Minister for Music

Rev. Bill Bloom serves our community as Director of Music. He is a graduate of Temple University's Esther Boyer College of Music and the School of Sacred Ministries.  

Rev. Bill is an ordained Interfaith Minister, teacher, composer, arranger, pianist and vocalist. He joined our clergy as our minister of music over 20 years ago. Bill credits his continued dedication to our church because of its theology and inclusiveness and diversity. He is proud to be part of a church that does not just "talk the talk", but "walks the walk." 

Bill is proud father of 3 daughters and 2 grandchildren. When Bill is not singing and playing piano with us, he sings with Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale (and has been doing this since 2004). Bill is the co-writer and co-producer of the Seminal Hit Recording, "Double Dutch Bus".  

Rev. La'Vetta J. Ross-Hall, a 2015 Eden Theological Seminary graduate where she obtained a Masters of Divinity, is an Ordained Minister in the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ.  Rev. Hall has served in congregational and healthcare ministries for more than 20 years. Rev. Hall cultivated a heart for pastoral care that attends to the needs of the broader community through her congregational leadership as Student Pastor, Assistant Pastor and Sr Pastor serving congregations in Kansas City, Mo, St Charles, MO, Manchester MO Caseyville, IL. and Princeton NJ. 

She is committed to journeying with others through Clinical Pastoral Care, in multifaith settings. Rev. Hall is passionate about the spiritual, physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of those she serves. She has worked in a number of healthcare settings including public health with the Kansas City Missouri Health Department,  Community Outreach services where she served as Director of Community Living and as staff Chaplain at Barnes Jewish Hospitals in St Louis, Missouri. 

In 2018,  Rev. Hall responded to the call to Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). She applied to CPE Residency programs at Penn Medicine, Princeton, John Hopkins and Yale Divinity School. Rev. Hall interviewed and received offers from all three programs. After prayerful consideration, she chose to complete her 1 year residency at Penn Medicine Princeton Hospital in Plainsboro, NJ. The residency rotations included, Telemetry, and Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) where Rev. Hall collaborated with Hospice and Palliative Care teams to provide chaplaincy care to patients and family members navigating the complex terrain of terminal illness and caregiving for patients/family members. Upon completion of the 1 year residency, Rev. Hall signed on as a full time Hospice Chaplain  where  she continues to serve. 

Rev. Hall, who identifies as a Practical Theologian, remains active in congregational ministry where she serves diligently to educate individuals and groups on the intersectionality of spiritual, emotional and physical health.

Rev. Nancy Schongalla-Bowman  was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1979 after receiving degrees from Stanford University and a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.  She served as Associate Pastor at a UCC church for 4 years, followed by hospital, hospice, and nursing home chaplaincy roles.  After completing marriage and family therapy training at Council for Relationships in Philadelphia, Nancy joined the staff.  

She returned to Princeton Theological Seminary in 1995 where she served as Director of Student Counseling for 24 years.  Nancy opened a private counseling practice in Princeton and Yardley in January of 2020.

She has started a charity called “Adopt a South African Preschool” whose current emphasis is on developing a lending library of early childhood education resources-- toys, puzzles, books and curriculum to support the development of children below the poverty line in their critically formative early years.  Access to free preschool education is very limited in S. Africa at this time so channeling funds to ASAP partners in Pretoria is an exciting ministry.

Nancy has 5 grandchildren, 4 goddaughters, 3 sons, 2 daughters-in-law, and 1 adopted German daughter.  Her role in the Clergy in Residence has included leadership of the AMEN group (All Means Everyone Now) which has focused on anti-racism and white privilege.  Nancy enjoys an exercise class, gardening, cooking (especially soups and muffins), continuing education in the therapy field, travel, staying connected with friends and family, and her drum set.