Our Elders
Chris Bass, Ph.D., Senior Pastor / Elder
Chris grew up sporadically attending church (Christmas & Easter), but his true passion (insert 'idol') was baseball. After hearing the gospel as a junior in highschool, he didn't submit his life to Christ until his junior year of college. It was only then that he came to understand the nature of sin, the reality that he deserved the wrath of God and finally rejoiced in the fact that Christ came to save sinners. Some of the most influential writers in Chris's life have been John Piper, D.A. Carson, Jonathan Edwards, Tom Schreiner, and Mark Dever, to name a few. Chris is married to his best friend Brandi and the two of them have been blessed with five wonderful children.
See more about Chris here.
Lay Tan, Elder
Lay was 15 years old when he was invited to a church in Singapore where the gospel was clearly preached from the pulpit. After several months of listening to the preached Word, he believed. He has been blessed by preachers like Charles Spurgeon and John MacArthur. Lay received a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the National University of Singapore, and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. He works as (you guessed it) an engineer, at ADINA R & D, Inc. right here in Watertown. He and his wife May have two teenage children, and he enjoys reading, kayaking, hiking, and enjoying nature. In ministry, Lay is passionate about the truth: "For this cause I was born,” says Jesus, “and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth" (John 18:37).
Andrew Belli, Pastoral Assistant / Elder
Andrew began his pilgrim journey in Plymouth, Mass. where he was born. He came to saving faith in Christ at a young age when he heard a teaching on God's law and realized he was a hopeless sinner apart from grace. He read his first theological books in junior high (Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis & R.C. Sproul’s Chosen By God), which reinforced a growing call to ministry. He earned a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Crandall University in Canada, studied literature and history as an associate student at Oxford University, and received a master’s degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. His passions are biblical theology, music, literary criticism, and Near Eastern archaeology, serving as a docent at Harvard’s Semitic Museum. Andrew imported his best friend from Canada, an English lit major named Emily Dickinson (go figure), and brought her back to Massachusetts where they’re in love with their four children. “I pray that the gospel will drive us to live out our roles in God’s ancient and unfolding redemptive story, from New England to the ends of the earth.” 
@belliandrew
Rick Ellis, Elder
Rick did not come to faith until he was nearly 40 years old. While he attended church for most of his life, he had no understanding of his sin or need for a Savior. After several humbling events in his life, he joined a men’s Bible study where he heard (for the first time) the true gospel message. Some of the writers and preachers he has appreciated are Voddie Baucham, John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, Alistair Begg, Paul Washer, and Jeff Nobblitt. Rick and his wife Denise are parents of a blended family of 7 children ranging in age from 10 to 26. He has a Bachelor of Science and a Masters of Engineering – both in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Rick is an executive with a company that produces medical disposables for hospitals, being responsible for Strategic Planning, Partnerships, Intellectual Property and Product Development. He enjoys working at projects around the house (and around our church building), and enjoys the outdoors – particularly at the beach in Maine with family. “Areas of ministry I am particularly excited about are helping young men learn to be men, and helping young marrieds get off to a good start.”