Occupation: I am the pastor of the Community Presbyterian Church in Newtown. We meet at the Meeting House, on Main Street.

Family: I’m married to Sarah, and we have three children. Our son Nathaniel is 7 years old. Our daughter Cairistiona is 4½ years old. Katerina is our 2-year-old daughter.

Pets: We have no pets. We’ve considered bees, chickens, and rabbits, but haven’t done any of that yet.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We moved here seven years ago this past March.

What do you like to do in your free time? Most of my free time is spent in reading or spending time with my wife, or being silly with my children. I like building Legos with them, and dancing with my daughters.

Do you have a favorite book? The Bible would have to be up there, by way of book and author. My favorite nonfiction book would be John Calvin’s The Institutes of the Christian Religion. If I read fiction, I’m eclectic. I was a literature major in college, and I do like poetry. I like Wilfred Owen’s poetry, and I’ve gotten back into reading the C.S. Lewis books. I really enjoy the writing of Jhumpa Lahiri, the author of The Namesake.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? Locally, we like Block Island. The first three or four summers that we lived here, we went straight from the Labor Day Parade to Block Island. And we love Hawaii, where my wife grew up. Her parents moved away from there, though, so we don’t get back as often now.

What is the best thing about Newtown? We like the quintessential New England feel to it, especially because we worship in an old, old building in the center of town. We like that there are a lot of community events for families, like the tree lighting and Halloween on Main Street. We do what we can to be a part of them.

Do you have a hero? Jesus would be the primary one for a Christian, but beyond the Biblical story, I admire heroes in the Christian faith, like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and J. Gresham Machen. Machen is probably the least well-known. He was a professor of the New Testament at Princeton Seminary in the 1920s and 1930s. He fought against what he perceived to be wrong teachings in the Presbyterian Church. He was the founder of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, of which I am a pastor.

Do you have a personal philosophy? Jesus said, “I came not to be served but to serve.” We take that on in so many shapes and sizes. As disciples we sit at the feet of the Master to serve him, and to serve others in the love of Christ.

What makes you happiest? I’d have to say singing in worship of the saints, during our time of fellowship, when we are gathered together. I love to sing.