The Bridge Conference Ministers have announced that four more positions on the newly configured Conference staff, which goes into effect Jan. 1, have been filled including two newly created positions: Innovation Team Leader and Events Manager.
Bridget Johnson, a business consultant who has been working on coaching churches around the strategic use of their space, has been tapped to serve as the Innovation Team Leader for Vision and Adaptive Leadership. Johnson, a member of the First Congregational Church of Ridgefield, CT, founded Church Rental Services in 2019 after serving as her church's rental coordinator. In that role, she says, she has worked with churches to think about renting their facilities as not only an income source, but also as a way to increase community engagement, fulfill their mission and introduce new people to their church family.
Bridget Johnson, a business consultant who has been working on coaching churches around the strategic use of their space, has been tapped to serve as the Innovation Team Leader for Vision and Adaptive Leadership. Johnson, a member of the First Congregational Church of Ridgefield, CT, founded Church Rental Services in 2019 after serving as her church's rental coordinator. In that role, she says, she has worked with churches to think about renting their facilities as not only an income source, but also as a way to increase community engagement, fulfill their mission and introduce new people to their church family.
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| Bridget Johnson |
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| Andrea Bellarosa |
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| Michele Mudrick |
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| Hillary Sage |
Johnson has worked as a Strategic Business Development Consultant with One2One Communications since 2002. She also served as co-founder and director of Urban Samaritan, Inc., a New York City non-profit which worked in partnership with a homeless women's shelter to create tote bags from used advertising banners donated by museums, which were then sold in the museum gift shops. The program partnered with over 20 museums nationally.
Johnson quoted Isaiah 43:19, "I am doing a new thing. Can you not perceive it?" in her cover letter, writing: "Covid 19 has pushed us into the future as we experiment with new technologies for worship and connection. This, in turn, is prompting us to have larger conversations around who we are as a Christian community, the Church’s role in society, how we worship, how we stay connected as community, how we serve God, how we serve our communities and how we nurture our personal relationship with God. What an exciting time to be the church!"
Johnson quoted Isaiah 43:19, "I am doing a new thing. Can you not perceive it?" in her cover letter, writing: "Covid 19 has pushed us into the future as we experiment with new technologies for worship and connection. This, in turn, is prompting us to have larger conversations around who we are as a Christian community, the Church’s role in society, how we worship, how we stay connected as community, how we serve God, how we serve our communities and how we nurture our personal relationship with God. What an exciting time to be the church!"
As Innovation Team Leader, Johnson will provide leadership development opportunities and work collaboratively with the staff to assess the changing realities of the leadership needs of churches.
Andrea Bellarosa, who has served on the historic Massachusetts Conference staff for the past 10 years and is a familiar face to Super Saturday attendees, has been named as the Events Coordinator.
"The view from my seat at the table is as an observer, 'out of the box' thinker and how do we reflect the conference’s mission at our events," she wrote in her cover letter. "Whether dealing with conference members helping them work through registering for Super Saturday, assisting clergy or building relationships with vendors, my goal is to treat everyone with the same respect and warmth that I would expect."
Michele Mudrick, who served on the historic Connecticut Conference staff as Legislative Advocate since 2014, will continue in that role. In addition to continuing her advocacy work in Connecticut, she will also coordinate with the Massachusetts Council of Churches and the Rhode Island State Council of Churches around legislative advocacy. As part of her work in Connecticut, Mudrick is Director of the Coalition Against Casino Expansion.
Mudrick will spend more of her hours working in Connecticut, both because there is no Council of Churches in that state, and because her salary is paid partially from the George and Beatrice Jones Baldwin Memorial Fund of the Missionary Society of Connecticut. The fund supports building and maintaining interfaith alliances for advocacy.
Hillary Sage has been hired as the Executive Assistant for the Executive Conference Minister and Human Resources Manager.
Andrea Bellarosa, who has served on the historic Massachusetts Conference staff for the past 10 years and is a familiar face to Super Saturday attendees, has been named as the Events Coordinator.
"The view from my seat at the table is as an observer, 'out of the box' thinker and how do we reflect the conference’s mission at our events," she wrote in her cover letter. "Whether dealing with conference members helping them work through registering for Super Saturday, assisting clergy or building relationships with vendors, my goal is to treat everyone with the same respect and warmth that I would expect."
Michele Mudrick, who served on the historic Connecticut Conference staff as Legislative Advocate since 2014, will continue in that role. In addition to continuing her advocacy work in Connecticut, she will also coordinate with the Massachusetts Council of Churches and the Rhode Island State Council of Churches around legislative advocacy. As part of her work in Connecticut, Mudrick is Director of the Coalition Against Casino Expansion.
Mudrick will spend more of her hours working in Connecticut, both because there is no Council of Churches in that state, and because her salary is paid partially from the George and Beatrice Jones Baldwin Memorial Fund of the Missionary Society of Connecticut. The fund supports building and maintaining interfaith alliances for advocacy.
Hillary Sage has been hired as the Executive Assistant for the Executive Conference Minister and Human Resources Manager.
Sage currently serves as the Executive Assistant of Student Development at Seattle University, where she works closely with the Dean of Students and supports the Board of Trustees. In that role, she was the recipient of the Division of Student Development’s Sharon Young Service Award for her dedication and service to students, staff, and faculty. She is also the church administrator for Liberation United Church of Christ.
"The charge to make God's love and justice real, be agents of change and making disciples of Jesus resonates deeply with me," she wrote in her cover letter. "We are in a time where actions must speak louder than words, and I see the SNE Conference putting actions to their words, and it is my desire to be a part of that mission."