Our Staff
Rev. Nathaniel Craddock Pastor & Teacher (nate@fccbc.org)
Rev. EJ Staib Associate Minister for Children & Families
Jeff Lambert Head of Building Maintenance (jeff@fccbc.org)
Emily Fowler Administrator (emily@fccbc.org)
Vicki Walker Music Director
Zane Forintos A/V Support Specialist
Jaimie Fales Hospitality Support Specialist
Meet Pastor Nate
The Rev. Nathaniel Craddock (he/him) began his call at FCCBC in March of 2020, two weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic entered full swing with public lock-downs and social distancing measures. Nate graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky in 2013 and worked in the mental health field for four years before entering full-time ministry in the United Church of Christ.
Nate is a church mutt and has spent time learning from the major streams of Christian tradition. His approach joins the kenotic heart of the inner Christian tradition to cutting-edge efforts for inclusion and animist socio-ecological justice, brought together in the rhythms of liturgical spirituality & devotional practice.
A native of the Washington DC area and transplant to the Midwest, Nate enjoys learning languages, baking, playing and writing music, and exploring the best old and new ideas for living in this world. He lives in Battle Creek with his husband, Michael, their daughter Lucy, and their Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Calvin. Nate is available for spiritual direction, pastoral care, and ritual support.
Mural artist: Aerosol Kingdom
Photo Image: Huge street mural of an owl’s facial profile. A pale-skinned, middle age gender fluid person with long hair on the left and a shaved head on the right is wearing Birkenstocks, a long sleeve grey shirt with a photo of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and black pants. The person is posted with relaxed strength up against the owl wall mural, looking directly at the camera, grateful for the blue sky, incredible art surrounding them, and camera-holding daughter.
Meet Rev. EJ
Rev. EJ McGaughy-Staib, who currently lives in southwest MI on the territories of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, is a mutual aid practitioner, facilitator, associate minister for children and families at their local church, curriculum designer, and hospice chaplain. Those are the professional digs. At home EJ tends the family altar, drinks dark coffee every morning with their spouse, sheds every ounce of love they’ve got on the children, romps with Solei the Pup, plants the seeds and buds, feeds the birds, and watches tons of soccer & women’s basketball. The deepest desires of EJ’s heart are to bring a steady and committed presence to the power of life itself, tenderness to transitions, and to stay beautifully and imperfectly in solidarity struggles for the long-haul.