Pastor
Rev. Dr. Deborah Clark (Debbie) has been the pastor of Edwards Church since 1996. A graduate of Amherst College and Harvard Divinity School, she was ordained in 1989 and has served churches in Malden and Winthrop. In 2001, she completed her Doctor of Ministry degree in creative writing.
Debbie lives in Framingham with her spouse Fran, who is also an ordained UCC minister, and their dog Jeannie, who is a trained service dog for the ministry. They love to travel, and over the last few decades have gone to India, China, Japan, Kenya, Sri Lanka, the Galapagos, and Costa Rica.
As part of her ministry and as an expression of her passion for learning about other religions and spiritual paths, Debbie is Multi-Faith Coordinator for Open Spirit: A Place of Hope, Health & Harmony. She is a Certified Yoga Instructor and teaches Gentle Yoga and Veterans Yoga at Open Spirit.
Debbie recently published her first book, Ice Cream at the Ashram: Holy Journey, Holy River, Holy Week.
Associate Pastor for
Faith Formation and Outreach
The Rev. Dr. Karen Nell Smith (Karen Nell) joined Edwards Church in the fall of 2019 after serving as Pastor of the Congregational Church of Christ, UCC, in North Leominster, MA, from 2001 to 2019. She holds her undergraduate degree from Mary Washington College and a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School. In 2010, she received her Doctor of Ministry from Hartford Seminary with a focus on interfaith dialogue.
Karen Nell brings creative approaches to youth and intergenerational fellowship, Christian education, worship and community service to ministry. Music, metaphor and multi-sensory engagement characterize her leadership style.
Called to a bi-vocational ministry, Karen Nell has also served many congregations in New England in times of turmoil or transition through the Walking in the Way of Peace program of conflict transformation. She is currently coordinator of the Journey of the Spirit program for Open Spirit Center, facilitating deeper interfaith relationships and understanding.
Karen Nell is an avid knitter, quilter and gardener, and lives with her husband, the Rev. Andy Burr, and their two daughters in Lunenburg, MA.
Church and Campus Administrator
Alexis Ortiz joined Edwards Church as the Church and Campus Administrator in September 2023. She provides support to Rev. Debbie Clark and all of our staff and members and manages all campus rentals. Before joining the staff at Edwards Church, Alexis worked in nonprofit healthcare and in Human Resources Healthcare Recruitment.
Feel free to email her at admin@edwardschurch.org for a new name tag, member directory, to sign up for our weekly or monthly newsletter, or with any questions you may have.
Outside of work, Alexis enjoys hiking, going on day trips, and spending time at the beach with her 2 teenage children. She volunteers for the German Shepherd Rescue of New England and loves to sew, cook, and bake.
Commissioned Minister of Music, Emeritus
A lifelong church musician, Rick Seaholm earned his Master of Music in Sacred Music (choir directing and vocal performance) at Westminster Choir College in 2001, and Bachelor of Music in vocal performance at the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 1999. He has served Edwards Church since 2009, earning his commissioning through the United Church of Christ in 2017.
Recent works include “Advice on Managing a Hymn Competition” in the UCC Musicians Association’s quarterly journal, Worship, Music & Ministry; an occasional lecture series on church music history for the members of Edwards Church; “Empowering the Volunteer Choir through Technology” at the American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division Conference in Boston; a roundtable discussion on “Saving the World Through Singing” at that same conference; and “Music That Inspires Courage” at Open Spirit’s 2018 Weekend of Spirit.