Rev. William (Bill) Florin, Pastor
Bill Florin,  Incoming Pastor as of July 1, 2026

Pastor Bill will come to Woodbury United Methodist Church in July 2026 after serving the people and community of First UMC of Shelton (CT) for three years. Prior to that, his church work included various lay leadership roles at UMC of Monroe (CT) for 18 years there. Pastor Bill has extensive experience in organizational learning and development as a training designer and facilitator. He has used this experience to teach the Basic Lay Servant Ministries and Safer Sanctuaries program in the United Methodist Church.

When not working, Pastor Bill enjoys time outdoors cycling, hiking, or just hanging out in God’s creation with his wife, Carin. And when they are willing, their two young adult children, Emily and Dani, sometimes tag along. Pastor Bill is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity degree in United Methodist Ministry at Drew Theological School in Madison, New Jersey.

Christopher Shay, Minister of Music

Christopher Shay graduated from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music with a Bachelors degree in piano performance and a Master of Music in Teaching with a focus in choral music. His choirs at Shepaug and Greenwich High School won top awards and toured internationally including performances at St Paul’s, London; Notre Dame, Paris; Honolulu, Helsinki, Carnegie Hall, and the White House. Chris retired from teaching in the public schools but continues to teach at the University of Connecticut.

Chris directed the 90 voice Connecticut Choral Society for 12 years.  Chris began working in churches while he was a college student and never stopped.  Carolyn joined the church choir and that changed everything.  They’ve been married for almost 50 years and have two sons and 6 grandchildren.

Matti Paparazzo, Administrative Assistant

Mathiah “Matti” Paparazzo is a native of Bethlehem who moved to Woodbury when she met her husband in 2018. She started working here at WUMC in 2022 alongside her other church job in Bethlehem. Besides work, Matti enjoys her favorite hobbies of horseback riding, hiking, cooking, and spending time with her husband, 2 daughters, 2 dogs, 15 chickens, and a British Shorthair cat.