Staff
PASTORAL
The Rev. Edwin Pérez Jr. is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC). Beginning in the Pentecostal tradition, he began licensed ministry in 2015 and has served in the United Church of Christ (UCC) since 2017, in various capacities. He has written published devotionals and blogs, founded and coached new church plants/revitalizations, and served in UCC national leadership as well as on the founding Board of Directors of the Southern New England Conference UCC.
Pastor Edwin has coached pastors and churches across the country and served as the inaugural President & Moderator of the Colectivo UCC Latinx (lah-TEE-necks) Ministries. He has worked ecumenically and with interfaith partners, traveling the country and Latin America to preach and embody the Gospel of liberation for the marginalized and the oppressed. Pastor Edwin also has ordained standing in The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM). He recently served the Congregational Church of Naugatuck CT as Transitional Senior Minister, leading them into becoming Open and (LGBTQ+) Affirming, and most recently served as a healthcare chaplain.
Pastor Edwin has worked in public service in New Haven, CT, in administrative and managerial capacities; as a K-8 educator; academic specialist/tutor in higher education; and as Advisory Board Member for Progreso Latino Fund of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. His work has included local and state level justice and policy advocacy, especially benefiting BIPOC, LGBTQ, and migrant people domestically and internationally.
Pastor Edwin holds an Associate of Arts degree from CT State Community College, a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Southern Connecticut State University–receiving the Forrest Peterson Award for Excellence in Philosophy in 2021—a Master of Divinity degree from Yale University, a Diploma in Congregational Ministry from Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School—receiving the 2024 Jonathan Edwards Prize for Excellence in Theology and Ministry—and is currently a Doctor of Ministry student in Transformational Leadership at Boston University School of Theology.
Pastor Edwin continues to mentor Latine local pastors as the part-time volunteer General Pastor of Manantial de Gracia (“Spring of Grace”)—a small and the only Latine and Spanish-speaking LGBTQ+ affirming UCC congregation in the Conference—and teaches Social Ethics online as an Adjunct Professor at Berkeley School of Theology. He is most excited about his call to serve Immanuel Congregational Church as settled Senior Minister, leading into the church's next chapters of ministry of love, justice, and peace.
MUSIC
Amanda Sprague Hanzlik is the Choral Director at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs and President of the Eastern Region of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Now in her 26th year of being a music educator she has conducted choirs of all ages in public, private, community and faith-based settings. In addition, she also served as the Children’s Choir Director, Vocal Coach & Interim Director of Music for Christ Episcopal Church Greenwich (1999-2008). She holds a B.A. in Music/Vocal Performance and K-12 Education from the University of Iowa and an M.A. in Music and Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Amanda lives in Storrs with her husband (Louis), and their two children.
Stephen Scarlato is a pianist and organist based in central Connecticut. He received his bachelor's degree in organ performance from The Hartt School, where he studied under Larry Allen. While at The Hartt School, Stephen received the University of Hartford's Regents Honors Award for academic excellence, won prizes in the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival/USA, and graduated summa cum laude. He can be heard on several commercially available recordings, including the recent albums “Blessing: The Music of Paul Mealor” and “Music of the Spheres” released by the Hartford-based choral group Voce. In addition to a wide variety of freelance work, he currently serves as organist at Immanuel Congregational Church, accompanist for Voce and the Farmington Valley Chorale, and as a collaborative pianist in The Hartt School's vocal studies division.
Bobby Hafner is our Sound Engineer and has been working for the church in this capacity since 1980. Bobby undertook a major sound system upgrade back in 2013 and did so again in 2021.
Bobby is a dedicated person of the church who will go the extra mile to see that every detail on the church's sound system is addressed. We are truly blessed he was baptized and raised at Immanuel Congregational Church.
ADMINISTRATION
immanuel06105@gmail.com - Church email
Mary has deep roots in Connecticut. growing up on a farm in Berlin in a home built by her great-grandfather. She has deep roots in Hartford as well, having moved to our beautiful city in 1987 and into downtown in 2001. At one time she lived in the Mark Twain Apartments right across the street! She loves seeing how Hartford is changing and being revived.
Mary also has deep roots in the Congregational Church. Throughout her childhood, her parents served as sextons and she spent many a Saturday vacuuming the red carpet in the sanctuary. As Mary grew up, she went from the nursery to the Sunday school to P.F. (youth group). She sang in the choir and played in the handbell choir. Since moving to Hartford, she has served in a Pentecostal church and at First Presbyterian Church. Mary is excited to be joining the staff at Immanuel and getting to meet everyone.
Peter Dunn has over 40 years of accounting and bookkeeping experience. Now retired, Peter provides services to local nonprofits on a part-time basis. Peter lives in Glastonbury and enjoys spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. If you run into Peter in the office, please say “Hello!” We are so happy to have him with us.
