Rev. Dr. Samuel Cruz, Senior Pastor

Pastor Sam is a native from Brooklyn and considers New York City his home. Although he lives in New Jersey, Dr. Cruz teaches in New York City where he does ministry and develops his academic responsibilities. He was ordained in 1994 and has served churches in the New York metropolitan area. Pastor Cruz expresses and lives out a gospel that addresses real social issues and engages racial, gender, sexual and class oppressions. This kind of ministry is based upon the life and ministry of Jesus that proclaimed good news to the poor and liberation to the oppressed.

 

Dr. Cruz is married to Tania Stanchich, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and life partner. Together they have three daughters – Amber, Jovana and Naome.

 

Rev. Cruz has an earned B.A. from the College of New Rochelle (NY), a M.A. (magna cum laude) from New Brunswick Theological Seminary (N.J.), a M. Phil., and a Ph.D. from Drew University (Madison, N.J.,2002). Dr. Cruz’s publications include a book, Masked Africanisms: Puerto Rican Pentecostalism (Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2005) and a number of book chapters and professional journal articles on Latina/o and global Pentecostalism and on the sociology of religion – two principal areas of his research and teaching. Dr. Cruz is Assistant Professor of Church & Society at Union Theological Seminary in New York.

 

 

El Pastor Sam es nativo de Brooklyn y considera a Nueva York como su hogar. Aunque vive en New Jersey, el Dr. Cruz es profesor en Nueva York donde ejerce su ministerio y su vocación académica. Fue’ ordenado al pleno ministerio en 1994 y ha servido en varias parroquias en la zona metropolitana. El Pastor Cruz expresa y vive un evangelio que enfrenta realidades sociales y que denuncia la opresión racial, étnica, sexual o de clase. Este tipo de ministerio y evangelio de base en la misma vida y ministerio de Jesus el Cristo que proclamo’ buenas nuevas al pobre y liberación al oprimido.

 

El Dr. Cruz es casado a Tania Stanchich, una trabajadora clínica licenciada y su ayuda idónea. Juntos tienen tres hijas—Amber, Jovana y Naome.

 

El rev. Cruz recibió’ su B.A. del colegio de New Rochelle (NY), su M.A. (magna cum laude) del Seminario Teológico de New Brunswick (NJ), su M. Phil. y su Ph.D. de la Universidad de Drew (Madison, NJ: 2002). Las publicaciones profesionales del Dr. Cruz incluyen un libro: Masked Africanisms: Puerto Rican Pentecostalism (Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2005) y un numero de capítulos de libros y artículos en revistas profesionales académicas. Su especialidad incluye el pentecostalismo Latino y global, además de la sociología de la religión (dos áreas de su interés de investigación y de enseñanza). Es profesor de Iglesia y Sociedad en el seminario teológico de Union (NY).

Rev. Vanessa Cardinale, Associate Pastor

Rev. Vanessa Cardinale has served at Trinity since September of 2010, and is currently called as Associate Pastor. Asked to articulate her philosophy of ministry, Vanessa writes that “Christian ministry is the effort to recognize Christ in every person and live out the consequences of that recognition, individually and communally. This includes those who we consider to be part of the church, but also goes beyond, calling special attention to those who are most marginalized in our culture - the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, the immigrant. Christian ministry acknowledges that we live in a broken world and are called to bear witness to people’s realities, sharing ours, and engaging mutually in kingdom building work, be that through simple acts of charity, or by rooting out structural sin.” Vanessa graduated with a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary and is ordained in the United Church of Christ.

 

In addition to her ministerial work with Trinity, Pastor Vanessa also dedicates her time and passion to working with The Poverty Initiative at Union Theological Seminary, U.S. El Salvador Sister Cities, and AUF Inc.

 

Pastor Vanessa lives in Brooklyn with her husband Emmanuel. They are accepting recommendations on the best place to go salsa dancing in New York City.

Mark Thaddeus Williams, Director of Music Mark Thaddeus is named for both an evangelist and an apostle – his mother thought the extra protection couldn't hurt. A decade ago he came to Trinity ready only to play out the ten weeks of the prior organist's contract and instead he has never left. Mark started on piano around the age of six and picked the organ up along the way. He holds a bachelor's degree in music from Colgate University and and an MPhil in musicology from Yale University. He believes that in music we touch the Divine and is ever thankful that the Concordia Choir really does go there.

Rafael Torres, Church Pianist