Our Staff

Brendan Jorgensen

Pastor

Pastor Brendan is married to Jackie, and they have three children: Addie, Ollie and Gracie. He spent the last several years in campus ministry and church planting in New Hampshire, where he was born and raised. He attended seminary at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and is now pursuing a doctorate of ministry there.

In his free time Brendan likes to run, hike NH’s four thousand footers with his family, and explore the outdoors. Brendan and his family enjoy having meals with people, and look forward to welcoming you to FPCC. Feel free to contact him at pastorbrendan@fpccwakefield.org.

Julie Foster

Julie serves as the communications coordinator at First Parish Congregational Church. She is passionate about helping people get connected to God’s word through the First Parish community, always aiming to reflect the church’s mission with clarity and consistency. Julie received her BA in English Language & Literature from Southern New Hampshire University and combines her love of stories and storytelling with her goal of sharing the story of First Parish with Wakefield and the surrounding communities. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, writing, and connecting with her church family.

Courtney Hatheway

Children’s Ministry Leader

Courtney Hatheway has been a member of First Parish Congregational Church since moving to Wakefield in 2002. She and her husband, Mark, have four children—Rachel, Jayna, Lilah, and Ben—who keep their home full of energy and joy.

As the Children’s Ministry Leader, Courtney is passionate about teaching children about God in ways that connect with their age and stage of life. She ensures lessons are engaging, meaningful, and rooted in faith. Her fun and creative spirit shines through in everything she does, making Sunday School a place where kids feel excited to learn and grow.

In addition to her work at FPCC, Courtney recently began teaching Kindergarten and First Grade at Grace Prep in Wakefield. Her heart for children and her gifts as a teacher continue to bless both the church and the wider community.

Ruth Ross

Office Administrator

Ruth works in the church office during the week and is likely to be the voice you hear when you call the church’s phone number. She provides operational and administrative support to the Pastor, church staff, and volunteer-based boards and committees. She also manages our many building-users. Ruth is a longtime member of the church and has served First Parish on various committees over the years. And, she loves celebrating Christmas!

John Whitney

Building Supervisor

John Whitney serves as the Building Supervisor at First Parish Congregational Church, where he combines his professional expertise with his commitment to the church community. Being a contractor for over 20 years, John has specialized in bathroom and kitchen remodels as well as a wide range of interior projects within the home. He holds a Business degree from Newbury College and brings both practical skills and organizational knowledge to his role.

John has been a member of First Parish for five years and is dedicated to maintaining and enhancing the church facilities. Outside of his work, he is a proud father of three sons—Joseph, Steven, and Tyler.

Jason Cross

Director of Music Ministries

Jason is a native New Englander who grew up in Portland, Maine. After many years of ministry in the South and Midwest, he returned to New England, and he and his wife, Linda, have called Massachusetts home since 2019. They have two adult children who now live in North Carolina and Georgia.

Jason holds a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from Boston Baptist College and a master’s degree in Church Music, with an emphasis in conducting, from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee where he also had the opportunity to study orchestration and arranging with one of his musical heroes, the late Lari Goss.  Jason has also taught worship ministry, music production, theology and the arts at the college level and has a passion for inspiring and exploring the unique song of the local church and encouraging multigenerational worship that builds bridges across generations and cultures. Jason also runs a full-service music production, recording and mixing business from his home studio in Bradford, Massachusetts.

Outside of church and music, Jason enjoys all things Boston sports, good coffee (enough to occasionally roast his own), being outdoors, or finding his way back to the Maine coast. He and Linda also love traveling together and curating new places, experiences, and stories along the way.

Ken Hodgson

Pastoral Assistant

Ken’s great joy comes from time spent with his wife of 45 years, Pam, their sons Kenny and Stephen, daughters-in-love Candice and Megan, and three beloved grandchildren. Whether hiking in the White Mountains, babysitting, or gathering with family, these moments are the precious thread in the fabric of his life.

For more than 25 years, Ken has been part of the First Parish Congregational Church community, where faith and friendship have deeply shaped his journey. Over the years, he’s quietly served in many ways– teaching Sunday School, leading Bible studies, and supporting wellness ministries and youth programs.

Ken is helping guide new initiatives at First Parish, including a Christian summer program launching in 2026, all rooted in the church’s vision to spark revival in Wakefield and beyond. Through it all, his passion remains simple and steady: to serve the Lord and share the love of Jesus with joy and purpose.

Ian Carpenter

Leader of Vision

Ian Carpenter shares life with his wonderful wife Winnie and their two sons, Samuel and Immanuel, who keep things lively and full of joy. A passionate entrepreneur and community-minded leader, Ian brings a thoughtful and strategic mindset to whatever comes his way, always looking for ways to improve. With a background in business development and a heart for service, he is committed to helping First Parish articulate and live out its vision in meaningful ways. Ian has been a member of First Parish for five years and currently serves on the Outreach Committee, where he contributes his skills in communication, collaboration, and vision alignment to support the church’s mission and growth.

Winnie Carpenter

Winnie Carpenter serves as the interim Youth Ministry Leader at First Parish Congregational Church where she combines her professional expertise in management and training with her strong life-long desire to build up the church and serve the community around her.    She was baptized in March 1991 and is an MIT BS and MEng Computer Science graduate and was a Gordon Conwell Theo Seminary candidate for MA in World Missions and Evangelism.  Since the time she became a Christian, she has served in many capacities including Junior Girls Club Youth Ministry Leader, Youth Group Counselor and leader in Youth retreats, Bible study small group leader for young families, coordinating and leading new efforts for short term mission trips.   Her strengths are in spearheading new ministry efforts and directions.  In the community, she was a member of the Wakefield STEAM task force of the Wakefield Public schools where the annual Wakefield STEAM night event was founded.   She spearheaded starting the middle school and high school internship program at her company, Valid8.com, helping Wakefield students get exposure to and grow in technology, coding, computer hardware knowledge and in organizational and life skills.  Through that experience, she has developed a deep passion to help teens grow, develop, and live out their Christian faith and life purpose in real and practical ways.

Winnie has been a part of FPCC community since 2020 and has served as a member of Outreach, Vision Team, Christian Education Committee and the Family Fellowship Coordinator.  She is happily married to Ian Carpenter and has two sons, Samuel and Immanuel, who bless her so much.