Martha Butler-Cook, Resource Center Director for the Massachusetts Conference for 11 years, will be leaving her position at the end of this week.
Butler-Cook is moving to Burlington, Vermont with her husband, Peter Cook, who is leaving his position as Senior Minister of the Plymouth Church in Framingham to serve as the Senior Minister at First Congregational Church in Burlington.
Butler-Cook has been working part-time for the Conference, assisting church leaders and educators with recommendations for resources and maintaining the Conference’s media lending library. Recently she has also served as the coordinator of the Super Saturday events
“I feel so fortunate to have spent time over the last decade-plus working with the wonderful team which makes up the Massachusetts Conference staff," Butler-Cook said. "I have learned so much from them as we all have sought to resource people in the local church. Additionally my life has been blessed and enriched by the many local church clergy and laity whose lives have intersected with mine. I wish you all many blessing in your ministries.”
Susan Dickerman, Associate Conference Minister for Leadership Development, said Butler-Cook will be missed.
"Martha Cook’s ministry with the Massachusetts Conference Resource Center has brought the unique gifts of a trained, experienced educator as well as a fine administrator with practical and hands on experience in a local church setting," Dickerman said.
"Educated at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, Martha brought her theological underpinnings to questions of curriculum selection, resources, and the implementation of a Christian Education and faith formation ministry in a congregational setting. As someone who wrote her local church’s Christmas pageant each year and who developed numerous resources beyond the standard curriculum choices, she was an asset to the Conference’s Resource Center and the Education Team that will be hard to replace."