Staff
Minister: Rev. Cathlin Baker
Rev. Cathlin moved to our rural setting in 2008 after more than fifteen years of working in urban environments. She is the 50th minister of our historic church and our first female minister. Prior to her ministry in West Tisbury, Cathlin served as the Special Assistant to the President of Union Theological Seminary in New York City. In addition to assisting then President Joseph Hough in all aspects of seminary administration, she also participated in a Ministerial and Spiritual Formation program for the students, supporting their personal spiritual and vocational development. Both at Union and while serving on church staff at Judson Memorial Church and The Riverside Church, she was involved with community-based anti-poverty efforts.
Rev. Baker has two degrees from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, both in Christian Ethics. (MA 1996, MDiv 2000) She received her undergraduate degree from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY where she majored in religion. Rev. Baker was born in New York City and raised in North Plainfield, NJ. She lives in West Tisbury with her husband, Bill, the Managing Editor of the Vineyard Gazette, and her two children Hardy and Eirene. She is currently writing a book about how and why people choose church, based on her study group with the congregation, Mapping our Faith Journeys.
CHURCH Administrator for Operations & New Media: Molly Conole
Molly has been in this role, overseeing day-to-day operations at the church as well as our technical aspects of Hybrid worship and meetings since January 2021. Molly is Cathlin’s right hand person for everything from scheduling meetings to designing worship media. She served as our part-time Associate Music Director before taking on this full-time role, and continues to utilize her musical talents as vocalist, flutist, bells performer and composer as time allows. Molly has participated in our music programs as often as she has been on-island, even back to when she was a teenager.
As a life-long musician and theatrical performer, Molly has brought many production skills to our church. She lived and worked in the Orlando FL area for over twenty years, performing for Walt Disney World, the Mark Two Dinner Theatre, and as a recording artist, singer and improvisational performer. She has recorded and produced her own albums, a childrens’ television show pilot, and written and directed many live performances, learning complex software to complete the audio, video, animation and organizational aspects of these jobs. She enjoys pulling together many details into a beautiful whole, which is what our church does, in many areas, on a regular basis.
Molly’s is likely the friendly voice you will hear when calling the church. If she can’t help you herself, she will be happy to put you in touch with someone who is able to provide the information you seek. She enjoys having conversations and getting to know our community members.
music director: William Peek
William Peek served the First Unitarian Church in Brooklyn Heights, New York, as Music Director and Organist for nearly three decades. Under his direction, the choir and soloists of the First Unitarian Church performed a wide variety of works in concert performance, ranging from Handel’s Messiah and the Faure Requiem to rarely performed masterworks by composers such as Rheinberger, Zelenka, Leonarda, and Graupner. For twenty-one years, Bill was on the faculty of the Portledge School in Locust Valley, New York, where he directed the choral program, taught music theory, coached chamber and jazz ensembles, and served as music director for theater productions. He was formerly on the faculties of the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn and the Newark Boys Chorus School.
An active freelance musician, Bill has performed with the Brooklyn Chamber Music Society, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and directed the Brooklyn Conservatory Chorale and Orchestra in performances of Mozart’s Coronation Mass and works of Schoenberg, Bruckner, and Schubert. He is the author of articles on music published in the Encyclopedia of American History, and served as a music instructor and consultant for the 2007 Warner Brothers film August Rush. Bill has had a life-long interest in traditional music. He has performed widely with a variety of bands, playing American, English, and Celtic music on piano, guitar, banjo, hammered dulcimer, and bass. He can be heard on a number of recordings, including Long Expectant Comes At Last by Cathal McConnell.
He holds the Master of Music degree from Westminster Choir College and has done additional graduate work at Indiana University and Manhattan School of Music. His teachers include Joseph Flummerfelt, Allen Crowell, and James Jordan (conducting), Eugene Roan, Robert Rayfield, and Stephen Best (organ).
Bill has served as Organist and Music Director for summer services at Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs since 2013.
HANDbell choir director: Hope O'Brien
Hope grew up with the sound of bells, listening to her church handbell choir rehearse in her family’s living room. She began ringing at her home church, continued through high school and was soon a master of many techniques. Her love of the sound and fellowship of the ringers brought her to direct three handbell choirs in Colorado for fifteen years. The friendships, fellowships and musicianship of these choirs was simply amazing as they performed in the community as well as in worship services in their churches.
Upon moving to Martha's Vineyard in 2014, Hope revitalized our Handbell Choir with a fantastic group of musicians who volunteer their time, talent and energy to our ever-growing bell choir. The bell choir plays during Worship service monthly as well as during Holiday time and in the community. With a repertoire that spans from traditional hymns, classical adaptations, and contemporary pieces, we aim to enrich worship services and special events with our harmonious blend of tones. Our performances are designed to resonate with audiences, offering moments of reflection and celebration through the enchanting sound of handbells.
Hope has also added a Quartet ensemble in which she plays and directs. This ensemble is dedicated to bringing the joy and beauty of handbell music to both Church congregations and the broader community. Our group is composed of four passionate musicians who have a shared love for creating uplifting and inspirational music through the unique art of handbell ringing.
We believe in the power of music to bring people together and inspire hearts. Bell music is amazingly alive on Martha's Vineyard and we are blessed!
CHILDCARE & SUNDAY SCHOOL: ANDRI COCA
Andri Coca is the proud Mom of 3 year old Valerie (you may have seen them at church), and she works as an Teacher at the Martha’s Vineyard Early Education and Care Center. She is also continuing her education toward becoming an ECE lead teacher with courses through Cape Cod Community College. Andri is originally from Puerto Rico and was trained and worked as a nurse there. She has lived here on the Vineyard for the past few years. She is pleased and excited to join our church Sunday School/Childcare team and looks forward to meeting children and families at church.
CHILDCARE & SUNDAY SCHOOL: KAYLA DOW
My name is Kayla Dow, I am 19 years old and studying Early Childhood Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I am currently working as a Special Education Teacher at the Oak Bluffs Elementary School. I’m a proud child of immigrant parents and can speak 3 languages because of them. My hobbies are drawing/painting as well as reading. I love working with kids and shaping our future generations to become kind successful human beings.