Our Story
College Street Congregational Church was founded July 21, 1860, by a group of free thinkers and activists brought together by issues such as slavery and women’s rights. In 1961 we became part of the United Church of Christ, and we officially became an Open and Affirming congregation in 1994.
Today, we continue that legacy by seeking to live out Christ’s call to love all of God’s children through worship, service, and learning.
We are a people who like to laugh and who love music. We prefer hard questions to ready-made answers, and we’re not afraid to challenge custom and tradition. We hail from many different backgrounds and have many different views on issues of faith. In God’s love for us in all our imperfections, we see God’s grace, and we hear God’s call to share that grace with others.
Wherever you are on life’s journey, you’re welcome here.
Jessica Derise
Interim Pastor
Reverend Jessica Derise was called to serve College Street Congregational as our Interim Pastor in the Spring of 2025. With Board Certification as a Chaplain and her Service as a Missionary in Russia and South East Asia, Reverend Derise brings compassionate understanding of contemporary issues impacting individuals and our larger world.
Jessica holds a BA in English Education and a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary (PCUSA). A life long learner with an interest in holistic health, Jessica obtained certification as a yoga teacher. She is currently pursuing the study of Ayurvedic Medicine.
Jessica's personal time is spent enjoying reading, hiking, travel, and yoga. She and her wife, Rev. Debbie Ingram, reside in Williston with their dog, Rio, and their cat, Jasper.
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Eric Milnes
Music Director
.Eric’s work as a conductor, organist, harpsichordist, pianist, and recording producer has taken him around the globe. He has been a featured performer at festivals and on tours throughout Europe, South America, Asia, and across North America. Highlights include performances at the Regensburg Festival in Germany, the Utrecht Festival in The Netherlands, the Bruges Festival in Belgium, the Lufthansa Festival in England, and on tour throughout France, Poland, Bolivia, Chile, China and Japan. He has been director of the Festival Montreal Bach Orchestra, The Seattle Baroque Orchestra, The Portland Baroque Orchestra, Trinity Consort, New York Baroque, The New York Collegium, and appeared at the Mostly Mozart Festival, the Boston Early Music Festivl, the Santa Fe Festival, the New England Bach Festival, The Tanglewood Festival, and the Berkeley Bach Festival. In his hometown of New York, he has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher and Alice Truly Halls, at Town Hall, and as organ recitalist at St. Thomas’ Fifth Avenue, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. He has been guest conductor at Trinity Church Wall Street in live performance, radio broadcasts, and recording projects.
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Will Robinson
Youth Ministry Leader
Will is the Youth Ministry Leader of the joint youth program at College Street church and our sister church First Congregational church
His professional background includes community organizing, and teaching positions from preschool to middle and high school classrooms.
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Lacey Sanchez
Children's Ministry Leader
Lacey is beginning her graduate studies in Mathematics at the University of Vermont in the fall of 2025. Alongside her love for numbers, she has a deep commitment to faith and social justice. In fact, she earned her Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2023 and became a Board-Certified Chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains in the summer of 2025. Much of her chaplaincy has been in hospital settings, with a focus on mental health care, including her time at Yale Psychiatric Hospital.
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Lacey understands youth development as twofold: nurturing and empowering. During her Divinity studies, she served at a Presbyterian church in New Jersey, where she nurtured and empowered the youth through activities, Bible studies, and opportunities to give back to their community. Whether tutoring calculus, fostering faith formation, or creating safe spaces for children to explore big questions, Lacey loves walking alongside children and families in their spiritual journeys.
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