Staff
Pastor Dan Purtell
Pastor Dan Purtell graduated from United Lutheran seminary in the summer of 2019. This was not Pastor Dan’s first stint at seminary. From 2012-2014 Pastor Dan attended the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, earning his Masters of Arts of Public Leadership. At the time, Pastor Dan thought he wanted to enter into the field of non-profit management - God had other ideas. If there was one song that would describe his faith journey to this point, it is the Beatles The Long and Winding and Road.
Dan’s journey to ordained ministry has been one that has had many twists and turns along the way. It’s a journey that took Dan to the city of Békéscaba in Hungary. During this year Pastor Dan experienced the true potential of the church, sharing in deep love and hospitality. It was on Easter Sunday, gathered around the table with fellow siblings in Christ, that Pastor Dan recognized the call to ordained ministry. Sharing the table and the love of Jesus, even while encountering cultural differences, highlighted how God’s radical love and grace is working through communities across the globe. Pastor Dan is beyond excited to discover and explore how the Holy Spirit will work through us to do “God’s work with our hands.”
Pastor Dan enjoys spending time hiking, listening to “The Boss”, and spending time with his God kids, Zach and Kat. Pastor Dan is also a passionate sports fan, one when it comes to the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, and UConn Huskies.
Boyd Wood, Music Minister
Boyd started at Bethlehem Lutheran on August 16, 2015. Prior to this he has been organist and choir director at the Federated Church of Willington for twelve years, organist at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Stafford Springs for nine years, and organist at the Attawaugan Methodist Church, also for nine years. He studied pipe organ at Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford and piano at the United States Army Element, Naval School of Music in Little Creek, Virginia and is a member of the Hartford chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Boyd also occasionally plays keyboards backing up various Fifties and Motown groups for Harvey Robbins of the Doo Wopp Hall of Fame of America (The Vandellas, The Tokens, Gene Chandler, Billy Davis of The Midnighters, Tony Funches of The Platters, Louise Murray of the Jaynettes), and plays keyboards/mandolin/concertina in The Long River Band, a local folk band.
Boyd has a wife Laureen, and a daughter Cassie who lives in Brooklyn New York. He is also a Senior Software Developer at Farm Credit Financial Partners in Agawam Massachusetts.