Staff Bios

Michael has been a part of Redeemer life and ministry from its inception in 1989; and with his wife Sara and daughters Lucy and Kate, they started Redeemer Lincoln Square in April 2017. He went to NYC public school for both elementary and middle school and attended Vanderbilt University for his undergraduate work. After working at London City Mission and New Life Fellowship in Queens, he attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, receiving both an M.Div and a Th.M in Apologetics magna cum laude. He served as Pastor of Community Life at Citylife Presbyterian Church in Boston before returning to the city to start a new Reformed University Fellowship. His Ph.D. is from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in Computational Linguistics applied to Historical Theology. Sara is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner working in school-based health in Harlem.

Drew is a Mississippi native, who moved to the city in 2014 after receiving a bachelor’s degree in marketing and entrepreneurship from Samford University. Prior to joining staff, he worked at Warby Parker and Collectively, focusing his efforts on customer experience, social media and influencer marketing. He lives on the UWS with his wife Kate and enjoys running in Central Park, seeing Broadway shows, and exploring new coffee shops and restaurants. As LSQ’s Communications and Generosity Manager, Drew oversees our communications strategy and multi-channel editorial calendar, he provides Sunday worship planning support to our Pastoral team, and he works on generosity and stewardship initiatives.

Vanessa and her husband Marcus first met in the third grade, and were high school sweethearts. They have three college-aged daughters Kayla, Sydney and Chelsey. Prior to moving to the city in the summer of 2022, Vanessa served as the Director of Women’s Ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Augusta, GA for five years. She is a Bible teacher and regular conference speaker. She received her MDiv and DMin in Cultural Apologetics and Communication at Covenant Theological Seminary. Vanessa currently serves as Diversity Advisor for the PCA’s Women’s Ministry. She’s the former co-host of a podcast called Something To Talk About. Vanessa enjoys a good cup of tea, a moderate hike and is refueled by nature. She enjoys good conversation with old friends and the excitement of making new ones. As our Director of Community Life, she will be an integral part of our Pastoral Care team, helping shape community through CGs and caring for women in the church, as well as collaborating in the development of a culture of evangelism, public faith and justice.

Carolann started working at Redeemer on the Rise Campaign in 2015, and in 2018, she joined the LSQ team. Carolann is a strong extrovert and loves having the opportunity to meet and connect with newcomers in the LSQ community, as well as care for and invest in all those who faithfully serve at our church. Carolann has loved cities her entire life — she grew up in Prague, Czech Republic (unbiasedly the most beautiful city in the world) and lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee (nicknamed the Scenic City) before moving to the greatest city in the world, New York City in 2014. After graduating from Covenant College, she served as a Youth Director at First Presbyterian Church, Chattanooga for six years. She currently lives on the UWS with her husband Trey and their children, Colin and Elle. They love exploring the city, cooking delicious meals, playing games and inviting friends into their home.

Elizabeth has called Queens “home” since she was four years old. She graduated from CUNY Queens College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and is a Registered Dietitian. Throughout her college years, she served with various children’s, youth and campus ministries; and shortly after her dietetic studies, she pursued vocational ministry and served at a local church in Memphis, TN with the youth and children. Her hometown love and missional love for NYC brought her back to the city. On LSQ’s staff, she serves as the Community Life and Leaders Coordinator where she provides logistical and administrative support to the LSQ team, Diaconate and Congregational Elder Team. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Biblical Arts degree at Reformed Theological Seminary in NYC. Elizabeth loves spending quality time with her husband John and with family and friends — going on walks and enjoying meals together.

Cassidy is from Texas and moved to New York City in 2017. She attended Tarleton State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in Administrative Systems and Secondary Education. She first moved to New York for an internship, not expecting to move here permanently, but instantly fell in love with the city and people. You can find Cassidy always searching for new restaurants and coffee shops to try and exploring different neighborhoods. Thus, Cassidy is the person in your friend group that always has suggestions for where we should go for dinner. As our Ministry Specialist, Cassidy plays an integral role in office management, administrative support, and communications and events execution.

Bruce was born in Los Angeles but was raised in Alabama. He graduated from Auburn University with a B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Education, and he also has an MDiv from Reformed Theological Seminary and a DMin from New Geneva Theological Seminary. He wrote his dissertation on “Reclaiming the Role of Elder as Shepherd.” Prior to full-time vocational ministry, Bruce taught history and government in a public high school. He has since spent the last 25 years serving as a pastor at three churches in Tennessee, Alabama and Maryland. Bruce and his wife Kathy have three grown children — Sarah, Mike and Matt — and seven grandchildren. They have fond memories taking weekend trips to the city, filling their time with Broadway shows and dining at as many restaurants as possible on a quest to discover the best cheesecake the city has to offer. Bruce also enjoys golfing, reading, visiting museums and having long dinners with friends. In his role as Assistant Pastor, Bruce will support congregational growth and care in a number of ways, including further developing our pathways for discipleship and overseeing the LSQ Diaconate.

Born and raised in Jackson, MS, Ginny moved to Nashville, TN to attend Belmont University, and made her home in Music City for many years. Since graduating with her Bachelor of Music Education, Ginny has spent the past two decades sharing her heart with listeners and readers as an award-winning singer/songwriter, author, adjunct professor, vlogger and advocate. Her unique musical style and inspirational lyrics have transcended genre definition and taken her to diverse venues that include the White House, the Sundance Film Festival, Lilith Fair and the National Day of Prayer in Washington, D.C. As a toddler, Ginny picked out melodies on the piano before she was able to put words together in a sentence. Even as vision left her eyes — a degenerative eye condition left Ginny completely blind by age three — songs began to emerge from her fingertips, providing a window into the world she could not see. Ginny first moved to New York City in 2007, where she spent a summer studying fiction writing at Columbia University. She loved the city so much that she finally made it her home In 2018. Soon after, she enrolled at Reformed Seminary, where she will soon complete a Master of Biblical Studies. When she’s not busy making plans for worship, traveling, writing songs, prepping talks, or working on her seminary classes, Ginny enjoys catching up with friends on long walks through Central Park, imbibing mass quantities of Green Tonic and espresso from Joe & the Juice.

Noël is originally from Boston but moved to New York City in 2016, and now calls Redeemer Lincoln Square home. She has taught undergraduate and high school students in different capacities for over five years. When she’s not at home with her husband Hector and their two bunnies, she enjoys reading in cafes and bookstores, listening to new music, going to concerts, and returning to the ballet studio.

Jon was born and grew up in upstate NY (upper Hudson Valley) and came to NYC in the late 80’s to pursue a career in music. Jon has been involved in Redeemer’s music ministry for over 25 years and it’s been one of the great blessings of his life. Jon has performed and/or recorded with The Manhattan Transfer, New York Voices, Toni Braxton, Patti LaBelle, Deborah Cox, Liza Minelli, Linda Eder, Edwin McCain, The New York Pops, The Boston Pops Orchestra, Albany Symphony, Steven Curtis Chapman, Bruce Hornsby, Roberta Flack, Michael and Randy Brecker, saxophonists Grover Washington Jr.and Bill Evans, The Drummers Steve Gadd, Neil Peart (of Rush), bassist Will Lee of the David Letterman Show. Jon is the featured pianist with the Buddy Rich Big Band on the “Burning for Buddy” tribute album/DVD. He was the in-house accompanist for the “Regis and Kelly Show” from 2005-2007. Jon enjoys reading, bike riding, and sports of all kinds. A unique fact about Jon is that he was born with an extra thumb on his right hand which forced him to become left-handed. Jon has a solo piano CD entitled “Every Horizon.”

Jenny is a native New Yorker—born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens, attended high school in the Bronx and works/lives in Manhattan. She received her B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University, her Ed.M. in International Education Policy from Harvard University and her J.D. from Fordham University. Over the course of her career, she’s worked as a special education teacher, children’s health policy researcher and in sports management, and most recently she’s spent over a decade as a practicing attorney. She first joined LSQ as Director of Community Life, shaping our important Community Group (CG) system, helping us cultivate a culture of inclusion for those looking to get more involved at LSQ, and teaching, growing, and caring for individuals in our church. Now, as Managing Director, Jenny oversees the day to day of our church, managing our staff and budget and strategizing initiatives aligned with our vision and mission.

Lauren and her husband Jake moved to NYC in 2021 with their dog. She graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Bachelor’s degree in Nonprofit Management and Public Administration, and Richmont Graduate University with a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a focus on Trauma and Child and Adolescent counseling. During her time in undergraduate and graduate school, Lauren worked for Younglife where she continued to develop a love for ministry, serving children and their families. As the Children’s Ministry Coordinator, Lauren plans to integrate previous work and education experiences to foster a supportive community for children and families at LSQ.