Our Church Staff
As with most things at Community Church, our ministerial staff serve together as a team, leveraging each others' strengths and working together to love, serve, and lead the church on a day-to-day basis.
Tim Bushfield
Lead Pastor
Tim has been on staff at Community Church since 2002, beginning as a volunteer worship leader, then taking on an associate pastoral position, and accepting a call to the responsibility of lead pastor in September of 2005. Tim received his M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and also holds a B.Sc.H. in Biology and Geography, and B.Ed. from Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, in Outdoor and Experiential Education. Tim is currently working towards a Ph.D. through the London School of Theology and Gordon-Conwell. Before coming to Gloucester, Tim taught high school science in Ottawa, Canada. Prior to joining Community Church, Tim’s ministry experience included involvement with InterVarsity, pastoral internships, summer camp ministry, college ministry teams, and wilderness camping ministries. He is married to Joanna, and they live in East Gloucester with their four children: Justin, Tessa, Jeremiah and Treyton.
Matt Nilan
Associate Pastor
Originally from Nyack, New York, Matt started attending Community Church in 2013 while a student at Gordon College. With a desire is to see un-churched and at-risk youth encounter the love of Jesus, and a passion for leading God’s people in worship, Matt quickly became involved in life at Community Church, volunteering with worship teams and Youth Center. In 2016 he graduated from Gordon College with his B.A. in Youth and Pastoral Ministries and Biblical Studies. Shortly after graduation, Matt was hired in a part-time capacity to serve as Community Church's Youth Ministry Coordinator, where he served continually until answering the call and responsibility to serve full-time as one of Community Church's Associate Pastors in 2021. Matt continues to oversee and work closely with the Youth and Worship ministries, even while expanding into a broader pastoral role. When Matt is not playing bass on a Sunday morning or playing street hockey with high school students mid week, you can likely find him going for runs along the back shore, playing gigs around town with his bandmates, or gathered around a fire with friends.
Dana Olson
Associate Pastor
Dana was hired as the Associate Pastor of Discipleship at Community Church in February 2024. She has lived up and down the eastern seaboard, but came no higher than Pennsylvania until arriving in Massachusetts for seminary in 1999. She spent 6 years getting her M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, while working at the seminary full-time. Dana also has a B.A. in Elementary Education and spent three years before seminary working in a public middle school in Richmond, Virginia. Prior to serving at Community Church, she had over 20 years of ministry experience with youth, children, and adults in three other church contexts. Dana enjoys meeting people for coffee (or tea or a cold drink) and taking long walks on the beach to hear people's faith journeys. Dana and her husband, Daryl, live in Gloucester with their three daughters: Hannah, Grace, and Elizabeth, and the newest fur family member - Maisie.
Katie Madden
Ministry Coordinator
Katie has been a part of Community Church since 2007 and has served in various capacities over the years, from children’s ministries, to greeting team and global outreach, leading small groups, and serving on the church’s Leadership Team. In 2016, she joined the staff team part-time as our Ministry Coordinator. Katie holds a B.A. from Gordon College, where she studied Elementary Education and Spanish, a M.S. degree in Experiential Education from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and is currently working on a second master’s degree in Counseling through Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Katie’s background includes working with children and youth in a variety of settings; participating in and leading short-term missions experiences; facilitating outdoor team building and leadership development programs; and providing administrative assistance. Katie has loved Jesus all her life and enjoys seeing others grow to know and love Him more! When she’s not working at the church or out on a challenge course somewhere, you might bump into her exploring local hiking trails or find her playing in her kitchen or vegetable garden at home.
Our Elders Team
Community Church is governed by a board of elders who lead collaboratively from among the larger Leadership Team, with our Lead Pastor considered a full-time elder. The elders meet quarterly together with the ministerial staff to handle matters of doctrine, direction, church discipline, and staff development (“the 4 Ds”), as well as to pray together for individuals and for the church community as a whole. Their informal role is to create the best possible environment for everyone at Community Church to use their gifts to build up the body and bring glory to Jesus Christ.
DEAN SIDELL
CHRIS LOVE
CORY WARD
DAVID BROBERG
Our Leadership Team
The Leadership Team is the main leadership body that handles the day-to-day life and ministry of the church. This team includes both men and women who have been identified to have leadership and shepherding gifts to serve the church as a whole, in addition to any specific ministries in which they might be involved.
The Leadership Team meets monthly to evaluate and discuss vision implementation, ministry direction, and upcoming events. They also discuss things like potential teaching directions, shepherding needs in the church community, and spend time praying together over our church and for individuals in our body.
In addition to the monthly meetings, people from the Leadership Team are also involved in shepherding in smaller groups and in one-on-one situations where compassion, discipleship, or shepherding is needed for a season.
While the makeup of this team changes from season to season, the members of this Leadership Team are brought before the congregation on an annual basis for affirmation. The current members of the Leadership Team, as of January 2024, are: