Our Leadership

Elders

Jon Taylor

Pastor

Jon has served as pastor at Church of the Redeemer since its beginning in 2004. His heart is for preaching, teaching, discipleship, worship, outreach, and mercy ministry—with the hope of pointing people to Jesus.

Born in Randolph, VT, Jon completed his BS in Music Education in 1992, before earning his Master of Divinity at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte in 2003. Along the way, he served in a variety of ministry roles: Director of Worship, Youth, and Children’s Ministry at Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Easley, SC, and as Assistant Pastor at First Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Concord, NH. Each experience helped shape his deep love for both God’s Word and His people.

Jon and his wife, Allie, met as high school sweethearts in New England and married in 1993. Together they have four sons, Jonathan, Jacob, Charlie and Hudson, and two daughters-in-law, Claire and Jackie. He treasures his family life alongside the Redeemer church family.

Jon loves the raw beauty of creation in New Hampshire—the ocean and mountains, the four distinct seasons, and the bright blue sky after a rain. He loves that Church of the Redeemer has an open door and is a welcoming place where all people, regardless of creed, color, or struggle, are invited to find a fulfilling life in Jesus Christ.

When not at church, you’ll find Jon on a mountain bike trail, kayaking, hiking, playing basketball, reading a good book, or walking on the seacoast with Allie.

Ken Butler

Elder

Ken has been part of Church of the Redeemer from the very beginning—attending the first informational meeting back in 2004. He faithfully encourages our congregation as a Ruling Elder.

Prior to serving at CTR, Ken studied for a year at Gordon-Conwell Seminary and spent 30 years as a deacon at Central Congregational Church in Derry, NH. Originally from Wilmington, MA, he and his wife Marjorie have been married for 53 years. Their son Joshua is married to Michelle, and they have one daughter, Nora — Ken and Marjorie’s beloved granddaughter.

Ken loves the beauty of New England’s four seasons and treasures the fellowship of the CTR family. Outside of ministry, Ken enjoys golf, gardening, and being a husband, father, and grandfather.

Leaders

Allie Taylor

Administration

Allie helped plant Church of the Redeemer in 2004 alongside her husband Jon, and now serves in administration and as a chief musician, helping plan worship services. A Rhode Island native with a love for music and a BA in interior design, she also works in development for a nonprofit serving the special needs community. Allie and her high school sweetheart, Jon, are blessed with four sons and two daughters-in-law. She loves spending time at the New Hampshire coast, baking, traveling, playing piano, and welcoming friends and family into her home.

Colleen Magdziarz

Women's Ministry

Colleen has been a part of CTR since March 2011. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and a B.S. in Bible from Philadelphia Biblical University. Originally from Manchester, NH, Colleen loves living close to both the mountains and the ocean. She treasures the sense of community she’s found at CTR and enjoys encouraging women in their walk with Christ. Outside of ministry, she enjoys reading, gardening, arts and crafts, playing violin and creating handmade cards with personal notes to send the old-fashioned way—through the mail.

Bresca Gagnon

Redeemer Kids

Bresca has been part of CTR since 2010 and serves as Redeemer Kids Coordinator, helping teach and coordinate our children’s worship. She’s also part of the music team and participates in Aletheia women’s Bible study. A longtime high school math teacher, she brings creativity and joy to the areas she serves.

Originally from Wheaton, Illinois, she has two grown daughters and a crew of local nieces and nephews—always ready with a kite, frisbee, or game for spontaneous fun. She loves Redeemer’s deeply sharing community, where people can be real with each other and encourage one another to follow Christ. Outside of ministry, she enjoys music, learning languages, cooking with friends, outdoor adventures, animals, and finding beauty in both nature and city life.

Linda Jenkins

Fellowship

Linda has called CTR home since 2015, and currently coordinates CTR’s Fellowship meals. A lifelong local educator at Pinkerton Academy and Mount Saint Mary Academy — she finds joy in those “light bulb” moments with her students. Originally from Somerville, MA, Linda loves New Hampshire’s changing seasons and the warmth of the CTR family. She treasures time with her husband, Jack, her children, grandchildren, and great-granddaughter. In her spare time, Linda enjoys reading, puzzles, music, crocheting, and any excuse to gather with friends.

Principles

Our Leadership team is composed of members of CTR who serve in various areas of ministry and help provide opportunities for others to serve as well. We meet bimonthly to pray, plan and carry out the ministries of CTR.

Our church government is conciliar; in other words, the church is to be governed by multiple officers, not just one person (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Acts 21:17-18). These officers are accountable to each other and the people they serve. The word “Presbyterian” comes from the Greek word for “elder”, “presbuteros”.

Presbyterian churches seek to follow the pattern of church government seen in the New Testament, which was itself based on the pattern of the synagogues (though, of course, there have been developments over the years). In Presbyterian churches, we have the following classification of officers:

1. 1. Elders who shepherd the flock of God’s Church (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1). This is known as the session which has two types of elders:
    - Teaching elders, whom we normally refer to as ministers or pastors, men specially charged to preach and teach the Word and celebrate the sacraments.
    - Ruling elders, who guide and govern the church.
  2. Deacons who lead in ministries of mercy and in other supportive areas.

With that understanding, our emphasis on leadership is that it is servant leadership. Our ordained leaders are not the only ones who do ministry; their primary task is to equip others to do ministry. Therefore, the real ministers of CTR are the members of CTR, as is seen in the following passage from the writings of the apostle Paul.

[Christ] gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-13