Rev. Joy A. Baumgartner, Interim Senior Minister

The Rev. Joy A. Baumgartner has served National Association of Congregational Churches and United Church of Christ churches for over 20 years, serving churches in Illinois, Michigan, Florida and recently Nantucket, Massachusetts, first as a Senior Minister and in Nantucket as an Interim Minister, trained and certified by the Interim Ministry Network. Joy has two children, Robert (Angie) with children Danielle and Alex, and Heidi (Herber) with children Antonio and Mateo.

Joy graduated from Chicago Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity Degree, and for all of her twenty years in ministry has constantly studied and updated her education to remain current not only with the church, but the world. Her major was psychology with a minor in business, and in seminary preaching and Family Systems Therapy.

She loves to read, go to movies, cook new and interesting dishes for guests, and loves dogs, especially very large ones (Jack).  Growing up in the Midwest, Illinois, and serving a church in Grand Rapids many years ago, she is attuned to the weather and values of the Midwest.  

John Dale Smith, Director of Music/Communication/Events

John Dale Smith is well-known in musical circles in the Lansing area and has experience in virtually all areas associated with musical performance, as producer, performer, and coordinator for a wide variety of musical events.  He is leader of the John Dale Quintet, and co-leader of J & J Sounds.  John received a Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Music in Piano Performance from Michigan State University.  His professional affiliations include memberships in Phi Mu Alpha and the honorary Pi Kappa Lambda music fraternities. John recently retired from a 28 year career at Lansing Community College where he served in a number of capacities, including Program Director of Music, Director of Performing Arts, and most recently as Director of Communication and College Events. While at LCC John had positions at two Lansing churches, as Coordinator of Music at First Presbyterian Church, and for 10 years as the Director of Music at Mount Hope Presbyterian Church where his duties included directing the choir and playing piano for services.

In addition to these duties John has been very active in many community organizations, including the American Heart Association, Rotary Club of Lansing, the University Club of Michigan State University, and the Arts Council Center of Lansing, having served on the boards of directors of the latter two organizations. John is married to Janine Novenske Smith, who is the Director of Choirs at University Lutheran Church in East Lansing and an adjunct instructor at LCC.  John and Janine have two children, Jennifer and Jonathan, both of whom are active in the performing arts.

Rev. David Bandfield, Associate Minister

David Bandfield is a lifelong Congregationalist and Michigander, having grown up in Portland where his involvement in the church started at an early age. He attended Michigan State University as a music major, also pursuing a degree tract in Religious Studies and graduating with a Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance.

Enthusiastic about the role of the laity in the church, he was an active layperson at Plymouth for several years during the 1980's. Leadership involvement in a home-church effort evolved into a call as Associate and then Senior Minister at Mayflower Congregational Church, positions he held while still a layperson for fourteen years. During that period he was also active in Pastoral Care ministry, working for the Pastoral Care Department as Assistant Chaplain at Ingham Regional Medical Center for four years. Half-jokingly reluctant to give up his "status as a layperson," he was ordained at Plymouth where he has served as Associate Minister since 2005.

In keeping with his philosophy of an active laity, Rev. Dave's ministry has always been a bi-vocational effort - he has worked in software development for over thirty years, owning his own business for nearly twenty of those (while occasionally admitting that he doesn't know what he wants to be when he grows up). His volunteer efforts include regularly scheduled commitments to Hospice House, WKAR Radio Reading Service and the American Red Cross. Married to his wife, Nancy, for nearly thirty years, they live in DeWitt and have two grown daughters, Sarah and Mary.

Lisa Bolton-Hunt, Assistant Minister

Margaret (Maggie) Wallin, J.D., M.Div., Assistant Minister

Obtained her MDiv from Ecumenical Theological Seminary, Detroit Michigan in June 2010. Since 2007, She has been a licensed minister at Plymouth Congregational Church Lansing, while also employed full time as an attorney for the Michigan Public Service Commission. Maggie participates in the Congregational Foundation for Theological Studies (CFTS) program, and anticipates graduating from that program in 2012 after completing the last of the 1000 internship hours required by that program.