Our Staff
Rev. Ellis Miller Designated Pastor
pastorellis@granbycongregationalchurch.org
Pastor Ellis Miller joined Granby Congregational Church in August 2023. Ellis previously served congregations in East Lansing, MI and South Glastonbury, CT. They earned a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School in Boston, MA. and a BA in English from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA. Ellis grew up in California, and having lived all over the country, is grateful to be back in Connecticut and growing roots in Granby.
Outside of the local church, Pastor Ellis is a facilitator and clergy coach. Ellis has worked with the UCC congregations and local nonprofits to facilitate anti-racism workshops and training. In East Lansing Ellis was the chairof the city’s Human Rights Commission. Pastor Ellis is passionate about working in the community to make an inclusive place for all people.
Pastor Ellis is a writer and storyteller, and is a regular contributor to the UCC’s popular Stillspeaking Daily Devotional. They are the author of Only Work Sundays: A Laidback Guide to Doing Less While Helping Your Church Thrive (Pilgrim Press), a church leadership book written with humor and love for the local church.
Pastor Ellis lives in Granby with their wife Beth, two cats, and a dog. Ellis enjoys biking, kayaking, quilting, and going on adventures with their dog Murphy.
Sarah Pradhan Director of Faith Formation
sarah@granbycongregationalchurch.org
Sarah leads our faith formation programs at Granby Congregational Church for children and youth. Working closely with the minister and the Board of Faith Formation, she selects and manages the various Christian programs and events that are available for youth ages K - High School.
Sarah lives in Granby with her husband Ben. Together they have two children, Avery and Owen, who attend Granby schools. Sarah grew up in Simsbury, CT and has worked as the Christian Education Director in two other local churches before coming to Granby. She is a graduate of UCONN, holding a degree in Family Studies and Psychology. In her free time she enjoys hiking, gardening, meditation and spending time with family. She also volunteers her in her free time with McLean hospice.
Laura Murach Interim Music Director
Susan Miltenberger Office Manager
office@granbycongregationalchurch.org
Sue joined the staff of First Congregational Church in July 2014 as Office Manager and accepted that position for Granby Congregational Church when it was offered to her. She does much in keeping the our church running and operating smoothly by helping to coordinate Sunday worship, church meetings and events, communications as well as fielding and directing all inquiries that come into the office.
Sue’s family has made their home in Granby for 30 years. She has held corporate positions in finance and has taught and volunteered in the Simsbury and Granby school systems as well as been involved in many community organizations.
John Carvalho Facilities Manager
John is GCC’s Facilities Manager. His many talents and abilities will help keep both campuses operational, clean and in good repair.
John is originally from Portugal, arriving in the states with his family at age 14. He worked for over 44 years as a Master Pressman, producing high quality labels, and charts, and teaching new press operators in 6 states and in Spain. His retirement from printing in 2017, has given him more time to watch his son play soccer and work on projects around the house. He lives with his wife, son and 2 Jack Russell Terriers in Simsbury.
Karen & Rick Handville Audio/Video Production/Stream Team
streaming@granbycongregationalchurch.org
Karen and Rick Handville are the video and audio professionals who manage the worship livestreams, video production and YouTube Channel for GCC. Rick has an extensive audio background both in music and from the corporate world. Karen brings her video production experience to GCC after retiring from many years in Community Television. Karen enjoys skiing, music & puzzling; Rick is a professional musician and recording engineer, he enjoys cooking for his friends & family. They both volunteer for the Granby Drummer newspaper, have 2 adult daughters and have lived in Granby for over 35 years.
Along with Karen and Rick, there are a couple of dedicated trained volunteers from the congregation who help with steaming on Sunday mornings. If you’re interested in helping or learning more, please send us an email.