Welcome Rev. Cara Davis, our new Bridge Minister!

Rev. Cara Davis

No stranger to this church, Rev. Cara Davis arrived in the Berkshires in 1971 and has lived in Lee, Stockbridge and in Great Barrington.   After joining our church in the early 80’s, she was graciously supported and encouraged by this church during her years in seminary at Andover Newton Theological School.  She was ordained in this church after a call to North Pomfret Congregational Church in North Pomfret, Vermont in 1990. Five years later she also served as pastor at the Village Congregational Church in Cummington, MA for five years.

In 2000, Cara left parish ministry to work full time at Construct Inc in Great Barrington. Together with volunteers and partner organizations from the community and a dynamic Board of Directors, Cara developed an emergency fund for those unstable with their housing, a transitional shelter and a number of affordable housing units in the southern Berkshires.  Lee Congregational Church has been a generous supporter of Construct since the  80’s, and a major donor in the development of a supportive housing project, Genesis House, for those who are chronically unhoused and want a new start.

After retiring from Construct six years ago, Cara returned part time to the parish. Her first short term ministry was here in Lee as Sabbatical Minister for three months, followed by an 8-month Bridge Ministry at First Congregation Church, Great Barrington. More recently she served as Designated Term Minister for three years at First Church of Christ, Congregational in Pittsfield, with a focus on helping the congregation navigate the sale of their church building, explore consolidation and create a new UCC presence in Pittsfield with members of South Congregational Church. These two churches are now under one roof and in the final stages of closing the old and founding a new church together.

Cara is a contemplative pray-er who not only practices contemplative disciplines but would love others to join her. She is committed to action for economic, racial, and environmental justice, and is in constant wonderment at the natural world around us and beauty of the Berkshires. She loves to take long walks, cleaning up the highways and byways of road trash as she goes. On behalf of the Berkshire Association, Cara serves on the Executive Board and is the chair of the Unified Fitness Review Committee for Massachusetts. She has volunteered at the food pantry at South Congregational and is on leave from the board of Cathedral of the Beloved in Pittsfield, hoping to return to that board in the next year. She also serves on the board of the Montessori School of the Berkshires.

Cara delights in her three children (Kiel, Kehr and Bryn), their partners, seven grandchildren, and her extended families – the Davises here in the Berkshires and the Barketts scattered across the US. Cara lives in Great Barrington with two obnoxious but loving dogs, Sula and Pi.

Music Director: Jim Morrison

Music Director Jim Morrison
Music Director Jim Morrison

In 2009, following a 40 year career in non-profit fundraising where Morrison was named one of the top 15 Fundraisers in the U.S. by the “Non-Profit Times” based in Washington, D.C., he was asked to become the Music Director at the Lee Congregational Church.  Prior to that, he was Musical Director for both the Housatonic Congregational Church and St. George’s Episcopal Church in Lee, MA.  Since coming to this church he has brought with him a style of music that will appeal to people of all ages.  The choir has more than doubled and the annual Christmas concert is eagerly anticipated by the entire Lee community each year.  The only requirement for choir members is the desire to have fun!

Church Administrator: Tari Wheeler Roosa

Tari has been LCC’s Administrative Assistant since October of 2015.  She is a third generation member of the church and very involved in the music and education portions of the church.  She lives with her husband, Peter, and has three grown sons.  When not at the church, Tari can be found teaching and playing her flute in the community.

Sexton: Jason Matthews