Contact Leanne Walt

Rev. Dr. Leanne Walt has served as Lead Pastor of UCC Norwell since 2015. A lifelong member of the United Church of Christ, she holds a degree in Religious Studies from Bowdoin College, a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, and a Doctor of Ministry from Boston University School of Theology. Her doctoral work focused on how mainline churches can help dismantle the stigma surrounding mental illness through the courageous and faithful practice of testimony, creating space for healing and authentic relationship.

Trained in transitional ministry and church revitalization, Leanne brings experience and a deep interest in rousing congregations to become more vibrant, relevant, mission-driven, and Jesus-led communities of faith. Previously, she served as Pastor of First Congregational Church of Braintree (UCC), where she shared her gifts for church renewal and vitality.

Believing that God shows up in ordinary places—in honest preaching, thoughtful conversation, laughter, prayer, and the slow work of becoming a community shaped by love and mercy—Leanne supports people in discovering their gifts and put them to work in the world through worship, adult small groups, leadership development, and the transformative work of our ministry teams. When she’s not at the church or in the carpool line, you might find her at the beach, on the slopes, or in the garden doing field work for her next sermon.

Her highest calling is being mom to her two boys, alongside her husband, Bill, and their Frenchton Hugo.

Contact Lindsay Albert

Lindsay is thrilled to join the community of UCC Norwell as Minister of Music. An accomplished pianist and music director with over two decades of experience, she has worked in churches, schools, opera companies, and musical theater programs internationally and across the Boston area. As a recital pianist, Lindsay has found her niche in solo voice repertoire—including art song, opera, and musical theatre—while also accompanying choirs, directing musical programs, coaching singers, and teaching piano to students of all ages.

Faith has been central to Lindsay’s musical journey since her upbringing in the Lutheran ELCA church, where music was both a spiritual practice and a source of fellowship. She has carried this foundation into her work as a performer, using music to build connections and community. Lindsay holds a B.A. in French and Music from Boston College and an M.M. from the Longy School of Music, where she specialized in collaborative piano performance.

A dedicated teacher, Lindsay is passionate about helping students discover their voice with confidence and presence. She believes the qualities of great performers—commitment, mindfulness, integrity, consistency, and compassion—are also the guiding principles of a meaningful life.

When not at the piano, Lindsay finds her greatest inspiration in her family and her lifelong yoga practice. She lives in Jamaica Plain with her husband, Juan Carlos, and their two daughters.

Contact Steve Burke

Steve joins the UCC Norwell staff team in the role of the part-time Director of Finance & Operations. His most recent position was working as the Controller for the First Church of Boston. Steve brings extensive career experience in the nonprofit sector for small to large organizations, where his responsibilities have included staff management, monthly and year-end closings, budget preparation and analysis, auditing, reporting, and preparation of federal and state tax filings.

Steve graduated from Bentley College (University) with a BS in Accounting and earned his CPA designation. Early on in his career, Steve was moved to pursue work in the non-profit sector where he has been able to use his accounting experience and knowledge to align an organization’s budget with a meaningful mission.

Steve lives in Scituate. He spends a lot of time with his three adult children, their spouses and his four grandchildren.

As Director of Finance and Operations, Steve will be providing oversight for the financial and business operations of the church, which includes the New Nursery School and the Linden Ponds Community Church.

Contact Amanda Buron

Amanda joins the UCC Norwell staff team in the role of Parish Office Manager. Her most recent position was working in an Operational role for a Unitarian Universalist Congregation where she learned about congregational operations, while creating meaningful relationships with members and staff. Amanda brings more than 15 years experience in Executive Administration, Project Management, Recruitment, and building Operations.  Amanda lives in Norwell with her husband and two daughters. 

Contact Valerie Fink

Employed by Congregational Finance, LLC, Val enjoys working with UCC churches across the South Shore and the Cape to meet their bookkeeping needs. Val holds a B.S. in Finance from Siena College in Loudonville, NY and brings a breadth of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to taking time off to be with her family after the birth of her second child, Val worked at State Street Bank as a fund accountant and then at Pioneer Investments as a fund reporting analyst. Val works closely with our Director of Finance + Operations to support our accounting needs.

Kim proudly serves as Director and a previous member of the teaching staff in preschool and toddlers. While her children attended The New Nursery School, she served as the President of the Board of Directors.

Kim holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Northeastern University and is EEC Director and Lead Teacher certified. She lives in Norwell with her husband, two sons, and their dog, Maisy. Kim feels fortunate to be part of such a caring and nurturing environment that was such a great fit for her boys and their family. The New Nursery School is such a special place and she is pleased to be a part of the experience it offers to our community!

Rev. Philomena Hare serves as pastor of Linden Ponds Community Church, a satellite congregation of UCC Norwell. She begins her ministry with LPCC in late August 2026.

Philomena describes her pastoral identity as shaped by three commitments: steady pastoral care, biblically grounded preaching, and community formation. "I'm drawn to the tender and holy work of walking with people through seasons of transition — grief, illness, family complexities, and the questions that deepen as life changes," she writes. "I've also learned that care is most faithful and sustainable when it's supported by shared rhythms, so that no one person carries it alone and no one is missed."

Many in our congregation already know Philomena. A longtime resident of Marshfield Hills, she was an active member of UCC Norwell — especially in Mission + Outreach — before pursuing her ordained ministry.

Philomena holds a bachelor's degree from Emmanuel College and master's degrees in social work and theology from Boston College School of Social Work and Boston University School of Theology. Her years as a social worker — walking alongside individuals, families, and communities under daily stress — profoundly shaped her call to local church ministry. Since her ordination, she has served congregations in Hingham, Weymouth, Sandwich, and Hyannis, and has also served as a hospital chaplain. Most recently, she has been pastor of First Congregational Church of Wareham UCC, where she has ministered since 2020.

Beyond the pulpit, Philomena serves on the boards of the Cape Cod Council of Churches, Latinix-in-Action, and the Massachusetts Woman's Home Missionary Union. She is a devoted wife and proud mother of one son. When she isn't preaching or leading, you'll find her traveling (especially on pilgrimages), cooking, reading mystery novels, and spending time with family.

Contact jenny healy

jenny is a teacher and a student, a gardener and a bread baker, a quilter and a writer, a mum, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an auntie, a disciple, a friend. While church was mostly absent from her life growing up, she always had this deep longing for and connection to Jesus. As an adult about to have her first child, jenny started going to church regularly. There, she found a spiritual home and the language to describe what she’d been feeling inside for so long.

Working with children has always been at the center of jenny’s heart, from her early babysitting days to college field work and summer jobs, to teaching at The Home for Little Wanderers and a paid position at her home church. jenny loves the hard questions, loves the mess, loves the connection building. jenny loves partnership with children as they explore the joys and responsibilities of being the hands and feet of Christ in this world and what it means to be God’s beloved, created in God’s image.

jenny loves this work, and she is honored to walk beside others all during this time.

Also, jenny loves berry picking, especially strawberries.

Assistant Director + Teacher

Sonia joined The New Nursery School community as a parent and quickly fell in love with the school. When her daughter moved on to kindergarten, Sonia chose to remain part of the NNS family by pursuing a career in Early Childhood Education. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Michigan and is EEC certified as both a Director and Lead Teacher. The children at NNS are at such precious ages, and supporting their learning and growth during these early years continues to be a rewarding and fulfilling experience for her. Sonia lives in Hanover with her husband, their daughter, and their two dogs.

Contact Eddie Rosado

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, faith has been a steady presence throughout Eddie’s life, shaping the person he is and the path he continues to follow. After attending Universidad Metropolitana in Puerto Rico, Eddie felt called to serve his country and joined the United States Coast Guard in 2000. Over the years, his career provided opportunities to serve, lead, and mentor others, eventually becoming a Naval Engineer Warrant Officer in 2017. That same year, a transfer to Boston brought his wife, Rachel, their children, and Eddie to UCC Norwell, where they found a welcoming faith community that would become an important part of their lives.

During the later years of his Coast Guard career, Eddie discovered how much he valued mentoring young people and helping them grow both professionally and personally. That experience helped him recognize God’s call to ministry and eventually led him to serve the youth of UCC Norwell. Eddie’s philosophy of youth ministry is rooted in relationships, authenticity, and the belief that every young person should know they are a beloved child of God. He believes ministry begins by meeting young people where they are, listening sacredly to their stories and questions, and creating a safe community where they can explore their faith, including their doubts.

He believes discipleship becomes most meaningful when faith moves beyond the walls of the church and into everyday life. Through Scripture, conversation, service, and mission, Eddie hopes to help young people discover what it means to follow Jesus and love their neighbors. Eddie defines his role as “Not simply to teach or lead a youth program, but to walk alongside young people, encourage them, learn from them, and help them recognize the ways God may already be working in their lives.”

Bill, a retired builder extraordinaire with enough construction experience to build a skyscraper out of popsicle sticks, calls Scituate home sweet home with his wife, where he not only dominates the hockey rink but is also active in the lives of his adult children. Bill serves as the ultimate jack-of-all-trades at UCC Norwell, tackling everything from wrangling wildlife to playing wax whisperer after candlelight services, all while enduring the shenanigans of the rest of the staff in the office with unwavering patience. Bill's life is a blueprint for finding humor in every nail-biting moment, proving that even in retirement, he's still got a knack for things both old and new!