Staff at Branford Evangelical Free Church, Branford, CT

Photo of Senior Pastor Stephen Chamberlain

Photo of Ruth Westerholm, Director of Christian Education

Photo of Dave Peterson, Assistant Pastor

Stephen Chamberlain, Senior Pastor.

Pastor Steve is a Massachusetts native and former banker called by God into the pastorate. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Steve and his family attended BEFC for fourteen years, where he served in a number of capacities.

Upon sensing God's call to full time service he enrolled at Conservative Baptist Seminary of the East and he was later called to be the assistant pastor. After he completed four years of seminary, the church voted to make him senior pastor in 1997.

Pastor Steve enjoys almost any sport and he is still active in playing softball, ice hockey and sailing. He unsuccessfully attempts to hide his undying dedication as a Red Sox fan. He and his wife Lois have five children, and seven grandchildren.

Ruth Westerholm, Director of Christian Education and Nurture.

Ruth was born into a pastor's home in Rutland, Vermont. Her dad pastored various churches in New England and Southern Ontario but when she is queried about where she's from, she'll pick whatever sounds most glamorous that day. She has "been from" Boston, Toronto, even Chicago. Or, more currently, she's from "Branford Connecticut." Her parents provided the kind of home where faith was taught and lived. Her dad's words to the children--she has three brothers--were to "learn to walk alone with God."

Ruth attended Ontario Bible College in Toronto and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois where she earned a Master of Arts in Christian Education. She is licensed with the Evangelical Free Church ministerial. She has served as our Director of Christian Education and Nurture since January of 1987. Ruth also serves on the national steering committee for Church Health for the Evangelical Free Church of America. Ruth also serves on BEFC's Core Vision Team as the Director of Education.

Ruth loves the Lord, His Word and His people and her great delight is sharing the Lord and His Word with His people. Her hobbies are the METS, reading, sewing, hiking and sharing the lively enthusiasm of her dog Bogo.

David Peterson, Assistant Pastor

Pastor Dave was raised in rural upstate New York and understood the Gospel message as a young teen in a covered wagon at a county fair. He attended Rutgers University on a wrestling scholarship where he met Laura. God used his involvement in Campus Crusade during college to help him grow in his faith and lead him towards full time ministry.

Dave and Laura were married the fall after their college graduation. Five months later they joined Campus Crusade for Christ International and spent 22 years with the Campus Ministry, working at various schools in New England.

He has been a member of BEFC since 1993 and was called to be our Assistant Pastor in 2006. He and his wife Laura have three children. They both enjoy the outdoors: backpacking, canoing, and camping.

In addition to his pastoral responsibilities Pastor Dave serves as Director of Equipping on the Core Vision Team, where his passions for seeing people coming to personal faith in Christ and growing to maturity are utilized. Dave is presently working on his Masters in Divinity at Bethel Seminary of the East.