Celebrating God in the Center
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South Congregational Church
242 Salmon Brook Street • P.O. Box 779 • Granby, Connecticut 06035

 

Rev. Denny Paul Moon
Senior Minister

Rev. Mark S. Diters
Associate Minister

Bruce E. Porter
Director of Music

Linda Calder
Office Administrator

The Ministers and Staff
Email Addresses:

Denny Moon ............................denny@southchurch.necoxmail.com

Mark Diters ..............................mark@southchurch.necoxmail.com

Bruce Porter .............................pegville@cox.net

Linda Calder .............................office@southchurch.necoxmail.com

 

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Rev. Denny Paul Moon - Senior Minister

Following an extensive and thorough search, the congregation called Rev. Dennis Moon to the position of Senior Minister. Denny, as he is widely known, began his ministry at South Church on September 1, 2006. Denny’s easy-going, warm and welcoming personality, together with his years of experience in four quite different congregations, are a wonderful and impressive addition to our ministry. Born and educated in the Midwest before moving to New England where he continued his theological education at Andover Newton Theological School, Denny has had wide experience in several aspects of Christian ministry. Deeply involved in Christian education, youth ministry and Christian camping, Denny continued to develop his interest in story-telling and music. Significant training and experience in counseling and family therapy have prepared him to serve the needs of the congregation and community. Over a span of 24 years, he served two congregations one in Massachusetts and another in Connecticut. During the last five years he served a one-year interim position, and then elsewhere in a multiple-staff congregation as an associate minister. Denny writes:

"The church is simply the love of God lived out between particular people in a particular place. When this love freely flows it creates a mutual compassion, spilling into the world, healing injustice and conflict. We will learn more about each other as we go.”

Denny is married to Sally, a teacher at Valley Pre-school, and an accomplished crafter, and together they have two daughters and a son, the youngest now a college student. Back to Top

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Rev. Mark Diters - Associate Minister

Mark Diters was called to South Church as a Pastoral Intern while completing his seminary studies in 1996. Two years later the call was extended to Mark as a full time Associate Minister. Mark graduated from Bates College in 1977 and later pursed graduate studies at Princeton Theological School, Hartford Seminary, and Yale Divinity School. He received his Masters of Divinity from Yale in 1998.

Mark, his wife Susan, and their three children (Caitlin, Sarah and Sam), and two large dogs, live in Canton Center. Both Mark and Susan were raised in Canton where Mark worshipped at the First Congregational Church in Collinsville and later was a member at First Congregational Church Canton Center. Susan is a nurse working in New Britain.

As Associate Minister, Mark's responsibilities include monthly preaching, pastoral care, and oversight of the Boards of Christian Education, Fellowship, Christian Concern, and Property. He is also the primary staff assigned to provide leadership to our Christian Education and Youth Programs.

Both as a young person and as an adult, Mark has been active in statewide youth programming through the United Church of Christ. He also serves on the Committee on Ministry for the Farmington Valley Association of the U.C.C.

Mark has had a broad range of work experiences. He has been a Program Director in Community Residences for "de-institutionalized" mentally challenged young people and adults, for Nexus Inc. in Woburn, Massachusetts. He managed New Britain and Howard Dry Cleaning Corporations for 13 years upon returning to Connecticut.

Mark enjoys music, reading, movies, cross-country skiing as well as other sports and has been active in Canton's youth sports programs for many years. He runs for his health and has lost some of the most prestigious races in the area.
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Bruce Porter - Director of Music

Bruce is a native of Granby, having been born here and attending Granby schools and Simsbury High School. In 1954 he embarked upon six years of music education at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio, and at the School of Sacred Music, Union Theological Seminary, New York City. He holds the Bachelor of Music in Organ and the Master of Sacred Music.

This year Bruce marks his sixteenth year at South Church and over fifty years in the vocation of sacred music ministry, beginning with St. James Episcopal Church in Glastonbury in 1952 at age 16. In 1953-54, before attending conservatory, Bruce held the position he holds now, as Organist and Choir Director of South Congregational Church under Dr. Arthur Teale, and was honored, at that time to have among his choir members, Bert Hall, Polly Hall, and Jerry Betts, present members of South Church.

In the span of years since 1954, his ministry has included positions as Music Director at Hope Congregational Church, Springfield, MA; United Church of Christ in Keene, New Hampshire; and the United Church of Christ in Worcester, MA. He also taught in the Fall Mountain Regional School District in New Hampshire and Keene State College, Keene, New Hampshire, and was the founding Director of the Keene Chorale from 1979 to 1984. From 1985 to 1988 Bruce was Factory Foreman at Berkshire Organ Co., West Springfield, MA.

Bruce and his wife, Barbara (who is also an organist), live at 118R Petersen Road in Granby and are the parents of four children living in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Oregon. Back to Top

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Linda Calder - Office Administrator

Linda began the duties of Office Administrator in June of 2005 and has over 15 years of communications and office support experience. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Shippensburg University, PA. Over her 18-year career at The Hartford, Linda worked as a claims representative, claims communications supervisor, systems developer, marketing/communications consultant, and then as a special education paraprofessional for the Simsbury Public School system.

Linda and her husband, George, have been members of South Church since December of 2002 and Linda has served on the Board of Membership for numerous years. Linda and George live in Granby with their two sons, Andrew and Glen. Back to Top

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