GRACE and ST JOHN’S
An Episcopal church in the diocese of Connecticut
2927 Dixwell Avenue (P. O. Box 185065), Hamden, CT 06518
OFFICE@GRACEANDSTPETERS.ORG 203-248-4338
PARISH LEADERSHIP
STAFF
Office hours
Mondays: 9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Tuesdays: 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Wednesdays: 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
THE REV. ROBERT BERGNER
Rector
Bob was appointed Priest-in-Charge at Grace & St Peter’s since January, 2018, and was named rector in early 2022. His gifts for music and songwriting, and his informal and interactive preaching style, have added a new dimension to Sunday worship, and his active presence in the local community has led us into new ways of ministry.
Bob and his wife, Pam, came to the New Haven / Hamden area after almost twenty years in Montreal. Pam, a dancer and choreographer, teaches in the dance and theater departments at the Educational Center for the Arts, where Bob is also involved in various projects as a musician. Last year he completed a master’s degree with a concentration in psychology at Harvard for which he did research on the quality of life and health effects of a community songwriting and singing project among older adults.
Read Rev. Bob's Blog, "Thoughts from the Center Aisle"
ALLISON BATSON
Church School Director
Allison’s official title as a staff member is Church School Director, but that is just the tip of the iceberg of all the things she does at Grace & St Peter’s. On Sundays she prepares lessons and activities, coordinates volunteers and teaches our children about God’s love. On Fridays she is always there for Dinner for a Dollar. In most any other parish activity or event, Allison will be in the center of it. And in her weekday life she is a Preschool teacher!
“I teach little ones all week and help them to navigate their world,” she says. “You might wonder how can I be with children all week and then on Sundays too? It’s because being a teacher is not what I do; it’s who I am. Teaching Sunday School allows me to use my gifts and talents to the glory of God.”
KIM CLARKE
Parish Administrator
Kim Clarke brings to our office her skills, experience, and a deep familiarity with the Episcopal Church. She grew up in Hamden, and has lived most of her adult life in Cheshire, with her husband John, and daughter Renee, now in college. The family’s passions are boating and dogs. They found their way to the Episcopal Church after Renee was born, and soon became deeply involved in parish life at St. Peter’s in Cheshire.
Leaving her job at Bristol Myers Squibb so as to spend more time at home with Renee, Kim served eight years as parish administrator at St. Peter’s where she updated the computer system and streamlined the office. A full-time job for the diocese was followed by the need to cut back her hours again due to her mother’s declining health. She now divides her time between Grace & St Peter’s and St. John’s, North Haven, while remaining active as a parishioner at St. Peter’s in Cheshire. Of Grace & St Peter’s she says, “I am just amazed at how much outreach the church does considering the number of parishioners.”
Lay Leadership
Senior Warden: Kelly Mattox
Junior Warden: Susan Stanley
Treasurer: Linda Simmons
Clerk of the Vestry: Arnie Pritchard
Vestry:
Whitney Batson
Roxanne Burrowes
Jennifer Campbell
Beth Delancy
Chris Grant
Will Hart
Mark Mahaffy
Nadia Major
Sue O'Connell
Cindy Turner
Robin Zenobi
Buildings and Grounds: Bill Menosky