LEADERSHIP & STAFF
Pastor Marlon Simpkins, Interim Pastor
Pastor Marlon Simpkins is serving as interim pastor at Salem Covenant Church. He also serves fulltime as a chaplain at Regional Hospice in Danbury, CT. Pastor Marlon is a compassionate, principled, and relational minister serving God’s kingdom. His life’s mission is to administer God’s love to the brokenhearted. He strives to embody who Henry Nowen terms a “Wounded Healer.” And he is passionate in proclaiming the Good News through storytelling and making empathic human connections.
Pastor Marlon is fortified by the love of his wife, Valerie, and three growing children: Manasi, Micahia, and Mishael. As a former college basketball player at Yale University, he is passionate, too, about discipling young people through sports, faith, and academic enrichment.
In addition to earning his Master of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary in New York City, he completed 4 units of clinical pastoral education at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY. Prior to full-time ministry, he had a ten year career in corporate sales. His hobbies are trail walking, star gazing, coaching sports, and breaking bread.
Email: pastormarlon@salemcovenantchurch.com
Youth Pastor - Position Open
Susan Anthony-Klein, Music Director
Susan has her Bachelor of Music Performance degree from The University of Connecticut and her Master of Music Performance degree from Ithaca College in New York. She was music director at Salem Covenant Church in Washington, CT for 28 years. There she conducted and accompanied a choir of 20-24 members as well as lead the music for services. She was the accompanist for The St. Cecelia Chorus in New York City under the direction of David Randolph. She performed with that group at Carnegie Hall for five years in a total of seven performances including major choral works of Bach, Haydn and Orff. Susan toured throughout the United States with the Norman Luboff Choir and the Robert deCormier Singers.
She works at Western Connecticut State University doing vocal coaching, been the accompanist for the opera program. She is the accompanist for The Naugatuck Community Choir and The Newtown Choral Society and Ridgefield Chorale. She has accompanied the Connecticut Choral Society and many choral-intensive weekends at Mohonk Mountain, New York and Saugerties, New York. She also works with vocal and instrumental soloists in the Connecticut and New York area in preparation and performance of recitals. Any spare time is spent on her favorite hobby: making dollhouse furniture and accessories, including miniature Adirondack chairs for the tops of wedding cakes. Her work is available at: www.susanaklein.etsy.com
Email: musicdirector@salemcovenantchurch.com
Deborah Griesbach, Office Administrator
Deborah Griesbach is mom and stepmom to a blended family of five ranging in age from 19 to 35: Gustavo, Maya, Hannah, Ben and Sara. She and her husband David, who is a retired cabinetmaker, are also blessed to have three grandchildren, including toddler twins.
In theory, David is retired and Deborah is semi-retired. In practice, they both manage to stay busy. Among other things, the grandchildren enjoy weekly sleepovers with Pop Pop and Mormor.
As Deborah’s mother is Swedish, Deborah grew up speaking Swedish and English equally well. Unfortunately, she lost her Swedish fluency after starting school, when as a stubborn six year old she refused to speak Swedish.
Deborah came to faith and to Christ as an adult, during a difficult passage in her life. She is grateful to have found Salem Covenant Church during that period and glad during this time to step into the role of Interim Office Administrator.
Email: office@salemcovenantchurch.com
Stephanie Shaw, Nursery Care Provider
Stephanie Shaw, from New Milford, CT, is a graduate from Western Connecticut State University, studied Business Management, with hopes to become an event planner. Stephanie specializes with working with young children. For nearly seven years she has been babysitting for local families. Four years ago, she became a part-time preschool teacher at a local daycare center. She is excited to work at Salem as the Nursery Care Provider. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys Tang Soo Do (in which she holds a 2nd degree Black Belt), yoga, the movies and spending time with her family.
Housekeeping
This year Shepaug Valley Partnership Career Program is partnering with Salem for its fourth year.