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Pastor:
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Rev. Dr. Myrlene Hamilton Hess
-- Revmhamil@aol.com
Myrlene Hamilton grew up in South Dakota, and has a B.S. degree
in Secondary Education from Northern State University in Aberdeen.
She also has M. Div. and D. Min. degrees from Fuller Seminary in
Pasadena, California. Her passion in ministry is helping people find
their special gifts for ministry and putting them to work in places that
are fulfilling and that help the church grow. When time permits,
she enjoys leading retreats and speaking at seminars. She has served
churches in California, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska before moving to
New Jersey. When she is not teaching or preaching or leading groups
at Morning Star, she enjoys writing, spending time outdoors and playing
with their Labrador Retriever, Amazing Grace. She is the author of
Being the Body of Christ, Turning Points, All I Need to Know About Ministry I Learned from Fly Fishing,
and her newest book, On the Road to Emmaus, A Travel Guide Through Grief.
Myrlene is married to Eric Hess, an elder at Morning Star Presbyterian Church. |

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Founding Co-Pastor:
Click here for memorial information about
Rev. Dr. Ed Hamilton
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Seminary Intern:
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Scott DeCaro
Scott DeCaro is a student at New Brunswick
Theological Seminary studying part time to be a pastor in the Presbyterian
Church (USA). Scott is a self-described computer geek and enjoys computer
games, walking, and meditating in his spare time when he is not working,
studying, or leading the men's group and serving in worship at Morning Star.
Scott currently lives in Sayreville with his father, sister, and two dogs.
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Music Ministry:
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Tom McGowan
Tom has been a member of the Morning Star Music Ministry Team
since July 1994. He was performing with a musical group at the Ocean County
fair when his wife came across the Morning Star booth advertising
for an accompanist. Tom auditioned that following Sunday and the rest is
history. Tom grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey and moved to Ocean County
in 1982. He's employed as a full time electronics engineer but his real
love is music. Tom has been a musician for over twenty-five
years. Together with Julie Lawrence, he has composed
two original songs. The sheet music is Copyright Pending and
will be available soon. |
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Tess Nielsen
Choral musician,
pianist and vocalist Tess Nielsen currently resides in Avon-by-the-Sea with her
husband, two boys, and various pets. She is performing arts chair at Ranney
School in Tinton Falls, where she oversees the performing arts program, directs
the musical plays, and conducts the chorus. Tess is also a doctoral candidate in
Music Education in Boston University's online program. |
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Secretary:
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Candy Peterson
Our secretary, Candy Peterson, loves her job as church secretary and
wants very much to use it to serve God and her Morning Star family. Candy is a
Certified Spiritual Director who leads our ministry of spiritual direction and
who loves preaching. She is an ordained elder and a Care Pastor here at Morning
Star. Her husband, Bob, who was her ministry partner and the love of her life
went to be with the Lord on December 7, 2010. He will be very missed. When she is not working, Candy enjoys the outdoors and especially
taking long walks with her two beautiful Labrador
retrievers, Cocoa and Ebony. |
Candy
Shares at the Memorial Service for Bob
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