Rev. Adam Isbitsky (he/him/his) is blessed to serve Ballard Vale United Church as Designated Term Pastor. Adam completed the Master of Divinity program with Certificate in Interfaith Leadership at Andover Newton Theological School, where he served as Treasurer and then President of the Student Association. He completed a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Saint Vincent Hospital at Worcester Medical Center. He is an ordained minister in and on behalf of the United Church of Christ and a member of the Interim Ministry Network, through which he completed the Fundamentals of Transitional Ministry program. He received a certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to serving Ballard Vale United Church, Adam served churches in Boston, Wellesley Hills, East Weymouth, North Middleboro, and Holliston in both pastoral and music ministry positions. He serves the wider church as treasurer of the Northeast Association UCC; annual meeting business committee member for the Southern New England Conference UCC, clergy programs advisory committee member for the newly proposed UCC credit union, and a counselor at Pilgrim Lodge, the UCC's outdoor ministry site in Maine.

Prior to attending seminary, Adam trained in music and education, and you can often find him singing or playing keyboard instruments here and there when he gets the chance. He is a Massachusetts native and was as active member of his home church, First Congregational Church of Stoughton, United Church of Christ. He co-founded and managed a local nonprofit children’s theatre company throughout its eight years of producing fun, educational productions. He also comes with experience in corporate administration, bookkeeping, restaurant management, and retail merchandising. Adam enjoys designing and participating in good worship and always finds ways to blend humor with a deep love for God and the earth. He is passionate about the value of church as a caring community: a group—yes, even an institution (gasp! a dirty word)—that cares for its own members and friends and reaches out in caring to others in need. He looks to Jesus as an example of what that means, especially taking to heart his prayed words “on earth as it is heaven.”