Leadership
Team
Shannon Getz
Vice Chair of Elders
Jacqui Bell
Chair of the Elders
Marilyn Minney
Elder
Tannya Forcone
Elder
Jenifer Murphy
Elder
Sheryl Blanchard
Trustee
Dennis Getz
Chair of Trustees
Sarah Black
Trustee
Greg Blanchard
Trustee
Joel Engman, Lead Pastor
The truth is I squirm a little when people ask me what I do? When I say Pastor you probably already have some formed ideas about who I am:
judgmental
pushy
religious
uptight
did I mention judgmental?
I tend to surprise people though.
I relate to people who say they are 'spiritual but not religious.' I might be one of the least 'religious' Pastors you might ever meet. Awhile back I was having a drink (yes I drink and even consider myself a bit of a beer aficionado) with a friend who looked at me and said 'You know Joel...I would go to your church!' That tends to be the response I get from people I know. I don't pretend to have all the answers. I ask just as many questions as I give answers and love to have meaningful conversations about life, spirituality, love, human nature, and faith with whomever I find across the table from me (hopefully enjoying something tasty)!
I'm a born and raised Northeast Ohio Cleveland sports fan, and/ enjoy cheering on the University of Akron Zips! I have been married to my wife Emily since 2005 and together we are doing our best to parent 3 boys and 1 girl - so we are a big family! We have a bernedoodle named Teddy who is a happy-go-lucky pup with a chill personality. Our family loves to go camping with our travel trailer and we love to travel anywhere warm and beachy.
Emily and I were licensed foster parents. In 2011 we began by caring for a sibling group of 6 kids (yeah we like to dive into things)! In 2016 we adopted 3 boys who had lived with us in foster-care for two years - making us a BIG family of six. Now I'm a SUV driving sports dad cheering on one of our kids at either a baseball, football, or lacrosse game!
I started working with Harmony Springs in December of 2012. I was immediately impressed with Harmony Springs refusal to give up. The church had tread through rough waters and came through stronger. I love serving a church that finds its mission in serving those around us, welcoming and appreciating all, and living out its mission creatively, nimbly and effectively. I like to say we are what people wish a church would be - we just decided to go ahead and do it.
Elders
Tannya Forconne
Elder
Bio Coming Soon
Shannon
Getz
Vice Chair of Elders
You know when Shannon enters the room! She's bubbly and outgoing! Shannon lives in Stow and is married to Dennis. She has two sons: Garret and Justin.
Shannon is a nurse in the Cuyahoga Falls School system, employed by Akron Cjhildren's Hospital.
Shannon has spent years leading Harmony Springs youth program. After a short hiatus she is back at it - helping our youth and justice intern, Kevin Poe.
On the weekend you'll find her riding local bike paths with her husband, going to an indians game, checking out a new local brewery (her favorite is anything mango), or just tooling around in her bright orange 'browns' car.
Jacqui
Bell
Chair of the Elders
Jacqui has grown up in church and attended most of her life, but in the past few years her view of Christ and Christianity has radically evolved. She writes, ‘that is why I am so fortunate to have found Harmony Springs, as the heart of this congregation is so powerfully motivated by love and action.’
Jacqui and her husband Bradd became members in 2017 and stay busy chasing their 1 year old son Daniel around.
Jacqui shares, ‘ I love and appreciate many genres of music. I enjoy playing the ukulele and singing in a band with Bradd who plays guitar and sings as well. I’m a movie buff, enjoy reading and I’m a massive Harry Potter fan in addition to Star Wars, Marvel and other geeky fandoms. I consider myself a foodie and enjoy a variety of cuisines (but seriously, who doesn’t love good food?!).'
Jacqui works at Stark County Child Support, and serves as the recording secretary of the local Union. Jacqui is a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ community, equal human & civil rights.
Jacqui has lived in Uniontown a lot of her life and has decided to raise a family here (right up the street from her parents!).
Jenifer Murphy
Elder
Jenifer and her husband of 23 years reside in Massillon, OH. Jen has two adult children, Alexandria and Michael
Jen recently retired from work as a Social Worker but fills her time with her children and grandchildren! She is excited to have more time to serve as a leader of Harmony Springs.
Jen has a sweet, caring spirit and smile that shows it. Jen has been part of the church through its many transitions over the years and is excited about Harmony Springs' next season of ministry.
Marilyn
Minney
Elder
Bio Coming Soon
Trustees
Dennis Getz
Chair of Trustees
Dennis and his wife Shannon have been faithful mainstays at Harmony Springs throughout the years. Dennis and Shannon recently celebrated 35 years of marital bliss. Together they have two adult sons, Justin and Garrett.
Dennis is a proud alum of Hiram College. On the weekends you’ll find Dennis biking with Shannon, visiting a new brewery, or sitting around a fire pit with friends.
Dennis has a wicked sense of humor and always does the crossword.
Sara Black
Trustee
Bio Coming Soon
Sheryl Blanchard
Trustee
Bio Coming Soon
Connetta Shringarpurey
Trustee
Connetta Shringarpurey has lived in the Sping Hill Development in Green with her husband Nikhil and their two children, Rohun (13) and Neela (9), for over 9 years. When not at work Rohun and Neela keep her busy and she can often be found volunteering for events at their school or one of their many after-school activities.
Connetta has worked at PNC (formerly National City) for the last 24 years. Currently, she manages a 50+ person IT Quality Assurance Team, but prior to that spent 12+ years as part of PNC’s Cyber Security leadership team where she focused on Vendor, Application, and System compliance.
In her free time, she enjoys baking, exercise, window shopping, and spending time with her friends and family!
Connetta shares, ‘I truly value the mission and values of Harmony Spring and look forward to leading such a mission-focused church family.’
Greg Blanchard
Trustee
Greg is our go-to analytical mind at Harmony Springs. Greg lives in Uniontown and works as Director of Merchandising Information Operations at JOANN Stores, based in Hudson.
Prior to JOANN, working for Camelot Music led the Blanchards to Ohio from Kansas. His varied interests in music and movies reflect that career path
Greg produces two podcasts: Walk the Earth and Inappropriate Conversations. Walk the Earth details his search for an inclusive and progressive church – that led them to Harmony Springs. On the weekends Greg enjoys watching European football – soccer – and cheering on his alma mater, Oklahoma State University, in several sports.
Greg is married to Sheryl and has two children, Alison and Joshua, both of whom are married and live in the area. Greg loves to travel with his wife and is on par to have visited all 50 states!