Craig Anderson grew up on the south side of Chicago. Early nurture came at the Roseland Prebyterian Church, where a seed was planted that he consider the ministry as a vocation. Lake Forest College, north of Chicago followed, and then he headed west to the Pacific School of Religion, arriving in Berkeley just in time for the late 60's! The First Congregational Church in Berkeley is where he joined the UCC, met and married his wife, Ellen Townes, and was ordained: all with a view of the Golden Gate from his dormitory room.Subsequently Craig served several churches in Massachusetts. A move from New England to New Jersey was at first a wilderness period, but one that reshaped his ministry. In a small church which stumbled and slept through a period of rapid suburban growth and got smaller, he saw first hand what happens to churches who spurn their surroundings, ignore their mission, bury conflict, and scratch only for survival. But as Garrison Keillor says, "Amazing the things you can learn if you’re lucky enough to get into trouble."
Craig has served Brookside Church since 1989. Initially the church was coping with the results of a fight over a rejected building-expansion proposal. Eventually a two-phase expansion program brought lovely results, with a possible third stage now being contemplated. During his ministry here, the church has endeavored to be intentional about discerning God’s call, and then pointing itself in the direction of that call; ministries to community, a prime example, have grown to involve 30-40% of the congregation. By expanding the job descriptions of our Junior Choir director and Christian educator, the congregation has continued to respond to the influx of families with children into our area. Brookside Church not only has a vibrant Sunday school and music program, but our youth fellowship programs are also beginning to rock!
Beyond the local church, Craig been through the chairs in the New Jersey Association and Central Atlantic Conference of the UCC. Locally, he served as president of the Morris Frank Housing Corporation, which oversees low and moderate income housing in Mendham Township; was a member of the District X Attorney Ethics Review Committee of the Supreme Court of NJ; and now serves as president of PFLAG of Morris County.
From time to time Craig has adapted sermons and written articles for publication. His work has been published by the Pilgrim Press, The Living Pulpit, The Christian Ministry, The Christian Century, and Prism, the theological journal of the United Church of Christ.
Craig’s personal life revolves around home and family. His wife Ellen is a professor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in the Department of Neuroscience, where her specialty is retinal research. They have two children: Nate, a graduate student in art; and Colin, a junior in high school, beginning to think about college. As a family they enjoy hiking, sailing, gardening, good food, and cross-country skiing.