The staff at Second Church comes from a diverse background and provides equally varied resources to the church and community. The collegial atmosphere is an essential ingredient in our creative approach to proclaiming the Gospel.
Rev. Dr. Will Sencabaugh
Pastor
The Rev. Dr. Will Sencabaugh is an ordained UCC minister who has served as a pastor for over 27 years in Maine, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Rev. Will grew up in Attleboro and attended Sunday school, Confirmation class and youth groups at Second Church. He is a graduate of AHS, the University of Maine, Bangor Theological Seminary and Andover Newton Theological School. He and his wife, Julie, have two children: Drew who lives in Asheville, NC and Jenna who lives in Boston.
He is a huge New England Patriots fan (and claims he is available 24/7/365 unless there is a Patriots game—then, he is ‘off the clock,’ and will resume pastoral duties when the game is over)! He is an avid reader and is often in the middle of at least three books at once. When his children were growing up, vacations were planned where they could visit an ‘away’ ballpark to see the Red Sox. He has seen the band, Phish (28 times), in many ‘away’ cities as well. Rev. Will plays guitar ("I’ve been playing too long to be this bad") and dabbles with the drum kit.
"A big draw for me was coming home to Attleboro, but I wouldn’t have accepted the call to Second if I didn’t feel like it was the right fit. I believe this is where I am meant to serve God. The Holy Spirit has been active in the church for hundreds of years, but one of my goals is to help the congregation develop a strong, vital mission and vision for how we can serve the greater Attleboro community today."
His sermons and worship style are ‘down-to-earth,’ helping us to connect the Bible with today. He brings storytelling, humor and pop culture references into his messages. His sermons will make you smile, think, and move you to action.
"I want people who grace the doors of Second Church to know that God loves them—(and there’s nothing they can do about it!) I want people to feel an extravagant welcome when they come to worship, to feel connected and find an authentic community—where they can open their minds and their hearts."
Please feel free to call Rev. Will at the office, 508.222.4677, or you can reach him on his cell phone 860.861.5003 (call or text)- but just remember, he won’t answer if the Patriots are playing. Please leave a message, and he will be sure to get back in touch with you.
Fred Saunders
Administrative Assistant
Our Administrative Assistant provides support to the Minister and all other staff, officers, boards and committees. Fred is a graduate of Attleboro High and Norwich University. He is retired from Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. as a programming project leader and from the U.S. Army Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel in Personnel and Administration. He is a life-long member of Second Church, having been active in youth groups and Scouting early on, and passing through most of the committees of the church since starting his family.
Fred describes his current position as the greatest retirement job he could hope for, working closely with several hundred of his closest friends. He is also the Church Clerk and Curator and is active in the music programs, facility maintenance and other areas. Fred lives in North Attleborough with his wife Sandy who is also very active in the church. They are the proud parents of three and grandparents of ten!
Bill MacPherson
Director of Music
Bill MacPherson has been Director of Music at Second Congregational Church, Attleboro, for 25 years, first from 1986-1993 and, currently, since 2002. At Second Church he is not only the organist but also directs the Adult Choir and the Handbell Choir.
He attended Brown University (A.B., magna cum laude, Chemistry), where he studied organ with the late Prof. William Dinneen. He accompanied the University Chorus, including their concert tour of English Cathedrals — a life-changing event, and the reason he never became a chemist. He holds graduate degrees (A.M., Ph.D.) in historical musicology from Harvard University.
He recently retired from the music faculty at Wheaton College, Norton, MA, where he taught music history and theory, served for many years as departmental accompanist, and held the position of College Organist from 2007 to 2019. His academic specialty is 17th- and 18th-century British music, and he enjoys frequent travel to London to work in the Rare Book and Music Room of the British Library.
He has also taught at CCRI, Lincoln, RI, and at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, and, while there, also worked as a music reviewer for the Worcester Telegram. He was the first and long-time accompanist for the Providence Singers, served for ten years as organist of Temple Emanu-el, Providence, and for more than 25 years as organist and, later, music director at the Evangelical Covenant Church, Attleboro.
“I’ve been a churcb musician longer than I’ve been a college professor, beginning in my early teens and continuing now even after my retirement from academia. I’ve always loved choral music and the organ and its music, but, honestly, I get as much pleasure from just accompanying the hymns on Sunday morning. It’s a privilege to serve the congregation at Second Church and to share my love of music both in worship and in choir rehearsals.”
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