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.
Reverend Douglas Vooys, Minister of Pastoral Care
Douglas joined Maple Street Church in May of 2019 as the Minister of Pastoral Care with a Designated Term through September 2020. His focus in ministry is to provide members of the church and the community with spiritual companioning, support, and encouragement and prayerful care as needed. At Sunday Worship and at Prayer and Table, Douglas collaborates with Pastor Pam to build a community of love, support, and praise. He holds a deep passion for welcome and inclusion by offering compassion to all who struggle and mindful attention to those who need to be heard and seen.
Douglas earned his Bachelor’s in Religious Education from Kuyper College in Grand Rapids, Michigan and worked as a licensed social worker for many years before earning his Master’s in Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, Massachusetts in 2015. Douglas has completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education and is currently pursuing certification in Chaplaincy. Douglas’ initial call to ministry was non-traditional – his discernment led him to the spiritual needs of patients in hospital beds and community settings, where chaplains find their congregation every day. He has served as a chaplain at Beverly Hospital since 2017, and now also serves patients at the Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester. His coming to Maple Street complements his chaplaincy work by connecting Douglas to similar ministerial calls with the congregation at Maple Street. He also works with the homeless community of Waltham as a board member of Chaplains on the Way, a ministry of presence to those struggling with poverty and homelessness.
Douglas and his husband Paul come to Maple Street as transplants from Boston to downtown Gloucester, which has quickly become home. Douglas and Paul enjoy everything the North Shore offers from walking the beaches, kayaking, spending time with their shih tzus and a big, orange cat and engaging in the rich cultural and historical offerings of Cape Ann.
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.