Staff
The Reverend R. Joseph Tripp, Jr., our Pastor and Teacher, began his ministry with the United Congregational Church in July of 2000. Prior to this he served churches in Fall River, Massachusetts and Falls Village, Connecticut. Joe grew up in Central New York and graduated from Hobart College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983. He attended Andover Newton Theological School and graduated from there in 1987 with a Master of Divinity degree. Joe is well known for his ability to build and maintain relationships as well as his organizational skills. Joe likes to be involved in denominational and community activities. He is an avid traveler and a fan of Charles Schultz’s Peanuts gang.
Megan Weymouth has been a member of United since she was a child. She was appointed Coordinator for Children’s Ministries in 1986, which became a full time position in 2000. Megan is active in the Christian Education community throughout New England. She is the Rhode Island representative for the New England Association for United Church Educators, a "Partners in Education" representative for Rhode Island, and serves as Vice President for Christian Education for the Rhode Island Conference United Church of Christ Board of Directors. She speaks extensively throughout the New England area on puppetry and Christian Education methods. Megan has recently received her Certification as as a Christian Educator in the United Church of Christ.
Ann T. Dolbashian has been the Organist here at United
for the past twelve years and was also Music Director for 8 years
(1998 through June 2006). She will become our Music
Director/Organist again in July 1, 2007. She has been a church
organist in local churches since high school. A graduate of
Middlebury College in Vermont, she also earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in music from Rhode Island College in 1998. Ann is a member
of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. She
is very interested in encouraging young people to consider a career
in the organ and has given many organ demonstrations for children.
Her “Organist’s Assistant” program has provided an opportunity for
boys and girls to assist her at the organ during a Sunday worship
service. Several of her articles about these programs have been
published in The American Organist, the official journal of
the American Guild of Organists. Ann is the first Commissioned
Minister of Music (CMM) in the Rhode Island Conference of the United
Church of Christ.
Peggy Matteson PhD, RN, CMCH became the Rhode Island Conference’s first Commissioned Minister of Congregational Health in April 2006. The Health Ministry Program organizes a team approach as together the people of United Congregational Church respond to one another’s needs whether they be physical, spiritual or emotional. The Health Ministry Team offers programs, information and individualized support that encourages positive health behaviors while integrating spiritual care with care of the body and mind. In her spare time Peggy chairs the Department of nursing at Salve Regina University, serves on the Health and Human Services Task Force of the Rhode Island Conference, and collaborates with other churches and Faith Community Nurses developing programs around the state.
Derek Levesque
worked for and owned a
church secretarial service company from 1987 to 1997. Since then he
has worked in the mental health field, teaching office skills to people
with mental health issues for both Riverwood MHS and The May
Institute. Derek hopes to return to college to
finish his Bachelor of Science degree in
Computer Science at
Bridgewater State. Derek shows off his creative side by writing
songs and performing in a few music bands. He also builds and
repairs PC's in his spare time, as well as consulting work for
individuals and companies with
computer or software related problems.
Craig Oliveira earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and has been serving as the Music Director at Lakeville United Church of Christ in Lakeville, MA. He previously served as the Organist / Music Director at st. Luke's Episcopal Church in Fall River, MA and at St. Killian's in New Bedford, MA. He is the Enterprise Systems Administration Manager at UMass Dartmouth.