The Reverend Erica Wimber Avena has served as the Interim Minister of the First Baptist Church in New Haven since January 2007. Previously, she served several churches in Southeastern Connecticut including as the Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Essex and as the Senior Minister of the Colchester Federated Church.

She is a Past-President of the American Baptist Churches of Connecticut, a former General Board Member of the American Baptist Churches, USA, and former Chair of the Committee on Christian Unity. She served as a commissioner for the National Council of Churches for 12 years, and on numerous other church boards in ecumenical leadership.

She graduated from Yale Divinity School in 1988 and received an S.T.M. in ecumenical studies in 1994. She is married to Attorney Robert Avena of Stonington; they have three children.