Neil became the pastor at First Congregational in August, 2023. He loves helping cultivate the kind of community that seems like it shouldn’t exist: a place where you feel a sense of deep, joyful belonging but also can’t wait to encounter new people who aren’t like you. Being at home, but also being open to adventure.

Neil grew up in a secular household; his parents instilled in him a love of science and the arts and a concern for justice and the common good. He started going to church after an experience that he couldn’t describe in any way other than using the word “God.” He came to fall in love with the things that happen in community centered around Christ: He loves telling stories and wrestling with ideas (preaching), listening to people’s stories and honoring their worth (ministry and pastoral care), and constantly rediscovering our true, joyful life in God through prayer, music, and worship.

Because of his faith and his life story, he’s passionate about organizing with others to create a more just and caring world. Economic justice and disability justice are what get him fired up the most.

Neil enjoys riding his bike, being in the woods, seeing and playing music, reading scripture, novels, poetry, philosophy, and theology, dancing of many kinds, but most of all playing with his kids.

A graduate of Harvard College and the University of Chicago Divinity School, Neil lives in St. Peter, MN with his wife Allison, a fiber and textile artist, and their three children.

Contact: neilellingson@mankatoucc.org

Janet Anderson was raised in the Episcopal Church and developed there a reverence for God and a love of language and music for expressing hope and gratitude. Her professional life has been a ministry of words, with years spent teaching college English, tutoring and providing creative writing opportunities for K-12 students, doing community outreach with Barnes & Noble, and directing the Westminster Town Hall Forum. She believes strongly in the power of stories.

Bookish as a child, Janet was lucky to have been born into a family that enjoyed being outdoors—and luckier still to have adopted later in life a dog who liked long walks. From these teachers, she learned to see and to hear the happiness that God creates and shares in the natural world.

Janet has experience with faith formation work for children and adults in the Episcopal Church and the UCC. She also worked at the Minnesota Conference UCC helping seminary students through the process of ordination and connecting pastors with churches in the search-and-call process.

Locally, Janet is on the board of the Betsy-Tacy Society. She's also a pianist and a singer who considers music a form of prayer. As a writer, she's working on a manuscript about the wisdom gained from walks in urban nature with her dog. Janet and her husband Tim live in St. Peter.

Diana joined our staff as 'house musician' in August, 2016. In addition to organ and piano, she plays a variety of wind instrument. In 2019, Diana also took on the role of Office Coordinator.

"I grew up in a musical family, as did my husband, Ken. We share our musical talents in a duo called Heartstrings, playing guitar, hammered dulcimer, tin whistle, and recorder. We have two children and five grandchildren. I look forward to sharing in worship with all of you!"

Donna has been Assistant to our Office Coordinator since 2008 and Financial Secretary, managing records of contributions, since 2009. She is retired from her work as a database programmer in the Twin Cities, and now, in addition to serving as our clerk since 2010, is also a devoted member of the choir.

Bio coming soon.