Our Leadership

SSBC is an elder led congregational church. The congregation meets quarterly to discuss and make decisions regarding significant church issues like appointing leadership, establishing doctrine, and major financial decisions.  The elders and pastors, supported by the church staff, provide spiritual leadership to the congregation.  We have a number of committees and ministries that carry out the work of the church.

Our Elders

The New Testament churches were shepherded by a plurality of elders. The elders (also called pastors or overseers in the Bible) have responsibility for the spiritual care and leadership of the church.  Elders must be men of exemplary Christian character who demonstrate leadership, an aptitude to teach sound doctrine, and a pastor’s heart for the congregation.  Our current elders are:

• Tim Ells (Chairman)
• Matt Dorn (Vice Chairman)
• Daniel Bass                       
• Rick Coughlin
• Kent Forkner                    
• David Smalley
• John Guenard                   
• Mike Leavitt
• Gerry Bennett                              
• Kevin Jameson
• Rick Goodenough

Committee Chairs

• Diaconate | Larry Berley 
• Fellowship | Roberta Leavitt
• Missions | Tom Sage
• Stewardship | Paulo Brasil
• Worship | Jeramie Rinne

Click here for a PDF version of Our Leadership 2009-2010

Click Here for a copy of our Constitution and Doctrinal Statement

Senior Pastor Jeramie Rinne

Senior Pastor Jeramie Rinne was born and grew up in Las Vegas, graduated from Wheaton College (Illinois) in 1993 with a B.A. Bible and Ancient Languages.  It was there he met his wife, Jennifer.  He received his Master’s of Divinity from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in 1996.  Jeramie became the Senior Pastor of SSBC in 1997.  He enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, reading, board games, and outdoor activities.

Pastor of Student Ministry Chris Hemmerich

Chris is a native New Englander, having lived most of his life in Connecticut after spending his early childhood in New York (Yes…it’s not New England!).  Chris has worked with teens, college students and young adults in a variety of roles and has completed a Master’s Degree in Religion after doing graduate work at Liberty Theological Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  Chris’ most important loves are his wife and children, coffee, hiking, reading good theology, Sunday naps, and along with every other parent of young children, quiet.

Chris can be reached at 791.749.2592 x123 or email

Associate Pastor Seth Rogers

Seth grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and studied agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He and his wife Cindy met the first week of school freshman year.  They married four years later and headed off to East Africa with Campus Crusade for Christ.  They served twelve years, mostly in Kenya, and returned to the United States in 1996 with three children.  Seth received the M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois, in 1998 and began serving at SSBC the following year.  Seth likes reading, the outdoors, playing French horn, and tinkering with cars and old motorcycles.

Seth can be reached at 781-749-2592 x103 or email

Executive Assistant and Office Manager -Cindy Van Arsdale

Cindy joined the staff in September 2007.  Her previous positions include teacher, systems engineer, and full time homemaker for 13 years.  She moved to New England in 1999 from the Midwest.  She and her husband, Jim, have two twenty-somethings.  Cindy has been a leader in Bible Study Fellowship and Community Bible Study and served on the Fellowship Committee, the Couples Ministry Team, and with Vacation Bible School.  

Cindy can be reached at 781-749-2592 x100 or email

Director of Worship - Jennifer Boel

Jennifer grew up in Pembroke, Massachusetts, graduated from Eastern Nazarene College (Massachusetts) in 1994 with a B.S. in Music Education and later pursued a Master’s Degree in Special Education.  Her experience and training in worship planning and leading prior to and throughout her college years helped pave the way for becoming the part-time Director of Worship at South Shore Baptist in 1999.  In 2005, she gave up her full-time teaching position to dedicate herself to being the full-time Worship Director at SSBC.  Jennifer enjoys reading, gardening, exploring new cooking recipes and working together with her husband Chris on home improvement projects.

Jennifer can be reached at 781-749-2592 x105 or email

Director of Ministry Support - Phillip Cain

Phillip Cain, Director of Ministry Support, joined the staff in October 2006.  He came to SSBC after working 7 years in the environmental and hazardous waste management industry.  Phil grew up just outside of Chicago, Illinois, and graduated from Wheaton College (Illinois) in 1998 with a B.S. in Environmental Science.  He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Divinity from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.  Phil and his wife live in Hingham and enjoy reading, watching movies, cooking, and traveling to New Mexico.

Phil can be reached at 781-749-2592 x104 or email

Director of Children’s Ministry - Sandie Spataro

Sandie Spataro has been a member of SSBC since 1971 with a short time away while living in Whitinsville, Massachusetts.  She has two grown sons and two granddaughters.  She loves children of all ages and volunteers who have a heart for kids.  Sandie graduated from Barrington College, now Gordon College, as an Education and Psychology major, and taught full and part time.  She loves to spend time with her granddaughter and family, entertain friends, read, write, swim, and walk at the beach.  Sandie is supported on staff by Kristen Marsico, Jennifer Van Meter, and Ruth Rothman.