Doug was born in Rutland and raised in Winooski along with his four siblings. After graduating from Winooski High School, Doug joined the Air Force and served for four years, including 13 months in South Korea.
Upon his discharge, Doug returned to Vermont and began a 30+-year career in electronics sales. As his career was winding down, his lifelong interest in Bible study was increasing, leading him to enroll in the UCC’s VAST program, a three-year course of study. During this time, he felt God calling him to ministry, resulting in his being licensed to serve as the Settled Pastor of the East Brookfield Congregational Church, where he served for seven years.
Following his time in East Brookfield, Doug served the Randolph Center church for 18 months, and the Williamstown United Church for seven years, retiring in April 2023. After about six months of retirement, it was clear that God was still calling, and Doug began doing pulpit supply for churches in the Washington Association.
Doug and his wife, Donna, live in East Brookfield. They have three children, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. In addition to spending time with family, Doug enjoys golf, kayaking, and studying Scripture.
FCCB is excited to welcome our new Music Director, Christopher McWilliams! Christopher holds a BM Summa Cum Laude in Organ and Piano Performance and an MM With Distinction in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, NJ. At WCC, he studied piano with Phyllis Lehrer and organ with Kenneth Cowan and Matthew Lewis. After graduating, he has worked primarily as a piano instructor at the Westminster Conservatory of Music from 2012 to 2020, where he taught mostly one-on one lessons to students aged 7 to 17. He has also taught music theory to violin students at the Princeton String Academy, and he accompanied flute and violin students during recitals both in Princeton, NJ and at Weill Recital Hall in NYC. While he taught at WCM, he regularly performed in chamber music recitals with his former colleagues including Melissa Bohl, oboe, Marjorie Selden, viola, Michael Carl Green, trumpet, and Phyllis Lehrer, piano.Between 2011 and 2018, Mr. McWilliams served as organist of Princeton United Methodist Church, where he accompanied the elementary, youth and adult choirs and collaborated with solo instrumentalists. From 2014 to 2020, he also served as a weekly rehearsal accompanist for both First Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church in Princeton Junction and for the Taiwanese/American Fellowship Hall in Hillsborough, NJ. For a brief period between September and October 2019, he was an intern organist for the Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in Ewing, NJ. Since June 2020, Mr. McWilliams held a post as Director of Music at Bethany United Church of Christ in Montpelier, VT, where his main duties included leading the adult choir in worship, playing and maintaining the organ and pianos and collaborating with other soloists. Aside from being the new Director of Music at the First Congregational Church of Berlin (UCC) beginning on January 1, 2024, Christopher holds a teaching studio at his residence in Barre, VT and will also offer lessons at the church if needed.
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