PASTOR:
The Reverend Tim Garvin-Leighton

email: revtim@8townsquare.org

Reverend Tim grew up in Maine just outside of Portland. He went to college in Tiffin, OH at Heidelberg University. Upon graduation, he headed to Central Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire. When he returned from the Congo, he entered Andover Newton Theological School where he earned a Master of Divinity.

Rev. Tim spent the next twenty years as a local church pastor in churches from Miami, FL to New Hampshire and Denver, CO. to western Maryland. For the past decade, he has been a campus minister. He was at Cal Aggie Christian Association and Multifaith Living Community at the University of California Davis and for the past eight plus years at Piedmont University.

He is excited to be returning to parish ministry after his sojourn in campus ministry. He has missed the rhythm of weekly worship, home visits with parishioners, Advent/Christmas, and Lent/Easter celebrations. He looks forward to partnering in ministry with the wonderful people of the Church of the Pilgrimage.

Rev. Tim is married to Mindy D. Garvin-Leighton. Mindy is a naturalized citizen. She was born and raised in Honduras. She is an Island girl. There is a chain of islands in the Caribbean, the Bay Islands, which are part of Honduras. They are closing in on our tenth wedding anniversary.

They share a love of the ocean, travel, cycling, movies, and spending time with family and friends.

Choir Director: David Tyler

David Tyler is a singer and voice teacher originally from Richmond, Rhode Island, and currently living in Plymouth, MA. He holds a Bachelor of Voice Performance from McGill University and a Master of Music in Vocal Pedagogy from New England Conservatory. David has served as the bass section leader at Church of the Pilgrimage since 2012 and as Interim Choir Director since October 2020. His recent performances include God Bless America at Fenway Park, Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio at Jordan Hall, Mozart's Mass in C and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass as a guest soloist with the Pilgrim Festival Chorus. He was also selected as a finalist in the Boston Bruins’ National Anthem singer search, singing The Star-Spangled Banner at TD Garden.

OFFICE MANAGER AND ORGANIST:
MICHAEL EATON

email: office@8townsquare.org

Michael Eaton has served as a church musician for nearly thirty years. In addition to several churches in Massachusetts, he has served as organist in New Hampshire and North Carolina. He has given recitals in Nantucket, Boston and New York State as well as serving as organist for the Greensboro Hornets, a minor league baseball team in North Carolina.

Michael is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He has studied with John Skelton, Kathryn Eskey, Yuko Hayashi and William Porter. Mr. Eaton has for twenty-two years worked at the Andover Organ Company designing, building, and maintaining pipe organs throughout the eastern United States.

Michael lives in Weymouth, Massachusetts with his wife Katherine and their children Marc and William.

Cherub Choir Director:
Lois E. Post

Lois graduated from Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA with a fine arts degree in Elementary Education. While there, she minored in biology and music, taking organ lessons from Ray Ocock. Lois moved to Plymouth with her family in 1973 and joined the Church of the Pilgrimage later that year. Lois taught in the Plymouth School System until she retired at the end of 2004. She took piano/organ lessons for many years from Chandler Gregg. She sings in the choir, directs the Cherub Choir, and is the substitute organist.

Sexton:
Brian Gildea

Brian has served as Sexton for the Church for over 10 years. He says he is proud to take care of such a special and historic church.  Brian enjoys getting to know our members and is always quick with a word of encouragement or a bit of humor! In his time away from his responsibilities, Brian loves to be outside, including gardening and being in nature. He also plays the guitar and enjoys spending time with his wife of 47 years and their two daughters.