Clergy

Reverend Deborah Tate Breault – Full-time Designated Term Minister

Telephone: (401) 253-7288
Email: revdtb@fccbristol.org

The Rev. Deborah Tate Breault graduated from Yale Divinity School in 1986 and was ordained by her home church in Trumbull, CT in March 1987. She has served both large and small churches in the Connecticut, Kentucky-Indiana, Pacific Northwest, and Maine Conferences. She has served in settled and interim ministry settings and is very glad to have this opportunity to work with First Congregational Church in Bristol as a Designated Term Minister. Over the past 22 years Deborah has completed specialized training as an intentional interim/transitional ministry specialist. She loves working with churches that are open to change and transformation through the processes of self-reflection, discernment, visioning, and prayer. She has served in a variety of ministry settings; local church, association, and the national United Church of Christ, as well as outdoor ministries. She enjoyed many years of volunteer service at Pilgrim Lodge, the outdoor ministry site in Maine where she led the annual spring and fall Women’s Weekends for nine years. She has served extensively on Church and Ministry Committees in four conferences over the past 34 years. From 2009-2012, she served as the New England Regional Women’s Ministry Consultant on behalf of the United Church of Christ, Women in Mission and Local Church Ministries, Cleveland. In 2014, she completed a four-year term on the Executive Committee of the Cumberland Association, Maine Conference serving as chair of the nominating committee. Deborah was honored to participate in a Lily Foundation Spiritual renewal program for ordained clergywomen, “Women Touched by Grace,” from 2004-2008. She also loves learning and teaching Spiritual Practices and is an Oblate of “Our Lady of Grace” Benedictine Monastery in Indianapolis, IN. Her own personal spiritual practice is frame drumming. In the early years she was a member of the “Mob of Angels,” an original women’s frame drum group led by master drummer Layne Redmond in New York City in the 1990s. She also loves sailing, horseback riding, and pottery.

Staff

Nikita Zabinski – Director of Music

Telephone: 401-365-7114
Email: music_director@fccbristol.org

Nikita Zabinski is a classically trained pianist, organist, composer and sound engineer. He earned his B.M. in Piano Performance from The Boston Conservatory (2012), and M.A. in Global Entertainment and Music Business from Berklee College of Music (2016). He is a seasoned and dynamic musician highly regarded for superior technical expertise and a passion for nearly all styles of music.

His Music Ministry career began in 2010 at Lime Rock Baptist Church, where he served as a collaborative pianist for 12 years. Nikita has performed in various locations throughout Boston, NYC, LA and Barcelona and has performed with the RI Philharmonic as well as smaller chamber ensembles. During his graduate studies, he worked for an independent record company based out of Valencia, Spain, where he worked as Content Creator and Producer. In 2020, Nikita arranged, recorded and assembled a virtual choir for The Rhode Island Youth Theatre, which was funded by the Rhode Island Council of the Arts and featured on WPRI news. In 2021, Nikita composed and recorded theme music for several podcast shows as well as productions put on by The Wilbury Theatre Group. In May 2022, his original piece, L’espoir, was debuted at Veterans Memorial Auditorium during The Annual Fundraising Gala Concert supporting the RI Philharmonic Orchestra and Music School, featuring guest conductor Bramwell Tovey.

Currently, Nikita holds a position at The Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School where he is a piano and music theory faculty member.

Barbara Watts – Church Secretary

Telephone: (401) 253-7288
Email: office@fccbristol.org

With her strong Christian family values, Barbara has been serving the Church since 2007 and is currently serving as Church Secretary.  Whether it’s helping church members, church staff or the public in need, Barbara’s smiling face represents the face of the church.

Having grown up in Long Island, New York as one of four, Barbara currently lives in Newport, Rhode Island where she gets to enjoy her love for the outdoors including sailing, skiing and just generally the love of the ocean.  Barbara is also a care giver to her and her daughter’s retired horse.

Board of Deacons