Pastor Lonnie
Our Founding Pastor: Rev. Dr. Lonnie Richardson
Pastor Lonnie has served rural, urban and university congregations, before he accepted the call to be the founding pastor of Fox River Congregational Church in 2001. He has advanced degrees in Religion, Divinity as well as a Doctorate in Ministry. Lonnie and his wife Mercedes have three adult children and one grandchild.
In a feature article on Fox River Congregational Church, the religious news editor for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel referred to Dr. Richardson as “…a twentieth century pioneer.”
Pastor Lonnie is committed to relevant ministry and leadership that is driven by the transformational possibilities of the Christian faith in the lives of people. Lonnie’s passion is to help people connect with God and further realize their full potential as followers of Christ.
Rev. Jacquie Quirk, Minister of Congregational Care
Pastor Jacquie has a Master’s Degree in Christian Leadership from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and is an ordained minister who directs the Stephen Ministry. She develops congregational care ministries, worship services, coordinates pulpit supply, and assists in the pastoral ministries of the church.
Kostia Effimov - Resident Composer
Kostia is a Russian-born pianist, award-winning composer, and Narada recording artist who performs internationally. He arranges, composes, and records music for worship at Fox River, where his original compositions are featured each Sunday at Fox River Congregational Church.
Over the course of his recording career, Kostia has released several solo albums, including Suite St. Petersburg, 10 Pebbles, Piano Ocean, and others. His work also includes film and media projects. He composed the soundtrack for the motion picture The Play in the Modern Style and for Blue Lamp, a short film by Alex Boguslavsky. He collaborated with LEGO and George Lucas Films to create music for the animated short Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick, and one of his compositions was featured in the television series Sex and the City.
Kostia has recorded multiple albums with longtime bandmate Daryl Stuermer, including GO!, Rewired, and Retrofit. He also produced Carmen Nickerson’s debut album, Tomorrow Is Another Day. His most recent release is Still, Still, Still, a sacred and inspirational recording.
His music has been performed by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Utah Symphony Orchestra, and the internationally acclaimed Veronica String Quartet. Kostia has been the resident composer at Fox River for years.
Carmen Nickerson - Worship Song Leader and Soloist
Carmen has earned admiration from audiences of all ages and across a wide range of musical styles. Her work spans from collaborations with nationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Willy Porter to voicing Sonya Lee, a character in Fisher-Price’s Little People live stage productions.
Beyond the stage, Carmen is an accomplished professional vocalist and studio voice-over artist. She has recorded for Hollywood Records, a Disney subsidiary, in Los Angeles and contributed to the Pro Vocal Series for Hal Leonard Publishing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A member of Fox River, Carmen has been part of our professional music talent pool for many years.