Staff
Paul Atwater, Senior Pastor
Paul Atwater was our founding pastor when North River was launched in 1989 and continues to serve as our Senior Pastor. After growing up on the South Shore, he graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois, and Denver Seminary in Colorado. Paul is an avid reader, regularly diving into books on leadership, church history, and military history. He has a passion for communicating God’s grace and love to people who did not grow up with strong church connections. Paul and Susan have been married since 1981, with two grown daughters. He also teaches each month at the Thursday Morning Men’s Breakfast at the Union Club in Boston, and serves on the steering team for Greater Things for Greater Boston, a group of urban and suburban church leaders who are committed to changing how our community sees and talks about the church. Formerly, Paul served as a contributing editor for Leadership Journal, and was a member of Wheaton College’s Leadership Council. Paul can be reached by phone at 781-826-0722 ext. 104 or paul@northriverchurch.org.
Todd Szymczak, Executive Pastor
Todd grew up on the South Shore, and is a graduate of Duxbury High School. He graduated from Gordon College in Wenham, MA, with a degree in Youth Ministries, and holds a Master’s degree from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Todd has faithfully served in ministry for over twenty years in various churches throughout New England. He is gifted in leadership development, intentional shepherding, team building and teaching.
The best part about Todd is his family. He and his wife, Jayme, have been married nineteen years, and they have two daughters, Reilly and Peyton, and Maizie, a Chocolate Lab. Todd enjoys golf, Home Improvement projects, the beach, and reading.
Todd was on staff at North River as the Student Ministries Pastor from 1999-2006, and rejoined the North River team in January of 2017 as Executive Pastor. Todd can be reached at 781-826-0722 x 107 or todd@northriverchurch.org.
Kristie Peck, NextGen Pastor
Kristie Peck first came to North River Community Church as a Student Ministries Intern during the summer of 2002 under, then Student Ministries Pastor, Todd Szymczak. She graduated in 2004 from Gordon College with a major in Youth Ministry and a minor in Biblical Studies. She is delighted to be serving at NRCC, and cannot wait to see what God is going to do through the Next Generation on the South Shore.
Kristie’s ministry experiences have taken her from camps in the rolling Berkshire Hills of Western MA, to the daffodil fields in Wales, Great Britain, from the seacoast of Maine to the heart of bustling Manhattan. Her heart for teenagers is clearly seen in her dedication to the foster care system, where she and her husband, Rich, have opened their home to more than a fifteen teenagers and children over the span of eight years.
Kristie and Rich have two absolutely amazing, biological children, Mackenzie and Braeden. They are about to add an equally amazing teenager to their family. They live in Duxbury and can often be found hiking in the town forest or enjoy the waves at Duxbury Beach.
Kristie can be reached by phone at 781-826-0722 x 105 or by email at kristie@northriverchurch.org.
Amy Lynch, Pastor of Children’s Ministries
Amy is a native of Boston and grew up in Milton. She holds a degree in Psychology, with a minor in Theology from Notre Dame College, formerly of Manchester NH. She spent time after college in the clinical field of neuropsychology before taking some time off to raise a family.
Amy and her husband David live in Pembroke with their 2 teenaged sons, Alexander and Aidan, along with their dog, Mystic and 2 pet sharks! Amy loves nothing more than cooking for her family, and spending time in her kitchen makes her happy. She also enjoys reading, knitting and playing on the beach with her family.
Her passion for Children’s Ministry began during a North River’s Vacation Bible School in 2006. Over the years, VBS quickly became her favorite time of year and she keeps a countdown clock going for the next VBS all year! Amy started teaching Sunday School in the preschool room in 2007 and came on staff in 2017 as the Children’s Ministry assistant. She joyfully accepted the call to full time ministry in 2019 and is delighted to be serving as the Pastor of Children’s Ministries.
