they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and
generous hearts, praising God… Acts 3:46-47
Staff
The Rev. Hannah C. Brown
The Rev. Hannah C. Brown has been the pastor of West Concord Union Church since September 2009. She holds a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York and a BA in religion (magna cum laude) from Carleton College in Northfield, Minn.
Before coming to West Concord, Hannah served as an associate pastor and Lilly Pastoral Resident at Mayflower Church (UCC) in Minneapolis. She has also worked as a social worker for Bread for the City in Washington D.C., where she learned about public and private resources for those in poverty.
Hannah believes that the church is deeply relevant today. Through our worship, work, and fellowship, we have opportunities to benefit from centuries of wisdom, deliberately discern how we desire to live, engage in deep and lasting friendships, and glimpse the divine. Hannah sees her role as empowering this community to realize God’s call for our individual and collective lives.
Outside of church, Hannah enjoys cooking, yoga, and playing around in her new garden. She lives in the parsonage with her husband, Jeff Goodrich, and their kitten, Ziva.
Minister of Music James Barkovic enthusiastically welcomes musicians of all ages and abilities to participate in the musical life of the church. If you would like to learn more about our music program and how you might participate, please contact the church office in order to speak with him.
Jim did his undergraduate work in music history and theory at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., and received a master’s degree in piano performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. While at NEC, he studied organ improvisation with William Porter. He is an accomplished church musician and choral, vocal and instrumental accompanist who also serves as director of music at Holy Family Parish, a Roman Catholic congregation across town.
Jim is also the artistic director of the Westford Chorus, the assistant director and accompanist for the Spectrum Singers, the chapel organist at Middlesex School, and a faculty accompanist at the Indian Hill Music Center. When not making music at church, you might find Jim jogging on the roads and paths around Concord or hiking in the White Mountains.
Chris is a talented educator and musician who, when he’s not here, teaches music to elementary school children in the Acton Public Schools. He heads our Christian Education (CE) program, working closely with the church members on the CE committee. Chris also leads our youth group, teaches Sunday School and often facilitates the time for Children during worship. On Sundays after church, Chris can be found downstairs, strumming his guitar and directing the rehearsals of the Celebration Youth Choir.