Our Team

Our teams make up a dynamic group that shepherd our congregation and oversee the work we do in worship, music, education and service.  Scroll down to meet us and click on an email address to contact us.

pastor@crawfordumc.org

Minister

A graduate of the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Rev. Anne Robertson served United Methodist churches in Florida, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts for 13 years. In 2007 she became the executive director of the Massachusetts Bible Society, the first woman to hold that position in the organization’s 210-year history. On August 1, 2020 she began as the pastor of Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church.  You can find out more about her on her website.

Winner of the Wilbur C. Ziegler Award for Excellence in Preaching, she is the author of four books:  Blowing the Lid Off the God-Box,  God’s Top 10: Blowing the Lid Off the Commandments, and God With Skin On: Finding God’s Love in Human Relationships, and New Vision for an Old Story: Why the Bible Might Not Be the Book You Think It Is..  She is also the author of the popular Bible study series, Exploring the Bible: The Dickinson Series and Exploring Justice: The Ten Commandments. 

 

jessica@crawfordumc.org

Children and Youth Minister

Jessica Rubenstein has worked in children’s and youth ministry for more than 25 years,  Youth and congregations under her guidance have focused especially on Biblical literacy, service learning, social justice and equity, and multi-generational outreach. Jessica has led 22 work trips devoted chiefly to construction projects and disaster relief, and involving more than 600 young people and adults — to Haiti, Louisiana, Washington, and New York, among other locations. She holds degrees in religious studies and education from Oberlin, Concordia, and Harvard Divinity School. When not doing ministry, Jessica teaches piano, crochets things no one really wants, and spends time with her daughter, her dog, and her cat, any combination of which may be found helping her act out Bible stories for Sunday worship.
Leslie Tracey

music@crawfordumc.org

Music Minister and Communications Director

Leslie Tracey is the Music Minister and Communications Director at Crawford. She has been in the music ministry since she was 13 years old and has formally been a Music Minister in various Methodist and Seventh-day Adventist Churches over the last decade. She most recently served for three years at Poughkeepsie UMC in New York as Traditional Music Director and Organist and held various teaching roles over the years. A violinist, vocalist, and organist, Leslie studied Sacred Music (non-accredited vocational school) at the HSDA Theological Seminary. She went on for further undergraduate work and studied English Literature with a minor concentration in Music at Western Connecticut State University. Outside of her musical pursuits, Leslie has an active career in Finance with New York Life. Alongside of her music ministry and financial work she enjoys hiking, volunteering on behalf of the youth, traveling, writing, public speaking, socializing both online and in person and spending time with her partner Jan who is a Creative Director/Videographer and a violinist in Andover, MA.

Organist/Pianist

Helena Veranian has been the devoted Organist and Accompanist of Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church since 1995. “I enjoy and appreciate the emotional support of the big church family I have here”, says Helena. She received her MA in Piano Performance and Choir Conducting from Erevan Conservatory (Armenia). Prior to Crawford, Helena was the organist at St. James Apostolic Church in Los Angeles. She has Participated in more than 500 concerts throughout Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Italy, Austria, Germany, Spain and the United States. Helena is married to Maestro Arthur Veranian. They have two daughters, Veronica and Cristina.

Sherry Miller

Sherry Miller

Office Manager

Jim Clayton

Jim Clayton

Sexton

Pam Reeve

Pam Reeve

Church Council

Laura Myers

Laura Myers

Lay Leader