Leadership Team Chair
Leadership Team
Terry Griswold
Terry and his wife Kathy (married 53 years in 2023) have been at Bethany since 2019. Both New Britain natives, Kathy being multigenerational, they both graduated together at New Britain High School, as have their children, Amy and Peter.
Terry has held several leadership positions in prior churches. He was a member of the Board of Advisors at one church and was an Elder at another. Since coming to Bethany, he helped to start the Connect Groups during the pandemic and can be found greeting at the front door during Sunday services.
He loves family time with his kids and grandkids, especially a week together every summer on the Connecticut shore. Terry and Kathy also spend time traveling and love to visit Connecticut libraries. He also has fun exercising and playing racquetball at the New Britain YMCA since 1979. He has enjoyed an amazing career in the IT field affording him the opportunity to travel the country and Europe. Terry is also a proud veteran having served in the US Army as an Infantry Officer.
Rich Laury
Leadership Team Vice-Chair
coming soon
Kim Sisson
Financial Officer
Kim grew up as a PK (Pastor’s Kid) happily absorbing ‘Bible Vitamins’ (daily Bible verses) each morning. She and her husband Glen (married 35 years in 2022) have four adult children, two married in the fall of 2021. They started attending Bethany in 2008 and taught adult Sunday School classes for 8 years. Kim also served as Treasurer for 10 years.
She and Glen have led numerous mission trips to China, Vietnam, and Thailand to share Jesus’ love and hope. Kim continues to travel to Thailand to minister to persecuted refugees from Burma. Currently Kim is on the Board of Directors and Treasurer for two nonprofit ministries.
Kim thrives as she runs, hikes, and bikes in God’s beautiful creation. She and Glen enjoy long walks, tent camping, going to the beach, and traveling. But most of all, Kim is passionate about connecting people to their Heavenly Father and His immense kindness, goodness, and love.
David Chandler
Leadership Team Secretary
Dave and his wife Edie grew up on opposite coasts, and met at a Covenant church in California (where Dave was a native) when Edie was serving immigrants in an inner-city ministry. They eventually married – that was over three decades ago – and have since lived out west, in England (while study-travel took them to biblical sites in the Middle East and Europe), and in Connecticut, where all three of their now-adult children grew up.
For many years they lived in Plainville, where Dave was pastor of a Covenant church, and since then have resided in New Hartford and now West Simsbury. For about a decade they have been at Bethany, where Dave has occasionally taught Life Together classes, helped lead Financial Peace University, basks in their Connect Group, and welcomes serving as one of the newer members of the Leadership Team.
Dave likes to explore health in various forms, especially spiritual and physical, which leads to enjoyment of reading, Christian theology, nutrition, and fitness. That exploration of health has included recovery through a medical journey this past year, and he’s so grateful to God and for the support of our church community.
Gregg Levinson
Leadership Team Member
More about Gregg coming soon!
Kristen Walsh
Leadership Team Member
Kristen has been involved in many ministries and activities during her 15+ years at Bethany, leading Bethany’s involvement with Feed My Starving Children (packing over 1 million meals!), going on mission trips, helping in youth ministry and has even mowed the lawn. Kristen, more than anything, loves all things music and art, participating in worship though various instruments she plays, instigating “pop-up art shows” as well as assisting in the creation of large-scale visual art projects that help give a visual to the themes of our sermons and/or seasons at church. Kristen hopes that her wide-ranging interests and experience will be well used on the leadership team as we seek God’s vision for Bethany.
Kristen is a working artist, selling her own art as well as teaching others. Outside of church she can be found with her husband, Patrick by her side, paddling a kayak, hiking or enjoying her favorite state, Maine!
Ken Baker
Leadership Team Member
Ken became a member by transfer from First Evangelical Covenant, Rockford Illinois in 2007 with his wife Karen and two children Stephanie and Nathan. Since retiring from being a Lubricant Engineer at Pratt & Whitney in 2022 he enjoys hiking, biking, carpentry, chopping wood, and listening to good music of most genres. Ken can be seen at Bethany doing almost anything asked of him; ushering, greeting, setting up tables, cutting grass, etc. In retirement his fun activity is being the 6am baker of pastries and bread at his local grocery store three days a week.
