Staff

Rev. Amelia Richardson Dress is the Senior Pastor at UCC Longmont, where she previously served as Minister for Community Faith Formation. As a pastor, she considers it a deep privilege to walk alongside people on their faith journeys. Amelia is particularly interested in spiritual development throughout life stages, intergenerational ministry and doing progressive Christian theology with children.

Prior to coming to UCC Longmont, Amelia focused on interim and renewal ministry, and spent five years as a bi-vocational pastor working in Human Services supporting early education teachers. As an interim/renewal pastor, she’s worked with congregations in the United Church of Christ as well as other denominations.

She’s also the author of two books, "The Hopeful Family: Raising Resilient Children in Uncertain Times", and a picture book, "This Is the Mystery of Easter,” which was based on a children’s sermon given here at UCC Longmont. She’s spoken and led retreats around the country on the topics of hope, theology in intergenerational settings, and congregational discernment.

Amelia enjoys long walks, gardening, live performances of all kinds, and spending time with her husband and daughter. They live with their three cats, who are a constant source of joy and mischief.

If you would like to contact Rev. Amelia please click here.

Whitney Janzen-Pankratz, Director of Community Faith Formation

Whitney Janzen-Pankratz (she/her) is the Director of Community Faith Formation at UCC Longmont. As she finishes her MDiv with a Concentration in Social Transformation with United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, Whitney has felt a strong sense of call to co-creating community, and collaborating on our shared journey to “be church.” Cultivating and facilitating spaces for us to show up in our authentic wholeness, and allow the Spirit to move in creative and transformative ways is her deep delight.

Whitney came to professional ministry as a second career. As the Wellness Program Coordinator for the Weld County Area Agency on Aging, Whitney developed community organizing skills in building volunteer teams, facilitating groups, and connecting partners and lay leaders in collaboration. Prior to that Whitney worked as a Social Services Director at a Long Term Care facility for 5 years. She has also enjoyed connecting with others as a Camp Counselor, Tutor, Case Manager, Personal Care Provider, and After School Group Leader. In all of these roles, Whitney has considered it a great honor and privilege to journey with others.

In her free time Whitney enjoys spending time cooking, hiking, backpacking, and camping with her partner, and sons.

If you would like to contact Whitney please click here.

Rob Cronin, Youth Minister

My name is Rob Cronin. I was born and raised in Minnesota and grew up loving the outdoors and all the adventures to be found there! My wife, Maaike, and I were married 20 years ago and lived in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area until May 2020 when we moved to Longmont to follow a dream we shared of living in Colorado. We have three children: Mary Jane (16), Bekah (13) and Emma (10). I continue to love finding time to be outdoors and adventuring; primarily through mountain biking, hiking, paddle boarding and snowboarding…though I’ll try just about anything once! I’m grateful to be a part of the youth ministry and am super excited for the adventures we’ll have together!

If you would like to contact Rob Cronin,please click here.

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Lauren Black, Music Director

Having grown up in a musical household in Rockville, Maryland, Lauren began her musical career studying classical piano and voice. She has a degree in vocal performance from the University of Denver. Lauren has sung with the Colorado Ballet’s Dracula (2022) and Nutcracker (2019-2023); as well as with Boulder’s Ars Nova (2021). She is currently a vocal instructor at the Denver Music Institute and the Music Director for the First Congregational Church of Longmont.

If you would like to contact Lauren Black , please click here.

Robert Hjelmstad, Keyboardist

Robert Hjelmstad is an exceptionally talented and accredited keyboardist, holding a Bachelor of Music from Western Michigan University, a Master’s Degree from the University of Georgia, and a Doctorate from the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Outside of his musical pursuits, Robert is an avid reader, a fitness enthusiast, and a dedicated creator of dad jokes, much to the delight of his wife, Jessica, and their two children, Gabriel and Isabella.

If you would like to contact Robert Hjelmstad, please click here.

Mike Sutton, Building Coordinator

Mike Sutton is a creative enthusiast with a passion for photography, music, and cinema. When he’s not capturing life’s moments through his lens, Mike loves seeing live bands, playing guitar, thrifting. A true denim connoisseur, he appreciates the finer details in fashion.

Mike grew up in South Padre Island, Texas, where he developed a love for surfing. He is happily married to his wife, Mari, who shares his love for adventure and creativity. They moved to Longmont, Colorado, ten years ago and have since made it their home. Mike has built a career in property management and loves working at United Church of Christ.

If you would like to contat Mike Sutton, please click here.

Jen Mueller, Administrator

Jen Mueller is a California native turned Colorado transplant, having made the move in 2014. She's been happily married to her husband Christian for 16 years and share a son, Zealand, who's 14 years old and a avid baseball player. When she's not cheering on her son at his games, Jen enjoys belting out her favorite tunes at karaoke nights with friends and spending quality time with loved ones. With a passion for travel and exploration, Jen is always looking forward to the next adventure on the horizon.

If you would like to contact Jen Mueller, please click here.

Rev. Amelia Richardson-Dress, Senior Pastor

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