Church Staff
Our Pastoral Staff
Rev. Becky David
Interim Pastor
Rev. Becky David is a certified professional coach and owner of Black Pearl Coaching, LLC, a start-up designed to engage individuals and groups around the notion that a more prosperous, abundant, and fulfilling life is a reality within reach.
Before starting her business, Becky spent 18 years in healthcare as a hospital chaplain, the last six of which were spent assuming executive administrative functions. She holds a B.A. from St. Ambrose University and two Master's Degrees from Loyola University, Chicago. Becky is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, serving as an interim consultant. She loves to golf, read and travel.
Rev. Benjamin Perkins
Community Minister
Rev. Terry Steeden
Community Minister
Rev. Nina Swift
Community Minister
Our Band
Drummer: Gillian De Lear
Tech Manager
Originally from Menlo Park CA, Gillian De Lear began playing drums at age ten, and hasn’t stopped since. She moved to Boston, MA in 2005 and finished a Bachelor degree in Professional Music at Berklee College of Music. Gillian has played and toured with countless bands during her musical career. She has completed several cd’s, including a cd of original free jazz – duets with her favorite musicians in Boston (2009), “Genie in a Bottle”, a cd of original material for the Gillian De Lear Jazz Quintet (2012), and “On the Up & Up”, with the Jazz Barracudas (2013). Aside from playing in Hope Central’s morning service, you’ll find her playing at the HoJo’s on Boylston St. in Boston, every Tuesday with the David Ehle Trio Jazz Jam.
Bass: Neil Helme
Bass Player and Vocals and Interim Music Director
The story of Neil’s life–long relationship with music is a journey of discovery. Born into a house filled with music, taking piano & violin lessons in grade school, singing in choirs & in garage bands, all the while he was incorporating new musical ideas from as many different sources as possible. In essence, he was forming his personal version of what Gram Parsons would call “American Cosmic Music.”
For the last 35 years, Neil has played lots of music in lots of places with lots of musicians, including the Spring Hill Rounders, and The Demolition String Band.
Piano: Dow Brain
Piano and Vocals
Drummer: Bobby Hall
Drums and Percussion
Bob Hall, originally from Dorchester, MA, is by day, a High School Special Education teacher, but has fit in his love for drumming since he started playing traps [set drums] at eight years old. Bob earned an Instrumental Performance Degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1975. He has played in the bands Starlight Dance Band, Black Tie, Philip Black Sextet, Brass Lantern and On the Road and has taught percussion at several schools. Since 1990, Bob has added to his repertoire a variety of rhythmic sounds using Congas, Timbales, Djembes, Udo, and Doumbeks. In 2001, Bob joined the newly formed “Holy Ghost Trio” at Hope Central Church and has continued to play with them during the Sunday service.
Our Church Staff
Church Manager: Lisa Pilat
ChurchManager@hopecentralchurch.org
Lisa Pilat has been with the church since 2006 as Building Manager and Church Manager/Bookkeeper. Prior to joining Hope Central she worked for Filene’s Department Stores as Divisional Sales Manager for 13 years. She has three children, Lexi, Lilly, and Maddoc. She currently lives in Dedham with her son Maddoc.
Administrative Assistant: Lisa Stanton
Lisa Stanton joined the staff at Hope Central in November 2021 after she moved to Boston from Beverly MA. Before she came here, she worked as an Administrative Assistant at a mental health clinic for 5 1/2 years on the north shore. She lives with her musical husband, Bobby , two pesky cats, and has one lovely daughter, Lily-Esther.
Sexton: Leonel Cermeño
Originally from Guatemala, Leonel is a father to three girls and a grandfather to six. He has lived in the U.S. for over thirty years, twenty-five of them in Massachusetts. He has been at Hope Central Church for over twenty years.