Ministry Team
Rev. Stephen Tickner - Senior Pastor
Stephen has been proudly serving as Senior Pastor of Central Christian Church since January 2016. After receiving his Master's of Divinity in 2013 from Union Theological Seminary in New York, he was ordained into the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) by Park Avenue Christian Church in 2015 under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Alvin O'Neal Jackson.
As a part of his ministry, Stephen serves on the board of the Association of Religious Communities (ARC) of Greater Danbury, the leadership team of Danbury's Reentry Community Roundtable, and is the co-chair of the Westar Institute's Praxis Forum - a national organization committed to bridging the gap between the academic study of religion and the on-the-ground experience of religion and spirituality in contemporary culture. He is married to Bianca and has two daughters, Kayden & Kendall
Pastor Stephen would love to meet with you. To contact him, please email him directly at rev.stephen@cccdanbury.org or call the church at 203.748.3020.
As a part of his ministry, Stephen serves on the board of the Association of Religious Communities (ARC) of Greater Danbury, the leadership team of Danbury's Reentry Community Roundtable, and is the co-chair of the Westar Institute's Praxis Forum - a national organization committed to bridging the gap between the academic study of religion and the on-the-ground experience of religion and spirituality in contemporary culture. He is married to Bianca and has two daughters, Kayden & Kendall
Pastor Stephen would love to meet with you. To contact him, please email him directly at rev.stephen@cccdanbury.org or call the church at 203.748.3020.
Rev. Qujuana L. Ivory - Youth Education Consultant
Qujuana L. Ivory Jeffress affectionately called Rev. Q is a native New Yorker, by way of CT. She received her B.A. in History with a concentration in Africana Studies and a minor in Performance Arts (Dance) from the University at Albany in Albany, NY. Rev. Qujuana earned a Master’s of Divinity from Drew University Theological School in Madison, NJ. She began working in ministry as a very young child and at 23 answered the call to ministry as a licensed minister. At the age of 28, she was ordained an elder in the Lord’s church under the leadership of the honorable Bishop Haywood L. Parker of Rocky Mount, NC.
Rev. Qujuana is a mentor, business and ministry consultant, entrepreneur, and serves as a board member for various nonprofit organizations. She loves God’s people and enjoys serving the world through preaching, teaching, training and exercising her many gifts. Rev. Qujuana is a psalmist and trained dancer. For her, worshiping God comes easy because of her love for God. Most importantly, Rev. Qujuana strives for God to be glorified in all that she says and does. She strongly believes, if God is glorified, the world will be edified and lives will be changed!
To contact Rev. Qujuana email her at rev.qlij@cccdanbury.org.
Rev. Qujuana is a mentor, business and ministry consultant, entrepreneur, and serves as a board member for various nonprofit organizations. She loves God’s people and enjoys serving the world through preaching, teaching, training and exercising her many gifts. Rev. Qujuana is a psalmist and trained dancer. For her, worshiping God comes easy because of her love for God. Most importantly, Rev. Qujuana strives for God to be glorified in all that she says and does. She strongly believes, if God is glorified, the world will be edified and lives will be changed!
To contact Rev. Qujuana email her at rev.qlij@cccdanbury.org.
Nate Wardlaw - Worship Leader
Nate Wardlaw is a music educator, church musician and accompanist residing in Mahopac, New York. Nate earned a Masters of Music in Choral Conducting from Messiah University and a Bachelors of Science in Music Education from the College of Saint Rose. Prior to starting at Central Christian Church, Nate served as the Director of Music/Organist for Stanford United Methodist Church in Schenectady, New York and as the Tenor Soloist/Section Leader at First Presbyterian Church of Albany, New York. Nate has worked as a public school music teacher in New York since 2015; he is currently a K-5 music teacher for the Dobbs Ferry Central School District. When not making music, Nate likes to spend time outside with his wife and his dog, Bruce. He is thrilled to begin working as the Music Director for Central Christian Church of Danbury, Connecticut.
Musicians
Christian Mortera - Piano, Guitar & Vocals
Christian Mortera is a lifelong resident of Newtown and is currently a sophomore studying audio production and engineering at Western Connecticut State University. Christian is a talented musician who is able to sing and play a couple of different instruments such as piano, guitar, bass, and some drums and violin. He is happy to be a part of this church and to enhance the musical experience of worship.
David Segal - Drums
David joins Central as a talented and respected drummer having performed in prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall in New York. David currently teaches drumming privately as well as with Wooster School in Danbury, CT. He is also one of the founders of "Can Do Musos", a group of over 200 musicians in 25 different countries dedicated to supporting and empowering disabled musicians.
Bianca Tickner - Vocals
Bianca has spent a life in the arts. After receiving her M.F.A. at Marymount Manhattan College, she became a member of the Reflections Dance Company in Washington D.C. Eventually, she was led to musical theater where she toured the world performing in several Broadway touring companies. Bianca now works as a real estate agent in New York City and ist a loving wife to Stephen and mother to Kayden. She enjoys having the opportunity to offer her gifts to the church for worship.
Administrative & Property Team
Rachel Valluzzo, Administrative Assistant
Rachel Valluzzo was raised in Danbury and has been working at Central Christian Church as the Administrative Assistant since 2012. One of the best aspects of her job that she loves is having the opportunity to interact with members of the congregation as well as the community. Before coming to Central Christian Church, Rachel previously worked and volunteered at the Association of Religious Communities. She enjoys seeing movies, spending time with family and friends, and is an avid coin collector.
Mark Joyner, Sexton
Mark has been the church Sexton since 2013. He came to Central Christian through Family and Children’s Aid (FCA) where he has worked since 2000. In addition to being the church Sexton, Mark is also the lead treatment worker at the FCA Extended Day Program, which is housed in the basement of Central Christian Church. In addition to his work, Mark loves boxing and the NFL. He also is a lover of music with a collection that ranges from Johnny Cash and Parliament to Andraé Crouch and obscure contemporary Christian artists like the Seventy Sevens.