A New Season at Walnut Hill

We want to thank Craig Horne for his 14 years of ministry at Walnut Hill. During this time, Craig has faithfully served in a variety of leadership roles — first as our Valley Campus Pastor and Family Pastor and most recently as our Pastor of Leadership Development, overseeing our children through youth ministries as well as our Intern and Residency Program. Through Craig’s leadership, countless staff and volunteer leaders have been raised up, equipped and released into fruitful ministry within Walnut Hill and beyond. His influence will continue to be felt for years to come through the leaders he has invested in and the ministries he helped shape.
 
As Craig concludes his time on staff this month, we’re excited to share that Liz Mahadeo has been promoted to Associate Director of Children’s Ministry and Matt Moreira to Middle School and Children’s Pastor. In addition, Brian Bergen will expand his role as New Milford Campus Pastor to also oversee Generational Ministries and serve as team leader of our Campus Pastors.

We want to thank Lynne Bauman for her fifteen years of ministry at Walnut Hill. During this time, Lynne has faithfully served as Pastor of Women, leading with deep wisdom, compassion and a heart for helping women grow in their walk with Jesus. Through her leadership, teaching and care, she has impacted countless lives and built a strong foundation for women’s ministry at our church.

Lynne will be finishing her time on staff at the end of the year. As she steps into the new year, she is prayerfully exploring opportunities to offer spiritual direction (stay tuned for more information!) and will continue to bless our church family as a volunteer Associate Pastor.

In the interim, a team of volunteer leaders will take up oversight for the ministry until a new leader for the Women’s Ministry is identified. This volunteer team will be convened by Becky Winters, with help from Tanya Maguire (Women’s Ministry Coordinator), to make sure that Women’s Ministry continues to thrive.
 
We’re excited to share that Crystal Ellington has accepted the position of Pastor of Spiritual Formation. Having faithfully served as our Pastor of Prayer and Online Campus, Crystal will now lead the development of small groups, prayer initiatives, discipleship pathways and new believer connections while continuing to provide leadership and oversight to our Online Campus. We’re excited to see how God will use Crystal in this new season to help our church grow deeper in faith and community.

We want to thank Melena Sorena for her faithful leadership for 18 years on staff and the groundbreaking work she has done in developing our Special Needs Ministry. Through her passion and vision, Melena has built a ministry that stands as a vital expression of Jesus’ love at Walnut Hill, serving individuals and families with grace and care. Melena will be stepping into a new season in the new year and finishing her time on staff on January 15. She remains deeply supportive of the ministry’s future and continues to cheer on the team.
 
We are thrilled to share that Rachel Burns will become our Special Needs Director beginning January 1, with Carla Cotto serving alongside her as Special Needs Coordinator. Rachel has served as our Special Needs Ministry Coordinator and brings invaluable experience as a Special Education Paraeducator, along with great passion, creativity and care for this ministry. Together, she and Carla, who also brings rich experience as a Special Education Teacher and Paraprofessional, will continue to build on the strong foundation Melena has established, helping individuals and families experience the love of Christ in meaningful ways.

We want to thank Nick Barnett for his seven years of faithful service as Property Management Director. During his time on staff, Nick has provided strong leadership and care for our facilities, ensuring that our campuses remain safe, welcoming and well-maintained spaces for ministry. As Nick feels called to focus fully on his new business, Sandy Hook Handyman, he will be finishing his time on staff at the end of the year. We are deeply grateful for his dedication and hard work, as well as the countless ways he has supported the mission of Walnut Hill through excellence and integrity.
 
We want to thank Doug Palmer for his 10 years of faithful service as our Finance Director. Doug has been an incredible steward of Walnut Hill’s resources, developing financial processes and systems that have supported all of our campuses, ministries and partners both locally and around the world. He led with exceptional skill, integrity and heart, ensuring that the church’s resources were used effectively to advance the mission God has given us. Doug completed his time on staff in the summer, and we are deeply grateful for the strong foundation he helped build.
 
Bill Whamond will join our team as Finance Director. A former Walnut Hill Elder and Chair of our Finance Team, we’re delighted to welcome Bill back to the church after a season in North Carolina. Bill brings decades of financial expertise, including experience as a CFO for a publicly traded manufacturing company and a proven track record of strategic and thoughtful leadership. Above all, he brings a deep heart for God and a desire to see resources stewarded faithfully for Kingdom impact.
 
Connie McFarland will take on an expanded role as Director of Communication and Culture. In addition to overseeing internal and external communications, Connie will now help cultivate a Christ-centered, mission-minded and unified staff culture.
 
Having served for six years as a Senior Coordinator at Walnut Hill, we’re delighted to share that Cindy Dachenhausen will step into the role of Associate Director of Administration, overseeing church administration and leading a team responsible for stewarding our facilities. Drawing on her previous experience as a director and project manager for one of the nation’s largest corporate relocation companies, Cindy brings strong skills in managing complex systems, coordinating teams and ensuring excellence in organizational operations.

We want to thank Bryan Cerrone for his five years of faithful ministry at Walnut Hill. During his time as Waterbury Campus Pastor, Bryan served with passion and dedication, helping many people encounter Jesus and grow in their faith. Through strong relationships across the City of Waterbury, he extended the presence and witness of the church in the community. He will conclude his time on staff on November 23. We are grateful for Bryan and for the ways he has served the Waterbury congregation and made an impact at Walnut Hill.

As we prayerfully discern next steps during this interim season, we are thankful for an Elder Team that will provide pastoral leadership and care for the Waterbury Campus, continuing its mission to reach Greater Waterbury with the love of Christ.