Rev. Sal Sapienza, Pastor
Rev. Sal Sapienza started as our pastor on January 1, 2024. He is a graduate of New York University (NYU) and All Faiths Seminary in New York City. He was a religious brother in the Catholic Church and worked alongside Father Mychal Judge (“The Saint of 9/11”) in establishing St. Francis AIDS Ministry in Manhattan. Prior to coming to Rowayton, Sal served as the Senior Pastor of Douglas United Church of Christ in Saugatuck/Douglas, Michigan. He is the author of Seventy Times Seven, Mychal’s Prayer, and Childish Thinking. He and his husband, Gregg Smith, an international flight attendant, recently celebrated 30 years together.
Val Harden, Director of Christian Education
After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biopsychology at Vassar College, Val earned an
Associate Degree in Massage Therapy from the New York College of Health Professionals.
She is the Vice President, Business and Development and Senior Physician Recruiter at
TeedCo Healthcare Recruiting in Norwalk. She first came to the United Church of Rowayton in
2008 and served on The Board of Christian Education. She became the Director of Christian
Education in 2017. Val and Michael have two children, Amber and Charlotte.
Kris Jenkins, Office Manager
Kris received a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations from the School of Public
Communication at Boston University. She and her husband, Frank, joined the United Church
of Rowayton in 1990. She served on the Board of Household Concerns and the Building
Committee, which was responsible for the expansion of the Meeting House. She has served on
the Public Relations Committee and has edited the church newsletter since 1992.
Kris has been the Office Manager since 2005. She and Frank have three grown children:
Walker, Danielle, and Nicole.
Bill Sarr, Business Manager
Bill attended the University of Connecticut and earned an MBA in Finance. He served as Chief Financial Officer for several publishing companies. He has been a member of the United Church of Rowayton since 2012, and he has served on the Nominating Committee and as a Deacon and member of the Board of Household Concerns. Bill and his wife, Alyssa, have a daughter, Zoe.
Bill Peltz, Communications Director
Bill earned an M.A. from Columbia University and was a classroom teacher. He joined the church in 2004 and has served on the Board of Christian Outreach and as a Deacon, Moderator, and Clerk. He and his wife, Neville, have two children - Dan and Jenn - and four grandchildren - Gray, Sid, William, and Henry.
Dileep Chandran, Maintenance Manager
Dileep was born and raised in India. He earned a bachelor's degree from UCONN and is currently working on an MBA in international business at UCONN. He joins us a a member of Premier Property Management, LLC.
Ellen Dickinson, Director of Music, Director of Children's Choir and Youth Handbell
Ellen is the Artistic Director of Music on the Hill in Wilton, CT. She holds a B.A. in music from Yale College and a Master of Music in Organ Performance from the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music. She is College Carillonneur at Trinity College in Hartford and director of the carillon program at Yale University.
Rachel Dorset, Director of The Adult Handbell Choir
Rachel's handbell career started when she was earning a degree in chemistry at Smith College. She has rung with the Southport Congregational Church and the Jubilate Ringers, and she sings with the Festival Chorus.