Staff
Reverend Pamela Cochrane
Pastor Pam joined Maple Street Church in May of 2016 as the Associate Minister of Youth Families. Her focus in ministry is on community building and welcoming children, youth and families into active worship and learning circles. Pam has a passion for new approaches in faith formation through storytelling, artistic expression and intergenerational experiences helping churches seek to widen their welcome, engage new members and honor timeless church traditions. On January 27, 2019 Maple Street Church called Pam to serve as Lead Pastor during a time of pastoral transition. Serving for a designated term through 2020, Pam’s ministry guided Maple Street Church into their 175th celebrations and the implementation phase of their visioning for the future. In 2021, the congregation called Pam to be their settled Senior Pastor.
Pam earned her Masters in Religious Education in 2010 and a Masters in Divinity in 2014, both at Andover Newton Theological School and served as Acting Minister and Director of Children’s Ministries at Hancock United Church of Christ in Lexington, MA, before joining MSC. Pam also served the Congregational Church of Harvard, MA (UCC) as Director of Religious Education and served a year as the Interim Director of Creative Worship and Arts as well as Ministerial Intern at First Church in Cambridge, MA (UCC).
Her ministry includes serving on the Danvers Interfaith Partnership and The Danvers Cares Coalition. Pam is also an active member of the Committee on Ministry for the Northeast Association of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ. She holds a certificate in Clinical Pastoral Education from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and certificate in Ministerial Leadership from Andover Newton Theological School. Prior to full time ministry, Pam was the owner/director of Clark Gallery in Lincoln, MA supporting emerging artists in the Boston area. She continues to foster artistic expression in community art projects and faith communities. Pam loves outdoor treks, retreats and travel and taking hikes with her family and rescue dogs Rocky and Chili.
Kathy Keesey Gross, Director of Music Ministry
Kathy Gross grew up in Durham, NH. Her mother was the organist of the Community Church, UCC, of Durham, and Kathy followed her there, singing in church choirs from the time she was in third grade. She taught herself to play the guitar and studied the flute, but her favorite musical pursuit, by far, was singing. She earned her BA in elementary education with a minor in music a the University of New Hampshire. Asked to begin a middle school age church choir following her graduation, Kathy was suddenly immersed in the joy of directing choral music with young people – and discovered her life’s calling! She pursued opportunities for choral and vocal education through study with Helen Kemp of Westminster Choir College, Jeanette Hile of Seton Hall University, and Kathleen Wilson of the University of New Hampshire. Several years and two thriving church children’s choir programs later, she returned to UNH for her MS in music education, with a concentration in voice study. Kathy began her career as an elementary music teacher in the Beverly, MA Public Schools while continuing her volunteer work with children’s and intergenerational choirs at the Maple Street Church. In 1993, she founded the StarSingers, a community chorus for children, which has since grown into a program of four choruses for Danvers-area young people. Kathy is delighted to be serving as Director of Music Ministry at Maple Street Church, a position she has held since the fall of 2010.
Jonathan Graham Gaines, Assistant Director of Music Ministry
Jon grew up in Derry, NH, and from a young age loved playing piano and creating music. He went on to receive a Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Trumpet Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he also continued his training in piano and voice. After college Jon spent 3 years touring the world with the historic jazz vocal group The Four Freshmen as their baritone singer and trumpeter. Now, in addition to working at Maple Street Church, he performs his own music locally and teaches piano, trumpet, and voice lessons.
Aaron Bartlett, Sexton
Aaron was born and raised in Derry, NH. He moved to Massachusetts when he married his wife Gayla. They have a beautiful daughter and a cute dog named Lucky. Aaron enjoys working on projects that require his carpentry and mechanical skills; he is taking several trades classes. He enjoys spending time with his family. He likes rock climbing, archery, zip lining and practicing Kung fu. Aaron enjoys being a member of the Maple Street Church.