meet our team

A father, husband, website designer, and connoisseur of fonts, Rev. Tom Hathaway hails from the boondocks of central New York State. His love for community and curiosity about diverse cultures led him to pursue a BA in anthropology at St. Lawrence University, where he first experienced his call to ministry. While active in building the progressive Christian community on campus, he also studied abroad in Japan – a life-changing experience that reinforced for him the necessity of an inclusive Christianity.

In 2008, he answered the call to ministry and entered the Master of Divinity program at Harvard Divinity School. It was during this time that his progressive theological foundation took root, centered on the belief that the Christian faith is meant to transform lives and communities through Jesus' radical brand of mercy, love, and compassion. Before coming to Hillside Community Church, Rev. Hathaway spent years leading a ministry for homeless men and women, where his commitment to justice, dignity, and compassionate service deepened. This hands-on experience, meeting people at their most vulnerable moments, reinforced his belief that the church must be a place of radical inclusion and love in action.

At Hillside, Rev. Hathaway’s ministry is defined by his progressive Christian values, which create a space where faith is dynamic, inclusive, and relevant to modern life. His sermons, often laced with humor and rich storytelling, invite congregants to explore the complexities of scripture while drawing parallels to everyday struggles and hopes. Whether developing a new sermon series that speaks to the complexities of modern life or conducting workshops on the church’s historical roots, he is passionate about making the gospel come alive for today’s generation.

Known for his approachable and down-to-earth style, Rev. Hathaway views worship as both a sanctuary and a springboard for action – where people encounter God’s love and are inspired to carry that love into the world. Above all, Rev. Hathaway is driven by the conviction that the church’s mission is to bring about real transformation, continuing to build and expand the kingdom of love and justice that Jesus began over 2,000 years ago.

Rev. Wendy Miller Olapade is the pastor of Hillside's partner congregation Sanctuary UCC.

Her passion for integrating ancient spiritual practices into the everyday while envisioning new ways of being church are making a difference right now – and will transform lives for years to come.

Rev. Rose graduated from Harvard Divinity School in 1983 and began serving North Congregational Church as its Senior Minister that fall. He became the senior minister of North-Prospect Church when North Congregational and Prospect Congregational Churches joined in 1985, and the Senior Minister of North Prospect Union Church (later to become Hillside Community Church) when North-Prospect and North Street Union Churches joined in 2006.

He retired as Senior Minister in 2016 after 35 years of service to this congregation.

Rev. Rose continues his ministry at Harvard Divinity School, where he has served since 1987 and where he currently is the Associate Dean for Ministry Studies and lecturer in ministry in the faculty of Divinity.

Bryce comes to Hillside with a long background in performance.

He has performed with the St. Ignatius Chorale and Orchestra, the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum, Clark University Symphony Orchestra, Junior Providence Singers,Tufts University Chorale, Guangzhou Children's Chorus, and the Huntington Chorale. He has also studied organ with Walter Whitehouse and piano with Herbatina Morghen and Raymond Foote.

Bryce holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and a Master's degree in Classical Philology from Harvard University.

Zach is a Texas native, and was raised by a school teacher and United Methodist pastor. He studied religion and Koine Greek at a small Methodist school in Abilene, Texas called McMurry University, and then moved to New England to study at Harvard Divinity School in 2011.

After graduation he planted a dinner church in Grafton, MA called Simple Church which held church around shared meals at a common table. He was ordained in the United Methodist Church in 2019, but decided that the theology and polity of the United Church of Christ was where God was leading him. He am currently seeking privilege of call in the UCC - a designation for pastors who have been ordained in another Christian tradition that want to serve in the UCC. His wife Kendra is a high school Spanish teacher. They adopted two children out of foster care (who are now 12 and 13), and live in Sterling with their excitable hound dog, Lawrence.

In addition to being a musician, I work as a carpenter and a web designer for churches. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better as a community.

Cassie Kollman is a contemporary vocalist, songwriter, and bandleader who possesses an informed command of her craft and performs a wide range of musical genres, mostly those rooted in Black American traditions; including jazz, r&b, blues, soul, pop, rock, New music, and classical. Her specialization is vocal improvisation.

Cassie released her debut album, Lady in Shoes, in 2021; an eclectic mix of groove-based, richly-textured, and imaginative original compositions and collaborations. Cassie’s songwriting is introspective, personal, and emotionally nuanced. An agile vocalist and deep listener, Cassie creates compositions and arrangements that are vocally ambitious, harmonically intricate, and lyrically exploratory. The result is a soulful experience of jazz-pop music.

Cassie performs regularly as a soloist, and manages several ensembles in the Boston area. As a cross-genre vocalist, Cassie’s projects span a diverse range of instrumentation and styles, sharing the common languages of improvisation and blues.

Cassie holds a Masters of Music in Jazz and Contemporary Music from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She has completed Level I and Level II of the Somatic VoiceworkTM (Lovetri Method) vocal pedagogy method for CCM (Contemporary Commercial Music) styles, and is a member of the voice faculty at Bunker Hill Community College and the Concord Conservatory of Music.

As an artist, teacher, and community member, Cassie is passionate about arts accessibility, music education, and live community events.

Born and raised at Hillside Community Church, Jen has overseen our Sunday School program for years.

With two kids of her own and the patience of several saints, she comes to this work with a passion for forming little ones in the ways of love.

An organized and detailed oriented multi-tasker, Charmaine brings many years of experience in the Accounts Payable/Accounts Receivable field and works full time as a manager and leader at Iggy’s Bread of the World. She is a successful event planner for work and volunteer organizations and is a servant leader who leads by example.