Rev. Carol Howard
Prior to coming to the Presbyterian Church of Madison, Rev. Howard served Presbyterian congregations in a bayside village in Rhode Island and an urban neighborhood in Washington, DC. Most recently, she was the pastor of Bedford Presbyterian Church in New York. Her committee and board work includes serving as the moderator of the Special General Assembly Committee on the Nature of the Church in the 21st Century and as the moderator of the General Assembly’s Survivors of Clergy Misconduct Task Force. Carol is an award-winning author of several books and devotionals. She was a regular columnist for The Christian Century, and her work has been featured in The New York Times, Slate, The Washington Post, and Newsweek, among other publications. In 2020, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary honored Carol with the Distinguished Alumna Award for her service to the church. In her free time, Carol enjoys hiking with her adult daughter, Calla. She also loves painting, drawing, and exploring museums.
Anna D'Achille
Anna serves as the Director of Music at the Presbyterian Church of Madison. She is responsible for planning and organizing music for weekly worship services, directing the Sanctuary Singers, accompanying congregational worship, and providing music for weddings, funerals, and other special services throughout the year. Anna is passionate about creating meaningful worship experiences through music and enjoys collaborating with clergy, volunteers, and the congregation. Outside of church, she is the founder of The Ophelia Collective, a small mineral and crystal business, and enjoys reading, exploring museums, and spending time with her cat.
Michael Callahan
Michael is the Family Ministries and Outreach Director at the Presbyterian Church of Madison. He manages the Church School and nursery as well as other youth activities.
Christine Antico
Christine is the bookkeeper for the Presbyterian Church of Madison.
Eileen Koppi
Eileen is the Office Assistant at the Presbyterian Church of Madison.
Pastor & Staff
Elders
Rachel Currie
Rachel is a member of the Congregational Communication Committee.
Susana Fonticoba
Susana is a member of the Care & Outreach Committee.
Ethan Gorsak
Ethan is chair of the Properties Committee.
Stephanie Haedrich
Stephanie is chair of Family Ministries and Christian Education.
Becky Moody
Becky is the Clerk of Session and also Chair of Worship and Mission Committees.
John Schanck
John is chair of the Finance Committee. The Finance Chair is responsible for providing leadership and oversight for the financial stewardship of the congregation. The Finance chair works closely with the finance committee, the pastor, the bookkeeper, the Clerk of Session, the treasurer and session committee chairs to ensure the budget is managed effectively and transparently. Together, they guide the development and the review of the annual budget and help to make informed financial decisions.
Julie Siciliano
Julie is a member of the Mission Committee.
Giorgios Vlamis
Yorgi chairs the Personnel Committee which assists the Pastor as Head of Staff in management of the church’s human resources. This includes periodic updates to the handbook and job descriptions, and annual reviews. He assists the Property Committee with tenant related lease and capital expense matters as they arise in our community facility.
History
The Presbyterian Church in Madison is the oldest congregation in Madison, New Jersey. The first English-speaking settlers came to the area we now call Madison about 1730; they were Presbyterians and traveled to church in Whippany. Worshippers from Chatham Township, which included the village of “Bottle Hill”, formed their own congregation in 1747 under the leadership of the Reverend Azariah Horton. The congregation built a simple wooden meeting house, unadorned by steeple or bell, on a hillside. The site of that first church is now Hillside Cemetery on Main Street in Madison.
For the next 75 years, this was the only church building in “Bottle Hill”, and its presence stimulated the growth of the town, which included a tavern, stores, and houses. The early 19th century saw increasing refinement – the main road through town became a “turnpike” and the tolls charged for its use made it a well-maintained and well-traveled route between Morristown and Newark. The village of “Bottle Hill” re-named itself Madison to honor the 4th President of the United States. And in 1825, the Presbyterian congregation built a fine new brick building in the Federal style, along the turnpike and overlooking the old cemetery and original church site. This church building was once the Masonic Lodge, next to Madison Junior School.
In 1887, church members James and Margaretta Webb paid for the building of the Romanesque Revival style Webb Memorial Chapel on Green Avenue in memory of their son. It was designed by J.C. Cady, one of the greatest architects of ecclesiastical buildings in the greater New York area in the latter 19th century. The Parish House was added to Webb Chapel for the Sunday School in 1929. The present sanctuary was built in 1954 to serve an expanding congregation. Its prominent steeple is a Madison landmark today.
Hillside Cemetery
