TRIPP HUDGINS, Pastor
Tripp Hudgins is an ordained American Baptist Minister. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond (1992). His seminary study began at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond in Richmond, VA and concluded at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL June of 2004. Currently he is completing his thesis for a Masters in Theological Studies from Seabury. His interest is in Liturgical Theology and History.
His professional music experience includes everything from do-wop to classical to bluegrass. Currently, you can find him playing mandolin with his "blueirishfolkgrass" band, One of the Girls, around Chicago and its suburbs.
Tripp has spent much of his adult life serving various congregations as a musician. He moved to the Chicago area in 1997 and has served as a musician at Holy Name Cathedral, St Peter's in the Loop, and North Shore Baptist Church. Ministry for Tripp has included work in the creative arts, as a member of an intentional Christian community and retreat center in Richmond, Richmond Hill, and as a chaplain at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. He also served as part of the pastoral team at Church of Jesus Christ Reconciler, an ecumenical congregation in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, from 2002 to 2007.
Tripp is married to Patricia Austin, a Chicago-based actor. They have three cats and live in the church parsonage. You can also find Tripp's blog at www.anglobaptist.org. There he posts about faith, theology and whatever else might come to mind that day.
"St Francis de Sales says this: 'Don't lose any opportunity, however small, of being gentle toward everyone.' I like to think that this is the shape and color of my ministry. The church is, for me at least, fun. It cannot be fun, however, unless it is also gentle. By this I mean that church is a place where we can bring our doubts and questions about God and not only our answers, a place where we can all be nurtured into a relationship with God and one another. This is my hope for the Community Church of Wilmette. I pray it will be a place of gentleness and a place for the enjoyment of God and one another."
WINIFRED F. BROWN, Music Director
Winifred Brown has been the Community Church of Wilmette's
music director since August 2002.
Globally respected and critically acclaimed as a singer,
Winifred has a musical resume that is truly impressive. She
has shone in such demanding roles as Norma (Paris Opera, New
York City Opera, Caracas, Mexico City), Lucia (Deutsche Opera
Berlin, Miami, Guadalajara, Monterrey), Violetta (San Francisco,
Los Angeles, Mexico City), Donna Anna (Deutsche Opera, Cologne,
Rome, Parma, Milwaukee) and Rosalind (Lyric Opera of Chicago,
Houston). She was with the Metropolitan Opera for four seasons
where she performed with James Levine and such world-renowned
artists as Luciano Pavarotti and Sam Ramey in I Lombardi and
The Magic Flute. She has portrayed seventy roles and has been
featured in virtually all the regional opera companies of
North America. Winifred is also well-known as a concert soloist,
having performed with such groups as the New York Philharmonic,
the Philadelphia Orchestra and Grant Park Symphony. Winifred
has sung many pops and Broadway concerts, and is currently
with a cutting edge jazz ensemble that integrates art, song,
opera, jazz and electronic sound. She is also founder and
artistic director of N.O.V.A., a service-based touring company.
In addition, she maintains a voice studio in Chicago that
trains, polishes and promotes young artists.
What makes this enormous talent just right for the Community
Church of Wilmette is that Winifred wants life and work in
the church to be an expression of her deep Christian faith.
She works to create a music program that involves as many
people as possible in enriching worship and forming relationships.
She sees music in our church as one of the things that can
bind us together in love for God and for one another, and
as something with which we, as a congregation, can reach out
to people around us and involve them in.
MATT LONG, Organist
Known for his versatility and sensitive musicianship, pianist Matt Long plays in a variety
of styles with spirit and ease. A native of Kansas, Matt graduated with highest distinction
from Northwestern University's School of Music in 1994. Since then he has been a busy free
lancer in the Chicago area.
As a vocal and choral accompanist Matt has worked for the Community Renewal Chorus, Old
St. Patrick's Church concert choirs, and Roosevelt University among many others. For eight
years he has been the pianist for Lyric Opera's Meet the Artist outreach programs, and has
accompanied several singers in recitals at the Chicago Cultural Center. Matt's own annual s
olo recitals, given as benefits for the Community Renewal Chorus and featuring music from B
eethoven to James Brown, have increasingly thrilled larger and larger audiences over the la
st four years. An avid performer of new and experimental classical music Matt made frequent
appearances with Ensemble Noamnesia as well as CUBE and Fred Longberg-Holm's Lightbox Orch
estra during the 1990s. More recently he has recorded and performed with Milwaukee-based ps
ychedelic rock band the Danglers, and created shows with local cabaret favorite Scott Montg
omery. Additionally, Matt provides elegant music for weddings, parties, and special events,
including a two year stint playing for afternoon tea at Chicago's five-star Peninsula Hote
l. Matt was thrilled to join the staff of Community Church of Wilmette as Organist in Febr
uary, 2008.
JON DeHAAN, Youth Minister
Jon DeHaan is currently a junior at Judson University in Elgin Illinois. He is majoring in Biblical Studies with concentrations in philosophy and theology and a minor in history. After graduation he plans on moving to Houston Texas for his masters in Theology.
He feels called into ministry because he wants to help youth in the way that others have touched him. He has been through struggles that a lot of youth today face and wants to make sure that they make it through with as little conflict as possible. He also thinks that since he is close in age to the youth that he can bring a fun aspect to the process of learning about our Lord.
The purpose of Jon's ministry and his life can best be summed up by Thomas Merton, "Every moment and every event of every man's life on earth plants something in his soul. For just as the wind carries thousands of winged seeds, so each moment brings with it germs of spiritual vitality that come to rest imperceptibly in the minds and wills of men."
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