Our Pastors
The Rev. Dr. Benjamin J. Broadbent, Senior Minister
- (707) 823-2484
- pastorbenjamin@uccseb.org
Pastor Benjamin (or Ben) began his ministry at the Community Church in August 2016.
Ben comes to us with his wife Brooke Bell and their son, Marin, and daughter, Sophia, from Colorado Springs,
Colorado, where he served for 17 years at The First Congregational Church.
They are happy to return to Northern California – Ben grew up in Santa Cruz and Brooke is from San Jose. He and Brooke met
for the first time in our Pilgrim House in 1997, at a meeting of counselors for Camp Caz!
Ben earned his Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School in 1998 and received his Doctor of Ministry in Preaching
from the Chicago Theological Seminary in 2012, writing a dissertation on Preaching as an Embodied Practice.
In addition to ministry, Ben loves playing guitar and ukulele, listening to live music, beach cruiser bicycles, craft beer,
speaking Spanish and traveling.
Rev. Rachel Knuth, Associate Minister
- (707) 823-2484
- pastorrachel@uccseb.org
Pastor Rachel was ordained to Ministry at the Community Church in August 2015. Rachel, her husband Nathan, and four children, Aaron, Jonah, Tamar, and Henry, reside in Sebastopol, and are usually part of at least three school communities at once. Rachel was raised Presbyterian in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, studied in Atlanta and New York City, lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, and found her way to the United Church of Christ (UCC) in 2002.
A graduate of Agnes Scott College, Rachel earned her Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York in 2000.
In addition to ministry, Rachel loves being with her family, hiking, gardening, cooking, working out, and dark chocolate.
Additional Ministers in covenant with our congregation:
- Rev. Gene Nelson, Pastor Emeritus
- Rev. Kristen DelMonte, Former Associate Minister
- Rev. Brian Plaugher, 4-Way Covenant