Our Staff - First Congregational Church of Lee

Please welcome our new Transitional Pastor, Rev. Dr. Jay Terbush !

Rev. Dr. Jay Terbush, Transitional Pastor

Dr. Jay (he/him) hails from Michigan, having attended both the University of Michigan and Michigan State University (PhD Counseling Psychology). He has served two ‘settled’ pastorates: one in Michigan and one in Hartford. For the past 18 years Jay has found his passion serving as a temporary minister in between settled ministers. He has served as Temporary Transitional or Interim Minister at UCC churches in Storrs, Madison and Ellington Connecticut, as well as in Longmeadow Massachusetts and Keene New Hampshire. Jay enjoys assisting churches in evaluating where they have been, considering their present circumstances and then prayerfully charting a course into the future to which the Spirit of God is calling them.

Jay is proud father to four adult children and delighted with two grandchildren! Jay is single and head of the household that includes daughter Jessica who works as a veterinary assistant and grandson Liam who is 3 and in preschool, plus three cats (Wilbur 18 years old and two kittens Princess Leia and Chewbacca who are 9 months old). Jay enjoys reading, Broadway musicals, movies, walking for exercise and spending quality time with friends and family. Over the last decade Jay has led 4 pilgrim groups to the Holy Land and one group to Assisi, Italy home town of St Francis. He is hoping to lead a pilgrim group some day after the pandemic subsides.

Welcome Dr. Jay!

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