Center Church, The First Church of Christ in Hartford

60 Gold Street Hartford, CT 06103 P: 860-249-5631

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Born in Oakland, CA but raised in Milford, Connecticut, Paul holds a B.S. in Special Education from Southern Connecticut State College and taught ten years at the Lorraine D. Foster Day School in New Haven/Hamden. He also worked for the State of Connecticut in the Department of Mental Retardation at the Undercliff Campus in Meriden, and two years as Assistant Director of the National Council of Churches, USA’s Department of Child Advocacy. He is a 1983 graduate of Union Theological Seminary in New York City where he received a Master of Divinity degree and was ordained in the ministry of the United Church of Christ in 1989. He has served churches in Milford (10.5 years as Associate Pastor), and interim positions in Westport, Enfield, East Haddam, Ridgefield and now Hartford. He is an avid snow skier, ice hockey fan, loves gardening, reading and works for fun as a trainman at the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat in Essex, Connecticut. Paul and his partner, Patrick, live in New Haven, and he is a member of Shalom United Church of Christ.

Raised in Plainville, Connecticut, Jason Charneski has served as Center Church's Director of Music and the Arts since 2002. He holds a B. M. from the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester (1996) and an M. M. from the North Carolina School of the Arts of the University of North Carolina (1998). In addition to his work at Center Church, he is as an accompanist and organist for CONCORA (Connecticut Choral Artists). From 2002-2006, he was a staff accompanist for the vocal division of the Hartt School, University of Hartford. Jason has served as dean and sub-dean of the Greater Hartford Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Pat is a native of Hartford, Connecticut. She and her husband Curtis raised three children in Center Church where Pat has been an active member over the years. She served as Director of Wednesday Noon Repertory, the Summer Ministry of Education and Community, and once before as Interim Director of Christian Education. Pat also served on the state and national levels of the UCC. She received her M.Div. degree in 1989 from Yale University Divinity School. Pat enjoys the arts, reading, traveling, time with grandchildren and walking on the beach while listening to the sound of the surf everlasting to everlasting.

Marie Ferrantino joined the staff of Center Church in 2000. When not managing the church office, assisting staff members with their work, working with church members on various tasks, or managing the day-to-day needs of the church, Marie can be found researching ways to streamline the functioning of the office, which includes the latest technological advances. Marie has worked exclusively in church administration since 1982. Marie enjoys reading, pursuing justice and peace issues, travel, cooking, and needlework.

Olga Shuter has served as Center Church's bookkeeper since 1999. Prior to working for Center Church, Olga owned and managed a restaurant in Rockland County, New York. She has three daughters: Jeannette, Gabrielle, and Alexandra. Olga enjoys gardening and has spent many hours making Center Church's Memorial Garden a place of beauty and rest.

"Center Church is my spiritual home away from home."

Alex Shuter, a native of Ukraine, has been Center Church's sexton since 2001. Alex maintains Center Church's three buildings, and surrounding grounds. Alex has three daughters, Alexandra, Ivana, and Julia, and one son, Jerry. He also is a grandfather to Andryi and Sasha.