Pastor:
Rev. Matthew J. Wissell
The Reverend Matthew J. Wissell was appointed to Holy Trinity in July of 2016. He has been a Pastor since 1993 serving various churches in Massachusetts as a member of the Southern New England and New England Annual Conferences. His most recent appointment prior to Holy Trinity was in Eastham on Cape Cod. A Central Massachusetts native he is a graduated of Framingham State College (now University) and Boston University School of Theology. Matt, as he is called, is a husband to Amy. He also serves as a Chaplain for the Civil Air Patrol and is a member of the MA Corps of Fire Chaplains. He is a member of the Board of Ordained Ministry and chairs the Tri-State District Committee on Finance. He finds enjoyment being an active member of the Masonic Fraternity.
Rev. Matthew J. Wissell
The Reverend Matthew J. Wissell was appointed to Holy Trinity in July of 2016. He has been a Pastor since 1993 serving various churches in Massachusetts as a member of the Southern New England and New England Annual Conferences. His most recent appointment prior to Holy Trinity was in Eastham on Cape Cod. A Central Massachusetts native he is a graduated of Framingham State College (now University) and Boston University School of Theology. Matt, as he is called, is a husband to Amy. He also serves as a Chaplain for the Civil Air Patrol and is a member of the MA Corps of Fire Chaplains. He is a member of the Board of Ordained Ministry and chairs the Tri-State District Committee on Finance. He finds enjoyment being an active member of the Masonic Fraternity.
Music Director:
Dr. Karl Henning holds a B.Mus. with double major in composition and clarinet performance from the College of Wooster (Ohio); a M.A. in composition from the University of Virginia (Charlottesville); and a Ph.D. in composition from the University of Buffalo, where he studied with Charles Wuorinen and Louis Andriessen. Karl studied conducting with Nancy Garlick and Jack Russell in Wooster, and with Doug Hargrave in Charlottesville. At UVa, Karl and fellow graduate student Andrew Kurtz formed the ensemble Camerata Rotunda, whom Karl directed in (among other works) JS Bach’s Cantata № 150, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich. After completing his higher education, Karl spent almost four years in or near St. Petersburg, Russia, a period of immersion in a rich culture which he considers no less important than his formal schooling. Karl served for eight years as a paid chorister at the Episcopal Cathedral Church of St Paul in Boston; then as Interim Choir Director; then as Composer-in-Residence, furnishing a new unaccompanied setting of the Passion According to St John. As a composer, his music has been played and sung on three continents (North America, Europe and Australia), and there is unconfirmed rumor that a rare baby unicorn was born entangled in the early draught of a Henning percussion piece. Karl recently completed a piece for clarinet choir in 15 parts, Misapprehension; an Organ Sonata for Dr Paul Cienniwa; and The Mystic Trumpeter, a setting of Whitman for soprano and clarinet. Current projects include a ballet based on the Dostoyevsky novella White Nights, an unaccompanied choral Credo, and a duet for clarinet and marimba, just what everyone was expecting. The Reinhardt University Percussion Ensemble (Olivia Kieffer–director) will perform Karl’s Journey to the Dayspring in Atlanta, GA on 29 Oct 2013.
Organist:
Rev. Barbara Otto
The Rev. Barbara Otto was born and raised in Connecticut. She was interested in music from a very young age and started accompanying choirs in 7th grade for the public school system in her town. At age 14 she started playing organ in her church and was an interim organist for a year for another congregation. After spending many years in New Jersey pursuing a dual career track as registered nurse and church musician, she returned to Connecticut in 1995, eventually continuing that career track for another 14 years. During that time she raised two foster girls. She always felt a call to ministry and finally started pursuing it in 2009. She received the MDiv in 2014, finished the required internship in 2015, was ordained in 2016 and called as associate pastor for missions to Christ Lutheran Church, Belmont, Mass., founding a mission congregation in Salem in 2016.
Christian Education Director:
Lisa Higgins-Smith, L.I.C.S.W.
As the daughter of a Methodist minister, Lisa grew up in several Methodist churches and there began her lifelong love of the ministry of working with children and families. Lisa is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. She is Director certified by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. She has a Masters Degree in Social Work with a concentration in children and families. She has a Bachelors Degree in Education. She has been working with children and families for over 25 years. She has been the Christian Education Director at Holy Trinity for 15 years and supervises all the educational and youth programs at Holy Trinity. Lisa is also the Director of the Jack and Jill preschool program at Holy Trinity. Lisa also teaches courses in Psychology and Human Services at Middlesex Community College.
Children's & Chimes Choir Director:
Anne Bennett
Infant and Toddler Educator:
Jodi Armstrong
Office Administrator:
Carol Mortimore
Sexton:
Linda Lima
Dr. Karl Henning holds a B.Mus. with double major in composition and clarinet performance from the College of Wooster (Ohio); a M.A. in composition from the University of Virginia (Charlottesville); and a Ph.D. in composition from the University of Buffalo, where he studied with Charles Wuorinen and Louis Andriessen. Karl studied conducting with Nancy Garlick and Jack Russell in Wooster, and with Doug Hargrave in Charlottesville. At UVa, Karl and fellow graduate student Andrew Kurtz formed the ensemble Camerata Rotunda, whom Karl directed in (among other works) JS Bach’s Cantata № 150, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich. After completing his higher education, Karl spent almost four years in or near St. Petersburg, Russia, a period of immersion in a rich culture which he considers no less important than his formal schooling. Karl served for eight years as a paid chorister at the Episcopal Cathedral Church of St Paul in Boston; then as Interim Choir Director; then as Composer-in-Residence, furnishing a new unaccompanied setting of the Passion According to St John. As a composer, his music has been played and sung on three continents (North America, Europe and Australia), and there is unconfirmed rumor that a rare baby unicorn was born entangled in the early draught of a Henning percussion piece. Karl recently completed a piece for clarinet choir in 15 parts, Misapprehension; an Organ Sonata for Dr Paul Cienniwa; and The Mystic Trumpeter, a setting of Whitman for soprano and clarinet. Current projects include a ballet based on the Dostoyevsky novella White Nights, an unaccompanied choral Credo, and a duet for clarinet and marimba, just what everyone was expecting. The Reinhardt University Percussion Ensemble (Olivia Kieffer–director) will perform Karl’s Journey to the Dayspring in Atlanta, GA on 29 Oct 2013.
Organist:
Rev. Barbara Otto
The Rev. Barbara Otto was born and raised in Connecticut. She was interested in music from a very young age and started accompanying choirs in 7th grade for the public school system in her town. At age 14 she started playing organ in her church and was an interim organist for a year for another congregation. After spending many years in New Jersey pursuing a dual career track as registered nurse and church musician, she returned to Connecticut in 1995, eventually continuing that career track for another 14 years. During that time she raised two foster girls. She always felt a call to ministry and finally started pursuing it in 2009. She received the MDiv in 2014, finished the required internship in 2015, was ordained in 2016 and called as associate pastor for missions to Christ Lutheran Church, Belmont, Mass., founding a mission congregation in Salem in 2016.
Christian Education Director:
Lisa Higgins-Smith, L.I.C.S.W.
As the daughter of a Methodist minister, Lisa grew up in several Methodist churches and there began her lifelong love of the ministry of working with children and families. Lisa is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. She is Director certified by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. She has a Masters Degree in Social Work with a concentration in children and families. She has a Bachelors Degree in Education. She has been working with children and families for over 25 years. She has been the Christian Education Director at Holy Trinity for 15 years and supervises all the educational and youth programs at Holy Trinity. Lisa is also the Director of the Jack and Jill preschool program at Holy Trinity. Lisa also teaches courses in Psychology and Human Services at Middlesex Community College.
Children's & Chimes Choir Director:
Anne Bennett
Infant and Toddler Educator:
Jodi Armstrong
Office Administrator:
Carol Mortimore
Sexton:
Linda Lima
