Elders
Jeff Azadian
It was back in the mid 80’s when Jeff and his wife, Kathy, first began attending FPC on Railroad Avenue in Hamilton. “Since then,” Jeff says, “it has been our church home.” Among many blessings that the Azadians have experienced over the years at FPC, edifying friendships and a chance to see the LORD at work in the lives of his people are two for which Jeff is especially thankful. For almost twenty years, Jeff has participated on the Youth Committee. He has interviewed generations of kids for summer missions trips and in preparation for church membership. “Hearing the details of the way the LORD impacted them and used their willingness to serve has been such a blessing and encouragement to me,” he says. Hearing young people make a profession of faith and share their testimonies is just one reason that Jeff has come to see the importance of mentoring in all areas of faith and life. Jeff has also spent a number of years on the Finance and Personnel Committee. There, he has seen the LORD’s faithfulness in meeting the needs of his people and his church year after year.
Apart from his service as elder at FPC, Jeff sees ministry opportunities in his work as well. Having spent twenty years at a semi-conductor equipment company where he had the opportunity to share his faith and forge meaningful friendships, Jeff is now hoping to begin his own consulting firm. Of his work, Jeff says, “I have been greatly blessed to have had excellent mentors in the workplace who really took the time to guide me—not only for the added value I would bring to the company, but because they cared for me.” For Jeff it is this leadership that has caused him to recognize the importance of mentoring relationships in all areas of life.
For fun, Jeff enjoys nature, boating and skiing. In fact, according to Jeff’s daughters, his boat shoes (as well as his moustache!) are his trademark. Kathy, his wife, also enjoys nature. “She likes a good snow storm and the way the sun comes out after a Nor’easter and lights up all the snow on the trees.” Anyone who knows Kathy would also recognize her love for sports. Jeff admires her ability to “understand how God can use our bodies in sports to glorify himself.”
Together, Jeff and Kathy have two daughters: Amanda and Megan. “Both girls are fun-loving and adventurous,” he says. “And although keeping up with the complexity of young women can be challenging, I love both their tenacity and sensitivity—their deep love and their strength.” And he adds, “My daughters take such joy in discovering the world and taking advantage of opportunities given to them.”
Whether at church, work or home, it is Jeff’s understanding of the LORD’s grace that drives him. “It is up to the spirit to move hearts for Him,” he says. Jeff has a heart for God’s people to “see the importance of faithfulness over time.” He himself has seen the LORD’s faithfulness in growing faith in his people over the long haul. Jeff says, “I know He uses the willingness of people who will serve where they are planted.”
Russ Camp
Scientist. Conductor. Musician. Grandparent. These, among many other words, could be used to describe Elder Russell Camp. Here at FPC, Russ sees his primary role as that of liaison between the session and the deacons. From time to time you may see him leading one of the worship services or accompanying his daughter (a solo bell ringer) on piano during the offering. Russ says, “As an elder, I desire to shepherd the members and friends of the church.” He goes on to say, “I am particularly energized by encouraging struggling Christians and always use prayer with those in need.” Russ and his wife, Norma, have a heart for sharing the gospel with those outside of the church who do not know Christ. This desire has motivated them in several community ministries. For Russ, that has meant conducting the North Shore Christian Men’s Choir—a group of thirty men who practice weekly and perform at local prisons, assisted living centers, churches and other gatherings. This has been a particular blessing for Russ as he has been allowed the time to engage his musical side. For Norma, this outreach takes the form of a Sunday evening Bible study for a group of women in Salisbury who are part of Women in Transition (WIT), a prison ministry for women.
Much of Russ’s life outside of FPC was spent in faithful service to students at Gordon College. Three years ago, Russ retired from the biology department there where he specialized in electron microscopy. Since retirement, he has volunteered his time in the college’s recently constructed Ken Olsen Science Center. There, he has set up a scanning electron microscope research facility which he has now handed off to the biology faculty. Russ’s roots run deep at the college, and he is thankful for the opportunity to remain connected.
When asked what he does in his free time, it became clear that Russ is just as much a musician as he is a scientist. Along with snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, golfing and bird-watching, Russ loves making music. “I play my grand piano every day,” he says. “One day I will concentrate on jazz. Another day I will focus on the works of great classical composers.” He even arranges pieces for his men’s choir to perform. He also plays his acoustic guitar and enjoys strumming anything from James Taylor and Johnny Cash to contemporary praise songs. And to top it all off, he dabbles in the valve trombone, trumpet and he says, “I hope to get back to playing my five string banjo in the near future.”
Anyone who has seen Russ teach a biology class or play any number of instruments in church or lead the congregation in prayer cannot help but notice his infectious joy in the LORD. This joy also extends to his family. Russ and Norma married in 1965 and now have two grown children, Douglas Camp and Colette Daniels. Douglas, his wife Kristy, and their daughter Anneliese, live in Essex, MA. Colette and her husband, Brian, live in Dracut, MA.
Of his wife, Russ says, “Norma teaches second grade Sunday school classes and is on the fellowship committee.” He appreciates her passion both there and in women’s prison ministry. For fun, she reads detective stories, World War II accounts and histories of the English Monarchy. Together, Russ and Norma enjoy many outdoor activities as well as home movies and attending the theatre. But most of all, they love spending time with their two grandchildren—giving their two kids, as Russ puts it, “a break from the demands of parenting.”
Rob Joss
Elder Rob Joss is passionate about missions. For decades, he and his wife, Meredith, have spearheaded First Presbyterian Church’s reach into a wide variety of foreign and local missions. In addition to serving on the church’s mission committee, Rob is a member of the Foreign Missions Committee for our denomination.
Rob and Meredith’s home reflects their missions-mindedness. Over the years, they have been official and unofficial foster parents to children and teens and have opened their doors to many others in need of a home. Rob was involved in launching First Presbyterian Church’s foster care ministry and sees it as an important way for the church to expand its outreach in the surrounding communities.
Teaching for a year at Daystar University in Kenya spurred Rob’s commitment to foreign missions. He has developed a particular interest in how the influence of culture affects the expression of the gospel in different geographic regions. He still maintains many of the friendships developed during that year in East Africa.
A clinical and forensic psychologist, Dr. Rob has been a professor of psychology at Gordon College since the mid-70’s. He also runs a forensic psychology practice in nearby Salem. Most would agree, however, that his greatest skill is in finding a humorous remark for just about any occasion. In his free time, Rob enjoys playing with his grandchildren, gardening, and golfing.
Rob lives in Ipswich with his wife Meredith. Meredith’s parents, Bob and Mary Johnson, live with them. Rob and Meredith’s children are Sarah (married to Jon Green and living in Ipswich), Lindsay (married to Tim Iudicello and living in Missoula, Montana), and Calvin (married to Jess and living in Ipswich). They also have six grandchildren.
Rich Mulley
For Rich Mulley, 1985 was a big year. Not only did he graduate from Gordon College and marry Sue, his wife of now 25 years—1985 was the year that Rich joined FPC. Two years later Rich was sent out as part of a church planting group to North Andover. It was there that Rich was first an elder, serving from 1989 up until 2000. After again serving as an “elder-on-loan” to that same church from 2008-2010, Rich is now privileged to serve as elder in his home town of Ipswich here at FPC.
Over the years, Rich’s ministry has encompassed many things. Rich is especially passionate about discipleship, apologetics and evangelism, and the connection between faith and work. Inside of the church, he loves to see people “develop deeper fellowship and accountability in the body of Christ.” Outside of the church, he places a high value on “going into the world to meet people where they are, [so that they can] develop deeper relationships with non-believers.” Rich’s heart for these two passions finds vision in his view of work which he describes as: “helping people to focus their careers and other work activities on God.”
For nearly as long as Rich has been at FPC, he has worked for Fidelity Investments, seeking to live out his faith and work ideals. Working primarily from home, Rich is currently a technology architect, designing technical solutions to business problems and working with engineering groups to implement them.
Apart from Rich’s tech-savvy work, he also has a deep love of nature. Most of his hobbies are variations on that theme: taking nature walks, skiing, landscaping, writing, hiking, eco-touring, bird-watching, even “looking under rocks and logs—you name it!” he says. As a child, he kept spiders as pets. “I am fascinated by spiders,” he says. “I even own the Audubon Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders.” Aside from all things nature, Rich also enjoys a good book. Science fiction and fantasy are his favorite genres. Most recent on his reading list are: What’s So Great About Christianity? by Dinesh D’Souza and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins—among others. And when books and bugs just aren’t enough, “I enjoy tuning my car to get just a little more horsepower,” Rich says.
Rich also enjoys sharing many of these interests with his wife, Sue. “We share a deep love of nature and love discovering it together,” he says. Other things they enjoy discovering are: New England B&B’s and unusual restaurants. “For as long as I’ve known her,” Rich says of Sue, “she has been deeply involved in the ministries of this church and in those of the church that we helped plant in North Andover.” Sue, who grew up attending FPC, currently has her hand in Women’s Bible Study, GEMS, Sunday school and Moms In Touch (a prayer ministry for mothers of school-aged children.)
Sue, an elementary education teacher by trade, is currently a full-time parent. The Mulley children are: Daniel, Tyler, Elizabeth, and Nynna, their current foster child. Of his children, Rich says, “I love their companionship more than anything else. Seeing the world through the eyes of my children has been an unexpected pleasure that has broadened by horizons in so many ways.”
Dan Oh
When you walk through FPC’s doors, Dan Oh is likely one of the first people you will meet. Since 1983, he and his wife, Maureen, have been a part of First Presbyterian’s fellowship here in Ipswich. Dan’s passion to see God’s people connect with one another combined with his love for meeting and welcoming newcomers led him to serve the church body as an elder. As a way of connecting people within the church, Dan has a desire to infuse people into small groups. It is one of his greatest joys to gather a group of folks at his home and watch them become “family” while talking, laughing and sharing a meal.
As part of his love for people, Dan gets excited about seeing young people take on leadership roles. No matter how big or small, seeing the Body of Christ love and support one another by using all of its member’s gifts is a joy for him.
It is not only within our own fellowship that Dan desires to see connection and growth, but outside of it as well! “I love world missions and like to encourage families to go,” Dan says. It is his hope that, “from earliest childhood our kids are trained to think world missions.” Most recently, his wife and daughters have been part of FPC’s summer missions trips to Greece.
Apart from his role at FPC, Dan is Director of Operations at an adhesives and sealants company. Having been trained as a chemical engineer, he considers himself blessed to still enjoy the engineering portion of his job. In addition to that, he loves the opportunities he has to encourage, motivate and train people to do things they could never have done before.
Whether it’s a balmy summer day on the North Shore or a frigid New England winter, Dan enjoys being outdoors. Road cycling, mountain biking, kayaking, snow-shoeing or hiking in the mountains of New Hampshire—he loves it all! Other likes? Photography. And dislikes? Housework.
So where can Dan be found when he’s not shaking new hands at church, solving puzzles at work or enjoying all of New England’s seasons? Without a doubt it would be with his family. Dan says about his wife, “Maureen has been my life partner for twenty four years, and our love for Christ holds us together.” Maureen, along with her work as a pianist and school music teacher, serves as Music Director at FPC. Together they enjoy cheering for New England sports teams, traveling, and sharing family meals with their two daughters, Christine and Melissa . About his children Dan says, “I love them—they get along great, are fun to be with and enjoy being with us, and they accept me as I am.”
George Papanicolau
Greg Smith
Though Greg Smith and his family have been a part of the church family here at FPC for the past eleven years, their Presbyterian roots began at an OPC church in Long Beach, California, where he and his wife, Nancy, were married. After eight years as part of that church body, they spent the following fourteen years as part of four different church start-ups. The final one landed them at our church plant in North Andover and soon after that they walked through FPC’s doors.
Greg firmly believes that, “Education is critical for being able to live your faith in the world.” This belief has motivated him in his personal study of Scripture through various graduate and seminary classes. Later on his heart for educating others spurred him to become involved in Christian education at the North Andover church plant. And four years after coming to FPC, he took a similar role here as head of our Christian Education Committee. For seven years now, he has been encouraging this body of believers to love the Lord with heart, mind and strength. The best leaders are those willing to get their hands dirty—and so Greg has done—teaching (on and off) fourth and fifth grade Sunday school, as well as a handful of adult classes.
As for ministry outside of FPC, Greg says that he “is especially passionate about helping those in need and doing it in the name of Christ.” His compassion for people struggling both spiritually and physically has prompted him and his family to be involved in two local ministries. The first works to bring people out of poverty through education and short/long term relief, while the other offers the power of the gospel to those struggling with addiction. For Greg, these ministries as well as teaching and serving as elder, are means for bringing Christ to all who need Him.
Back in California, Greg studied business administration at Cal State and then furthered his studies through a month long program at Stanford. On weekdays, Greg works in the technology field doing general management. For the past ten years he has worked at the same software company and currently runs their Public Sector business unit. Eight of those ten years he has been one of the company’s vice president. “There is a difference between management in business and management in the church,” Greg says. Even so, it is his experience in each that has sharpened the other.
For fun, Greg enjoys being active both in and outdoors—tennis or most any sport will do. Along with that, he is always ready to read or learn something new. And perhaps it could be added that Greg sometimes just loves to be a kid. “I think my wife would tell you that she raised five kids—though we only have four,” he says.
Greg and Nancy have been married for 26 years. “She is a very patient person.” Greg says of his wife. “She always has a smile on her face.” Together they enjoy the beach, traveling and doing ministry. One of their greatest areas of ministry has been within their own home raising four children. Heather, Ryan, Megan, and Lauren. Of his children, Greg says, “They are all so unique in their own way and we have a great time as a family. Glory to God—they are all professing believers and share an inclination to serve others.”
John Truschel
Some of the people at FPC who know John best are the generations of college students who have graduated from the college Sunday school class that he has been involved with for the past five years. John has always had a passion for ministering to college students. This desire to see young adults grow in their love for and understanding of the LORD first took root not long after he himself graduated from college. For three years, John worked for a campus ministry called the Coalition for Christian Outreach. While with CCO, Jon served as a resident director and assistant basketball coach at Grove City College. It was during his time there that he met his lovely wife, Laurie. Another interest of John’s lies in the area of Christian faith and politics. As part of the board for the Center for Public Justice, he works with fellow believers to discuss the impact of the Christian faith on political thought and practice. Overall, John says, his passion in ministry can be described as a heart for adult Christian education.
During the week, John works in the investment management field. As part of an asset management team, he oversees the investment division of the firm as they manage equity portfolios for large institutional clients. “I am particularly interested in stewardship as a biblical principle,” John says, “especially as it relates to wealth and poverty concerns.” Those who have heard him philosophize about the wise use of money in a Sunday school class can attest to his passion and wisdom on the subject!
In what free time that he is able to find, John loves a good book as well as a good game on the golf course or tennis courts. The latter two activities, John and Laurie often do together. When asked if he had anything quirky to highlight about himself, John says “my sweet tooth is the size of Alaska.” He is also proud of the fact that he began taking piano lessons just last year from our very own Maureen Oh.
It has been twenty five years since Jon met and married Laurie. Having the same heart for students as John, Laurie currently serves as the Director of Student Ministries at Gordon College. For years—and especially since moving closer to the college— Laurie and John have enjoyed opening up their home to student groups, even housing individual students as longer term guests. Their other common passion is their three children, Andrew, Amy and David. Of his children John says, “I love that each of them loves Jesus, believes the Gospel, and is attempting to serve the LORD with their lives.” He also notes that “they all have varied interests and are a delight to talk with.”
Meirwyn Walters
“Creativity” is not the word most would choose to describe an attorney’s passions, but it is an apt one when speaking of Meirwyn Walters’, FPC’s unofficial attorney-in-residence. Meirwyn practices law with a firm that covers business and real estate matters. He and his partner represent individuals, businesses and a fair share of churches and nonprofits as well. “I enjoy working with companies as they grow and their challenges increase,” Meirwyn says. “I take a great deal of pleasure in working with individuals in some pretty stressful times in their lives. We try to be creative in finding effective solutions for people and their legal difficulties.”
It is this spark for creative solutions that also drives Meirwyn’s heart for ministry as an elder. He and his family have been involved in ministry at FPC for years now. Of his work as an elder, Meirwyn particularly enjoys his time spent with the session. He particularly loves working with the worship committee as they, in his own words, “concentrate on forever improving the excellence of our worship services.” Another aspect of serving as elder is, of course, the individual interactions that Meirwyn has from week to week. Here, too, he has a creative eye. “I enjoy visioning,” he says, “and try to work creatively in using people’s gifts effectively in the life of the church.”
For fun, Meirwyn competes as a Masters sprinter in track and field events. “You can always see the finish line from the start,” he says. The same concentration that he applies to law and running is equally applied to time with his family. Meirwyn loves playing chess with his son and spending time with his two girls as well.
At FPC it is hard to talk about Meirwyn without also talking about Nina, his lovely wife. Whether sitting in Sunday school classes together or watching cooking shows like “Chopped,” Meirwyn says that he and Nina love to be together and to do just about anything together—skiing, cooking, walking in the moonlight (he’s serious). “She’s my best friend”, Meirwyn says, “she’s the best sounding board I could have hoped for.”
Together, Meirwyn and Nina have three children: Davey, Mari and Carys. Of his children, he says, “What’s not to love? Davey enjoys just about anything we do together—any kind of game, running, skiing, playing with remote control cars or competing to name as many birds as we can think of. Mari,” he says, “is a wonderful expressive little girl who’s willing to try anything and brings us enormous joy.” And of their youngest, Carys? “She is our little daredevil who fears nothing.” Indeed, what’s not to love?
Jeff Whiteacre
Regarding his various roles and responsibilities at FPC, Jeff says that “it is [his] privilege and honor to serve.” Currently, Jeff is the chairperson on the Budget and Personnel Committees as well as a trustee and liaison to the treasurer. In these ways and more, Jeff has had the opportunity to use the administration and organizational skills he employs daily at his work with a local Fortune 100 food manufacturer. For the first 25 years of his career there, Jeff worked in accounting and finance. Most recently, he has been pioneering “lean thinking” within the consumer foods company. In Jeff’s own words it’s “a new way to look at organizational processes and eliminate waste to bring value to the customer.”
Helping others receive the pure value in things extends more personally for Jeff into his heart for ministry. “My passion in ministry is reaching out to those who don’t understand the true nature of God,” he says. This passion is one that he and his wife live outside of the church as well. They both serve on the board of directors for Meadowhaven, a half-way-house that reaches out to those lost and in destructive situations. “Meadowhaven,” Jeff says, “is the only long term care facility in the world that ministers to those in the cults and high control groups.” Jeff’s passion for truth in the gospel and the way it brings healing to people’s lives matters, he says, “ so that we can honor Him, know him and form a real relationship with the true God, his son, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I have a passion for understanding the gospel, stripping it down to the basics and keeping things simple.”
When asked what he does for fun, Jeff replied, “Fun, what fun— I’m a Presbyterian!” All joking aside, Jeff and his wife, Sue, love to travel. Whether on a day trip or extended vacation, they enjoy seeing new places. “We have been fortunate to see most of the USA,” Jeff says. They are currently working their way through Europe and can’t wait for their next trip.
One such trip took them to London where they saw Queen Elizabeth’s 50th anniversary. “Queen Elizabeth and I share a very significant date in common,” Jeff says when asked if there is anything quirky about his life. “Her coronation and my day of birth are the same. Over the years, family and friends have given me Queen Elizabeth commemorative memorabilia.” If you have a chance, ask him about the most recent addition to his collection!
But not even Queen Elizabeth holds a higher place in Jeff’s life than his wife, Sue. Jeff met Sue when they were sophomores in high school. “I knew the day we met that I wanted to marry her,” he says. After 35 years of marriage they consider themselves blessed not only to have each other, but also to have what Jeff says is “the greatest joy”—two children who know and love the Lord. Their daughter, Jen, works as Office Manager at FPC and their son, daughter-in-law and grandson live in the area. Jeff says, “For us, there is nothing else better!”
Dick Wright
Elder Dick Wright’s story has its beginnings in a town called Haddonfield, in south Jersey. It was there that he came to know the Lord while growing up in a Christian home—and from there the Lord has brought him through a lifetime of experiences both rich and varied. A radioman in the Navy; schooling at Wheaton, Rutgers and Harvard; marriage to the lovely Ann Stone; biology research in Sweden; a faculty member in Gordon College’s biology department; and most recently, science writing in his retirement years—Dick has seen the Lord’s faithfulness.
In his extensive work in the field of biology, Dick’s research passions lie in the area of marine microbiology. He also loves to write and talk about ways that believers can interweave faith and science. His book, Biology Through the Eyes of Faith, is intended to “help college students and others deal with issues that arise in the intersection between biology and Christian thought.”
Dick’s heart for God’s creation has been a part of his involvement here at FPC since he and his wife, Ann, first came in 1965. Dick has taught adult Sunday school classes on the topic of caring for creation. Also in the Christian education realm, he and Ann directed the children’s Sunday school program in its earlier years. Dick says that one of the most memorable times of service at FPC was when he participated as part of the committee that sold the church’s original Hamilton property and purchased its current property in Ipswich. Over the years Dick, has worn many hats—and most recently those are that of elder and committed choir member. Dick has been singing as part of FPC’s choir for over 45 years.
Ann, Dick’s “companion and co-conspirator,” is in his words someone who “is very much a people person and loves doing all sorts of things to help people.” For years she has been helping FPC’s congregation as a member of the Fellowship Committee. Ann is also gifted in handiwork and enjoys knitting and quilting when she has the time. Together they have three grown children, Susan (Mulley), Richard, and Karen (Pesce)—and seven grandchildren. Their daughters both attend FPC while their son and his family live in New Hampshire. When they can, the Wrights love spending time at their vacation home in Bridgton, Maine. What they love even more is when that time is spent with family. Dick says that his hobbies (in order) are: birding, fishing, boating, cross-country skiing and in his spare time, reading. And any of these, he says, are made better when done with his grandchildren!
Dick and Ann have opened up their home in Maine to family and church friends alike. They love building memories as they swim and canoe on Long Lake together. Dick says, “After my conversion to Christ, I consider my marriage to Ann the most important thing I have ever done. She is my companion and co-conspirator as we negotiate our way through the ‘golden years’ together.”