Pastor Richard Burgess
It is my privilege to be the transitional pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church here in Meriden, CT. If my few weeks here so far are any indication, it is going to be an exciting and spirit-filled time. As we begin our journey together it would seem to be a good idea to tell you a little about myself.
I grew up in a small town in northeast Nebraska, a town of 350 people in which I actually remember when they paced the first street. I went to high school in Sioux City, IA and college in Sioux Falls, SD, where I received my BA in both mathematics and music from Augustana College, Following college I worked at an insurance company in Cedar Rapids, IA, where I translated insurance policies from legalese into English.
I came to Connecticut in 1980 as an actuarial student at The Hartford and after a few years transitioned into IT. Later, while at CIGNA, I introduced and managed their PC-based e-mail system, years before everyone was on the internet. After a couple years of consulting as a database designer, I went to seminary in Gettysburg, PA. I did my internship in Wilkes-Barre, PA and during my senior year served two small churches in northern Virginia.
After seminary I served a church in West Haven, CT for several years, during which time I started a soup kitchen and also worked as a chaplain at Yale-New Haven Hospital. I was the visitation pastor at Emanuel in Hartford for five years, did interim ministry with five churches in the New England Synod (one of them twice where I became known as "the pastor who came back"), and served eight years as the chaplain at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington.
In my spare time I enjoy going to Dunkin' Donuts with my wife, Betty, and my stepchildren Jon & Audrey, spending time with our cats, Jewel and Nadine, and playing (French) horn in the Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra. A lifelong fan of classical music, my favorite composers are Brahms and Mahler. My favorite color is blue; my favorite vegetable is Brussel Sprouts; my favorite fonts are Goudy Old Style and Optima; and my Myers-Briggs type is INTP (Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving). I also collect stuffed animals and work part time in the computer lab at the West Hartford Public Library.
May God bless our work together as we build God's Kingdom.
Peace,
Pastor Burgess
Church ADMINISTRATOR
Diane murphy
Her office hours are Monday through Friday from 9am-1pm.
You can reach her by email at office@immanuelmeriden.org if you require her assistance.