STAFF

Our Leadership

Our Leadership Team is a partnership, where we serve together to nurture the spiritual life of the church. Our “Leadership” is based on Servant Leadership where leaders serve others with courage and humility to honor God. The focal point of servant leadership within the church is “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:12). A servant leader seeks to invest himself/herself into the lives of our people so that, as a whole, the church community grows to be more like Christ.


•  Covenant is “governed” by a Congregational Spirit  •  Lay Leadership Council  •  Lay Leader Pastoral Relations Board (PRB)  

•  Vocational Staff in Various Ministries  •  Lay Leader Ministry Chairs

  • Cary Slater | Lead Pastor

    Cary grew up in Minneapolis, then fled for balmy Chicago to attend Wheaton College.  He got his Masters of Divinity at Alliance Theological Seminary.  Cary thanks God every day for life with Roseann and their two young adults, Abby and Noah.  They share their home with a dog who wasn’t supposed to get this big.  Cary enjoys history, reading, newspapers and getting outside.


    He has served churches in Seattle and Phoenix.  But it is the Covenant Church of Easton that is home, serving as Student Ministries Pastor on 2 separate occasions for a total of 13 years and as Lead Pastor since 2013.  Cary loves the east coast and the people who live here.  He loves helping people trust and see God in the day to day, and experience the church as a community in ways they never knew possible.


  • Kristine Lackowski| Director of Children's Ministry

    Kristine has a passion for every child to know who Jesus is and to KNOW Him as their personal Savior.  She also has a desire for every child to discover their God-given potential and to learn how to serve Him.  Kristine has a heart for children and families and enjoys organizing meaningful programs which bring them together.  Kristine, and her husband Chris, have three young adults – Brianna, a Freshman who attends Quinnipiac University; and twins, Christopher who attends Northeastern University and Melanie who attends Liberty University.

  • Debbie Packnick | Director of Student Ministries

    Pastor Debbie joined the Covenant Church of Easton in the summer of 2015 and she and her husband Rob quickly fell in love with the people and the mission of our church; Loving God, Growing Together, Serving Others.  Debbie is actively engaged in the life of our church through Prayer Ministry, Bible studies, service and mission projects and of course, Youth Ministry.  She earned her bi-vocational ministry license through the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) in 2020, her seminary degree from North Park University in 2023 and is on track to be ordained in the ECC in June of 2024.  All the while, she has continued to serve as Director of the Mother’s Day Out preschool in Trumbull which ministers to nearly 100 families and children throughout Fairfield County. 

     

    In her free time, Pastor Debbie likes to cheer on students at their sports games or high school plays and you’ll frequently find her at Starbucks or Panera Bread catching up with them over coffee or lunch.  Whether it’s serving the homeless, riding a roller coaster or gathering for a group prayer, Pastor Debbie LOVES helping youth and young adults connect their everyday lives to the things of God and their true purpose.

     

    Debbie and Rob live in Shelton where they raised their 3 children Kyle, Craig and Alison who are now young adults living in Fairfield County.  Kyle and his wife Tess live in Trumbull, Craig (also a pastor) lives in Norwalk and Ally in Southport.  


  • Kristian Otten | Director of Worship Arts

    Kristian Otten has worked faithfully as the Director of Worship Arts at Covenant for over 10 years, following the unexpected call to serve in his home church after attending Wheaton College (many years after Pastor Cary).  God is good and He provides!  Besides his worship leading and musical responsibilities, Kristian occasionally works with Service Ministry on various building and fixing projects in service to the local community throughout the year, as well as various projects with other ministries throughout the church.  Kristian hopes to continue to grow in his relationship with Christ through ministry at Covenant, serving the surrounding community in all the ways God calls him.


    Kristian and his wife Nicole, a member of the Worship Team, enjoy two wonderful children (Forrest & Emilia); in Kristian's (nonexistent) spare time, he also works in sales controlling finance for Beiersdorf (Nivea, Aquaphor, Eucerin, Coppertone), and enjoys participating in occasional triathlons early before Sunday morning services.

  • Gail Lent | Church Secretary

    Gail has been part of the Covenant Church family for over 18 years and joined the staff in 2008.  Gail thoroughly enjoys her role as Church Secretary and feels called to serve the people at Covenant while also being able to effectively use her administrative skills to assist the staff, council and various ministries of Covenant to run smoothly and efficiently.  Utilizing her gift of encouragement to build into the lives of friends and strangers alike, she always has a welcoming smile for everyone she meets.  Gail especially enjoys a good murder mystery.  She and her husband, Tom, enjoy NASCAR, staying at a good bed & breakfast, and spending time with their granddaughter, Gabriella, and their adult children, Jesse & his wife Christina, and Kyle.