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Tom Collins
Pastor:
Tom has been
our pastor for over twenty-eight years, long enough for him to see just about every church in Scranton change pastors.
A native of New Jersey, Tom began his work at Hickory Street in November, 1979. He was educated at Rutgers College,
Princeton Seminary, and Drew University. Over the years he has served on the Boards of Lackawanna Prison Ministeries,
Safety Net, Bread Basket, Geneva House, and Yokefellows Ministries. In 1983 he organized the first Scranton CROP Walk
for the hungry. Through his leadership Hickory Street Church has remained active in the community while compassionately
caring for the members of the congregation. Tom moderates the Session of 18 elders and works closely with 12 members
of the Board of Deacons.
He has been married for over 34 years to the former Leslie Ann Mullen, a woman he knew when
she was 4! They are the parents of two adult sons, Eli and Levi.
Tom can be reached at 570-344-1406 or rut66tc@verizon.net.
Ed Peterson
D.C.E.:
Ed joined the
staff as Director of Christian Education in February, 1991. Prior to that, he was the youth minister at Edgewood
Presbyterian Church in his native Pittsburgh, PA. A 1976 graduate of Maryville College in Tennessee,
Ed's ministry to our young people and to the overall Christian Education program of our church has been marked by his
astounding creativity and devotion to Christ. Young people flock to him, and even the adults are touched each week by
his children's sermons. He spends much of his time on the road with the kids, whether it be a day trip, a week-long
summer mission project, or a weekend retreat to our presbytery-owned camp in Vosburg, PA. He has one married daughter,
Kate Snyder, and two grandchildren. His wife, Thea, almost always works with him. They live in the Hill section
of Scranton.
Ed can be reached at 570-344-1488 or pearball@yahoo.com.
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Eugene Hopkins
Minister
of Music:
Gene is Hickory Street's longest tenured employee. His
work at our church began in 1967, soon after he was graduated from Westminster Choir College. Attracted to our area
by his wife Kathy, a native Scrantonian, Gene started as a full-time Minister of Music and Youth Worker but later began a
teaching career in the Scranton School District from which he retired in 2005. Gene is a master organist! It would
be hard to find someone who can match his ability to lead congregational singing, especially on our beautiful 51-ranked Casevant
organ. Gene and Kathy live in Moscow, PA and are the parents of three grown children, Barbara, Richard, and Eugene,
Jr.
Gene can be reached at 570-842-2272 or gkh7867@verizon.net.
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Barb Perechinsky
Business Manager:
Barb began her position as our business manager on June 1, 2007, but
has been a lifelong member of our congregation.
She is excited to be able to work for the congregation
she loves so much. She has been married for 17 years to her husband Michael and they have three children, Michael age
13, Cole age 10, and Grace age 8.
Barb can be reached at 570-343-4235 or barbhspc@verizon.net.
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