Our leaders

Susan Wadsworth was born in Pittsburgh, PA and attended a large Presbyterian Church in Squirrel Hill. She attended Colby College in Maine, earning a B.A. in 1977; Cranbrook Academy of Art for a Master of Fine Arts in painting in 1981; and Tufts University for a master’s in art history in 1989. She moved to Rindge, NH with her husband, David Bourdelais, in 1993 so that she could work in the Humanities Department of Fitchburg State for 27 years before retiring in 2019. They have three adult children: Steven, John, and Lizzie.

When she moved to Rindge, her mother convinced her to try the Methodist Church across the street. After several years there, she followed Rev. Fournier to Advent Lutheran. After a few years, beginning in 2017, she began to help out with leading a few services here and there. Later that year, she began the School of Lay Ministry with Chris Sementa. These included weekly sessions with a small group and four weekend retreats at Calumet over two years. 

Susan is an artist and critic now, writing for Art New England and creating abstract landscapes in pastel and pencil or ink. She finds her love of visual art and local or distant landscapes to inspire many of her sermons. In the summer of 2024, as a part of the twenty annual hours of supplemental education, Susan took an online Lay Preaching Academy course with Victoria Larson from the School of Lay Ministry. “It is fascinating to learn about all the styles and knowledge that goes into preaching a sermon!”

Susan is pleased to have the chance to learn more spiritually about the Bible, about Lutheranism and about the Advent congregation. “We have a very special congregation and location in the Monadnock region, and we hope others may join us for worship.” 

While the Advent congregation seeks long-term pastoral leadership, The Rev. Daniel L. Wilfrid is serving as Transitional Bridge Pastor. Pastor Dan retired from full-time ministry in 2020, after serving for 23 years as Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Holden, MA. Advent is his third Bridge Pastor assignment in retirement, having served St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Gardner, MA, in 2021, and St. John’s Episcopal Church in Walpole, NH in 2022.  Pastor Dan grew up in Staten Island, New York and has also served congregations in Plymouth, MA, and Mendham, NJ. He and his wife, The Rev. Nancy Elder-Wilfrid (United Church of Christ), live in Jaffrey, NH, and have two married children and one grandson. He began serving Advent in May 2023.