she has over thirty years of experience in administration, mostly in the medical field.
She has been a member of the Presbyterian Church for nineteen years, and enjoys choir singing, walking, and reading great literature.
e-mail Karen: KWarren[at]diocesewma[dot]org
413.737.4786 ext 18
Missioners
Bruce A. Rockwell serves as the Bishop's Assistant for Stewardship.
He works with the congregations of the Diocese in the area of stewardship formation out of his sense that stewardship is an important pathway to a deeper spiritual relationship with God, our creator. He believes that since we are created in the image of the loving God, we are called to be generous and loving. Moreover, we are called to be loving stewards of everything God has entrusted to us.
Bruce often meets with vestries to help equip them for their responsibilities as stewardship leaders in the congregation. He often leads stewardship vestry retreats, assists parish stewardship ministry teams in the development of year-round stewardship formation programs, and serves as a trainer for parish stewardship financial commitment programs.
Working with John White, Missioner for Legacy Stewardship, he invites vestries and people of the Diocese to consider the opportunities God gives us to be stewards of accumulated assets.
e-mail Bruce: brsteward(at)comcast(dot)net
413.746.9614
E. John White is the Diocesan Missioner for Legacy Stewardship. He was appointed by Bishop Scruton at the June 2003 Diocesan Council meeting.
Working closely with Bruce Rockwell, the Assistant to the Bishop for Stewardship, John has overseen the creation of a program onLlegacy Stewardship, more commonly known as "planned giving." John says the Diocese has chosen the term of "legacy stewardship," which he thinks is a great term because people know what stewardship is; the term "legacy" helps them to differentiate their gift from other offerings.
John lives in Connecticut and is married to The Rev. Katheryn White. He is formerly an educator -- first a teacher, and then a principal for two different private elementary schools for 15 years. It was in those jobs that he worked closely with trustees on fundraising.
The mission of the Legacy Stewardship initiative is twofold:
--To educate, inspire and support each congregation in funding their future ministry through the generation of planned gifts.
--To help individuals find ways to plan gifts that will enrich them spiritually, that may provide life income for them, and that will one day provide financial resources for the church.
Anyone who is interested in giving a legacy gift to the church or in starting up a legacy stewardship program in their own congregation should contact John. You can also learn more here.
e-mail John: ejohnwhite[at]charter[dot]net
860-928-3705 (home)
413.737.4786 (Diocesan Offices)
The Rev. Scott Seabury is the Christian Formation Missioner for the Pioneer Valley.
He is available to assess needs and deliver resources for Christian formation to parishes in the Valley Corridor. For more on Christian Formation, click here. Scott is also responsible for assisting in administering the Diocesan Resource Center.
Scott is Rector of St. Christopher’s Church in Chicopee and has served parishes in Holyoke, Springfield, South Hadley, and Agawam. He resides in Suffield, Connecticut with his wife and daughter.
Email Scott: seabs52(at)aol(dot)com
413.533.7872 or 860.668.8826
The Rev. Jill Barton Williams is a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary where she earned her M.Div degree.
Jill's ministry has her sharing half time at St. Francis Church in Holden as the Assistant for youth and family ministry the balance of her diocesan ministry as Christian Formation Missioner for the Worcester Corridor.
These two roles allow Jill to practice her craft working in the trenches with Christian formation at St. Francis as well as form relationship with and provide for resources to others in the Worcester area.
Some of Jill's specific skills include assessing formation curriculum for children through adults, consultation on best use of church space, and creative ways of forming new programs. Contact Jill for any of your Christian Formation needs. For more on Christian Formation, click here.
Email Jill: Jwilliams(at)diocesewma(dot)org
508 829-3344 (Church)
413 967-5363 (Home)
The Rev. Jennifer Gregg is Priest Associate at St. Stephen's in Pittsfield, the Berkshire corridor Christian Formation Missioner and the Coordinator for the Berkshire Servant Leadership Center.
Jenny has a background in working with youth and families and served in several lay leadership positions prior to ordination in the Diocese of Pennsylvania. She resides in Albany, NY with her husband and step-daughter.
For more on Christian Formation, click here.
e-mail Jenny: jgregg(at)ststephenspittsfield(dot)org
The Rev. Christopher Carlisle has been Episcopal Chaplain at the University of Massachusetts for the last nineteen years, where he also teaches.
He began his work in parish ministry, and has held positions of leadership in the national church. Mr. Carlisle received his B.A. from Columbia University, a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, and a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School.
As a result of months of evaluation and planning by the Ark Five College Episcopal Chaplaincy Board of Directors, an exciting new structure for campus ministry was launched in the fall of 2009. With the goal of greater service to the Diocese as a whole, campus ministry is leaving its thirty-five year home in Amherst to move from a single, building-based model for campus ministry to a multi-campus, parish-based model designed to more comprehensively address the higher education needs of the Diocese.
e-mail Chris: Carlisle[at]comcol[dot]umass[dot]edu
413.549.5929
Janice Beetle is the Editor of the Diocesan newsletter, Pastoral Staff.
Janice is a journalist with many years of experience as a writer and editor. She was a reporter with the Springfield Union-News and Sunday Republican, and she also worked as a writer, and then as the assistant features editor with the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Janice left her full-time job at the Gazette in 1999 to start her own writing, editing, and graphic design business, called Beetle Press. She was looking for a new challenge in her career as well as flexibility.
Along with editing Pastoral Staff, Janice works in the Public Relations and Marketing Department at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton. She also is the editor of the Westfield State College magazine Focus.
She has a bachelor's degree in English from Westfield State College. She is an active member of St. John's Episcopal Church in Northampton, where she is a lay eucharistic minister. She lives in Easthampton with her husband, Ed Godleski, and her daughter Molly. She loves reading, running and spending time with family.
Janice welcomes story ideas for Pastoral Staff.
e-mail Janice: jbeetle[at]diocesewma[dot]org