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Senior Minister: Rev. Douglas Nielsen I was called to this fabulous church in March of 2004, and my wife Karen and I established a home in Dayton. Our daughter (Kira, Troy, N.Y.) and son (Daniel, Chicago, Il.) make up our family. I enjoy the geographical contrast with our previous home in suburban Chicago (LaGrange) IL. A New Englander by adoption, I grew up in New Rochelle, N.Y., went to college at Springfield College (MA), received my Masters of Divinity from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (MN), and my Doctor of Ministry from the Ecumenical Theological Seminary (Detroit, MI). I served churches in Vermont (four years), Massachusetts (sixteen years), and Illinois (seven years). I was drawn to First Parish Saco by the very apparent spirit of its people. The perseverance of community in the face of tragedy was very impressive. The way that God’s Spirit continues to find expression through this church is exhilarating for me and every day brings a new challenge. I am convinced that this dynamic faith community has much to share, both with the surrounding area and with the world. |
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Associate Minister for Visitation: Rev Merle Steva The
Reverend Merle Steva was ordained in 1960 and has served parishes in
Boston, Cleveland, Denver, and Spokane. Pastor Steva spent the last 13
years of his ministry as the Pastor of Spring Creek Congregational
Church in Rockford, Illinois. Since Merle’s retirement he has served as
Interim Minister for three parishes and is now serving a fourth interim
at the Standish Congregational Church in Standish, Maine. Merle holds a Master’s of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School and a Master’s of Sacred Theology from the same institution. In the mid 60s he was one of ten Greater Cleveland, Ohio, ministers appointed to a nine-month ecumenical Program in Urban Ministries sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health, and further developed under the auspices of Western Reserve University in Cleveland. His undergraduate degree is in Mathematics from Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon. He is married to Evelyn Marie Seaver of Rowley, Massachusetts. They have three children, Eric, Peter and Kristin, and five grandchildren. This January lst Evelyn and Merle will celebrate their 45th anniversary by spending that night at Longfellow’s Wayside Inn in Massachusetts. This is where they spent their wedding night and where they return every five years to celebrate their anniversary. Evelyn and Merle met at Andover Newton Theological School where she was employed as a secretary to the Assistant to the President. Merle and Evelyn both enjoy people, their ministry to the church, traveling this country, walking and reading. When time permits Merle enjoys oil painting. He has held a Pilot’s certificate and Instrument Flight rating, having learned to fly at the age of 18. He has a particular regard for poetry and its importance in helping us to interpret ourselves to ourselves. Having grown up on a farm in the mid-west, Merle has an undiminished love of the broad vistas of the western landscape. His faith was nurtured in a faithful Lutheran Church located on a four-corner’s intersection a mile from his childhood home where he lived until the time he left for college. The church is still a strong worshiping community and every time the Stevas go to Iowa they try to worship in that church where Merle was confirmed. While a minister in Northglenn, Colorado, Merle worked a while as a counselor with the Adams County Mental Health Association under the tutelage of a psychiatrist. He served as a voluntary chaplain in a minister-participatory program for Rockford Memorial Hospital for the 13 years he was pastor in Rockford. He was an active founding member of a Program in Refurbishing Poor Housing in Rockford, a program which received one of President Bush’s Thousand Lights Awards. While in retirement in Oregon he served in a program sponsored by the State of Oregon, as a visitant to county residents who were perceived as having certain physical and emotional needs needing attention. He also worked with Habitat for Humanity and he and his wife, Evelyn, worked a year with the Hispanic population where they lived in Woodburn, Oregon, in the “English-as-Second-Language” program. He has chaired two camping committees—one for the Pacific Conference and the Administration Committee for Pilgrim Park in Illinois. He has served as Dean to several youth camps and has led several off-site camping trips for youth and for adults—three backpacking trips into the Grand Canyon, several into the Colorado Rockies, one into the Grand Teton Mountains and several into the White Mountains of New England and one to the Rosebud Indian Reservation. For 3 years for Northglenn UCC families and youth he organized and facilitated all-day Saturday hiking trips into the mountains around Denver and into the Rocky Mountain National Park during the summer months. These trips usually had 25-35 participants and involved departing the parish by 7:30 AM and returning by 5:00 PM. Merle was in the United States Air Force for four years during the Korean War. Before joining the Air Force, while attending college, Merle worked summers with the United States Forest Service in Oregon on Fire Lookout duty. For one year he traveled for General Mills’ Farm Service Division as a sales representative in Minnesota and Wisconsin. He has also held a Real Estate License. What a brag-sheet; nevertheless, it has been fun remembering some of these experiences. Left out is having been a secretary to a plumbing concern in Minneapolis for a year. Left behind are the memories of working for the Forum Cafeterias in Minneapolis, for a colander company and a company that made feed-supplements. No doubt we’ve all had some strange jobs in our lifetime. Not mentioned are the days of hitch-hiking the country several times and living rough along the highways. And who wishes to recall being “fired” from a church—actually I resigned before they fired me, the issue of race being at the seat of it all. Any one living long enough will obtain such a job record. It would be interesting to know the checkered path your life took to the place where you have now arrived to. Well most of this is merely fluff only mildly important to the issue at hand. |
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Director of Program Development: Rev. AbbyLynn Campbell “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith,”(Hebrews 12:1-2) I’m not a runner. Running is the worst form of torture imaginable; but I love this passage because it calls to mind the exhilaration, the “runner’s high” that I know from following Christ. What a rush it is to find myself “running” among the great cloud of witnesses here at First Parish! My work and joy is that of nurturing the programs that enable others to serve their neighbors as Jesus’ hands, feet and heart. My own training for this race came from my love of camping at Pilgrim Lodge, my work at the University of Maine in Orono, where I earned my BA in Philosophy, my studies at Bangor Theological Seminary, where I earned my Master of Divinity, and in serving churches in New Hampshire for 5 ½ years. I live in Wells with my husband, Colin, and my two sons, Duncan and Keenan. |
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Director of Christian Education: Kristine Galasyn In August of 2004 I became the Director of Christian Education for Children and Youth at Saco First Parish. My husband, Jim, and I have lived in
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Office Administrator: Mitzi
Holbrook
I
was hired in January 2006, as office administrator. I reside in
Kennebunkport with my husband Don. We have 5 children, all grown up and
living in the surrounding area. On my day off you will find me enjoying
my gardens or tole painting, depending on the weather. As I set out to find a new job, I asked for God’s guidance in placing me in a position where I would feel fulfilled as well as challenged, and most of all to work with kind, honest and caring individuals. I feel as though my prayers have been answered. As a new employee to First Parish church; the challenges of learning a new job are many; however the support and warm welcome I have received has made the transition very easy and rewarding. |
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Director of Music: Peter
Stickney
I am a 10th
generation Mainer with roots from Stickney Hill in
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Handbell
Choir Director: Audrey J. Cabral I
graduated from Old Orchard Beach HS. I attended Ithaca College in
Ithaca, NY where I majored in music and played the oboe. I have been
teaching in the Portland Public school system for 18 years as a band
director. I teach grades 5-8, beginning and middle school band. I
teach at 7 schools in the system and absolutely love it. I can think of
nothing else I would rather do. |