The Rev. R. Brooke Baker has joined First Congregational Church of Akron as our 21st Senior Minister, after serving as the Senior Pastor at Church of the Redeemer UCC in Westlake, Ohio for the past seven years.

Pastor Brooke worked as a music therapist for Hospice of the Western Reserve for 18 years before attending seminary at Lexington Theological Seminary. Throughout her life she has been engaged in music, playing piano, tenor saxophone, handbells, and singing.

She is engaged to be married in 2026 to her fiancé, Colleen Cusick. They have a daughter, Em, who is studying Neuroscience at Michigan State University. They live with their dog, Bella, and their cat, Whiskers. Pastor Brooke enjoys live music, live theater, and trying new restaurants.