PASTOR AND ELDERS
Pastor Josh Slocum is the main teaching elder at New Woodstock Community Church. He grew up in New Woodstock, NY and attended the College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) and obtained a bachelor's degree in Environmental Biology in 2009.
In 2012, Josh felt the call to the ministry and began attending The Master's Seminary in California. He graduated with a Master of Divinity Degree in 2016.
He returned to New Woodstock and began serving in his home church as Assistant Pastor. He also worked as an exterminator, keeping people safe from unwanted pests! Josh met Whitley soon after and they got married in 2017. They now have three children - Isaac, Asher and Evie.
Barney Freeborn was the pastor and elder of the New Woodstock Community Church for seventeen years. He led the congregation according to God's Word those many years. He retired at the end of October 2020, but is still an elder of the church.
Barney grew up in Cazenovia, NY and following high school he attended Cornell and the State University at Morrisville. He is a Navy veteran and retired after thirty years of delivering mail in Cazenovia. Upon answering God’s call to the ministry, he took a course of study via correspondence through Andersonville Seminary.
He and his wife Sue have been married for fifty-two years and have four children and 11 grandkids. Upon retirement he will continue to lead a midweek bible study and fill in when Pastor Josh needs relief.
Elder Owen Simiele is the Sunday School teacher at New Woodstock Community Church. He has been teaching Sunday School since 2004. He took over this role from Barney when Barney was called to become our pastor.
Owen graduated from Fabius High School before entering into the United States Marine Corps. After leaving the Marines, he worked at Stickley Furniture for 23 years. In 2019, Owen felt the Lord's call to become the Camp Director of Shiloh Christian Family Campground in Eaton NY.
Owen has been married to his wife Sabrina since 1996. They have five children who are all graduated and involved in their careers and college.