Congregational Church of New Canaan

Our Ministers

The Reverend Harold E. Masback, III
Senior Minister
Reverend Masback has served as our Senior Minister since February 2001. He first joined our church in 1994 as an Associate Minister, coming to us from the First Congregational Church in Guilford, CT where he had served as a Pastoral Associate and an Interim Associate Minister. Skip's responsibilities included youth programming, and he created the dynamic youth groups that continue to serve the youth of our congregation and community today. In 1997, Skip was called as Minister and in February of 2001, was unanimously called to serve as Senior Minister. Prior to beginning his ministry, Skip was a founding partner of Ross, Dixon and Masback, currently a 65 lawyer, 130 employee law firm with offices in Washington, D.C., San Diego, California, Orange County, California, and Chicago, Illinois. While practicing law, Skip served as Assistant General Counsel for the Democratic National Committee from 1976-1983, helped start the National Endowment for Democracy in 1983, and helped to start and served as General Counsel on the Commission for Presidential Debates.
Skip grew up in White Plains, NY and graduated from White Plains High School in 1969. He graduated cum laude from Williams College in 1973 where he received highest honors in Political Science and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He went on to receive a JD degree in 1976 from the Columbia University School of Law.
He left his law career in 1989 to pursue a career in ministry, and graduated with a Masters of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School in 1994.
In addition to his responsibilities at the church, Skip is a founder of I Have a Dream, New Haven, Inc., a program to assist inner-city youth from fourth grade through high school. Upon successful completion of high school, IHAD will pay for the children's college education. Reverend Masback also serves as a member of the Advisory Board and National Working Group for the Faith As A Way of Life program, a Yale Center for Faith and Culture initiative which helps to equip pastors for excellence in the central task of Christian ministry: helping to mediate faith to persons, communities, and cultures as a life-integrating and life-transforming reality. He also served as a member of the Consultation on Excellence in Ministry in 2003, a group comprised of 25 leaders in the church and theological education in New York and Southern New England.

The Reverend Patricia A. Long
Minister of Pastoral Care
Reverend Patricia A. Long has served as Minister of Pastoral Care at our church since April 1, 2005. Prior to moving to Connecticut, Reverend Long served at the Old North Church in Marblehead, Massachusetts for the past ten years. She served as Associate Minister for nine years and then took on the role of Co-Senior Pastor. In this capacity, she designed and implemented a wide range of pastoral care programs for all segments of the congregation. Rev. Long trained community therapists on bereavement counseling, organized youth summits and designed discussion groups for parents and teens on issues such as drug use. She also facilitated monthly forums with doctors and nurses to discuss the emotional and spiritual needs of patients at the Northshore Medical Center. From 1999 through 2003, she served as President of the Marblehead Ministerial Association.
Rev. Long received her M.A. from Boston College and her Masters in Theological Studies from Boston University, Magna Cum Laude.
Reverend Long describes her philosophy of ministerial behavior as “ministry by Starbucks.” She believes “it’s impossible to understand the greater spiritual need in any town if you’re only working when in a church office or behind a pulpit. Presence in a community must be personal to be effective.” She believes that “church members need and deserve a high quality of personal pastoral care”, which must include; “listening, suspension of judgment and the ability to call individuals out of isolation and into the community.”

The Reverend Dr. Ivy J. Beckwith

Minister to Children and Families

Ivy Beckwith was called in May, 2006 to serve as our Minister

to Children and Families. In this capacity, Ivy will lead our

Church in the development of a comprehensive vision for

Christian ministry to children and their families. She is

charged with involving children in the life of the Church and

in developing practices which will nurture children and families in their faith journeys. Ivy desires to see families joyfully involved in the spiritual nurture and soul care of their children.

Ivy grew up in Guilford, CT and graduated in 1976 from Gordon College in Wenham, MA with a degree in English. She received her Masters in Religious Education from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1981. Ivy earned a Ph.D. in Education in 1991 from Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL and was ordained as a Congregational minister in November, 2000.

Ivy brings over 20 years of experience in Christian education. From 1978-1994 she served as Director of Christian Education at churches in New England and the Midwest. She then worked as a Christian education representative for Gospel Light Publications, consulting with Midwestern churches about their educational ministries and later joined Group Publishing, where she was Senior Editor for Curriculum. In 2000, Ivy returned to church ministry at Colonial Church in Edina, Minnesota, where she served as Minister to Children and Families through 2004.

In addition to her church ministry, Ivy has been a sought after speaker and trainer in the areas of Children’s Ministry and church educational ministry. She has been a workshop leader at Children’s Pastors Conference and the Emergent Convention. Ivy is a member of the Board of Directors of Emergent and of Mars Hill Graduate School in Bothell, WA. She has authored several publications including her 2004 book, Postmodern Children’s Ministry: Ministry to Children in the 21^st Century and her 2007 release, The Ultimate Survival Guide for Children's Ministry Workers.