WHO WE ARE

Joyful. Lovers of God. Earnest. Hard-working.  Pray-ers. 

Feeders of the hungry. Humble. Willing. Fun-loving.   

 Inside any Sunday’s church bulletin the cast of characters shows that the ministers  of the church are “all the members of the congregation.” Everyone who shows up  ministers in some way to us all. Our paid pastoral staff is part-time, as is our music  and secretarial staff.   Here are some folk who make sure the rest of us stay engaged in loving God and  learning together:  

Staff:  Rev. Frances Chester, Pastor; Erica Creed, Organist/Choir Director; Vivian Wentzel, Treasurer;  Sharon Sgriccia, Secretary

Rev. Frances began serving Falkner Swamp in 2015 and was called as the pastor, three-quarter time, in June 2018. She was ordained in 2005 at her home church, First Community Church, in Columbus, Ohio. As a child and throughout her life, she was nurtured by evangelical Christian mentors while attending mainline Protestant churches. Her prayer, study, and attentiveness to God’s activity in her life and others is informed by these multiple Christian faith lenses. 

“My role as pastor is shaped by seeing the truth of my life as held in the arms of a loving Creator; forged by study and scripture, enabled by Christian community, and charged by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. All these elements are present in each of us. The greatest joy in ministry for me is to help others express their God-given gifts and talents to heal and spread love. Through them, I believe God’s beloved community is made manifest on earth as it is in heaven, a central line in the prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray. 

Falkner Swamp began forming in 1720 and is the oldest, continuous-serving, German Reformed church in the United States, so I stand on the shoulders of giants. I am privileged and grateful to serve this congregation.”