LEADERSHIP
THE REV. DR. CHRISTOPHER DREISBACH
Interim Rector
Chris comes to All Saints from nine years as assisting priest at Old St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Baltimore Maryland. Under the Episcopal title of “bi-vocational,” Chris focuses professionally on theology and philosophy.
A college teacher since 1980, Chris is Professor (part-time) of Moral and Systematic Theology at St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute (since 1992). He is Associate Director of the Organizational Leadership program at Johns Hopkins University. And he is a frequent lecturer on moral and systematic theology for religious organizations; and on leadership ethics for federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Chris received his MA (1981) and his PhD (1988 ) in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University. With research focus on public philosophy and applied ethics, he has authored or co-authored books, articles, and software in criminal justice, the U.S. Constitution, logic, education, ethics, intelligence analysis, the philosophy of dreams, the philosophy of Collingwood, and theology. His most recent books are Ethics in criminal justice (McGraw-Hill, 2009), Collingwood on the moral principles of art (Susquehanna University Press, 2009), Social and criminal justice in moral perspective (Bridgepoint, 2013), Constitutional literacy: A 21st century imperative (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017), and Your God is too somber (Wipf & Stock, 2019).
Chris’ wife Rebecca, a school teacher and adjunct college professor of education, joins him in New York—along with Tiger Lily the Cat who adopted them. Chris and Rebecca’s three grown children, Anna, Abbey, and David, live in Baltimore; as do Chris and Rebecca’s granddaughters—Abbey’s daughters—Caroline and Mia.
JAMES HOPKINS
Organist and Choir Director
Jim Hopkins has served in many Episcopal and Anglican churches as an Organist and Choir Director. He was Director of Music at Grace Church in Newark, NJ until late 2017. Since leaving Grace, he has filled in at several prominent churches in the city, including a period as Interim Organist at the Church of St. Agnes near Grand Central, and served as Interim Director of the Washington Heights Choir School at Holyrood Church during the last academic year. He also directed the Diocese of New Jersey Choir Camp in Cape May this summer. In addition, he has held posts at St. James’ Anglican Catholic Church in Cleveland, and at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Akron, Ohio. He has performed as an organ soloist and a continuo player in early music ensembles throughout the country. He holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Westminster Choir College.
VIVIANA GAUTHIER
Secretary
Brooklyn native Viviana Gauthier, a graduate of Berkeley College, joined All Saints in March 1999. As church secretary, she provides administrative support to Father Dreisbach, manages the church office, and puts together the Sunday service sheets. Viviana enjoys meeting people, and she’s the person you’ll speak to first when you call the church office; if you leave a message, it’s she who will make sure it gets the proper response.
CALVIN GARRETT
Verger
Calvin Garrett came to us as verger* in 1984 after working in the archives department at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine (NYC). Today, Calvin serves a variety of roles in the parish beyond the practical and ceremonial functions of verger. He is our technical guru operating the software and hardware to provide a hybrid streaming on-line service. He is a devoted lay leader officiating Thursday evening prayer, and a founder of our anti-racism committee. In his free time Calvin enjoys cycling and writing. He is the author of The Christmas List: Dreams Really do Come True. He is married with two children and commutes from Maplewood, New Jersey.
*Vergers in earlier times dug graves and did anything necessary to assist ministers. Clad in black, they used a staff called a verge when necessary to fend off animals or any person who might interfere with orderly processions. Today they assist the clergy with ceremonial and functional aspects of the sanctuary space and services.
LUIS CORNIER
Sexton
Luis Cornier has been All Saints’ sexton for more than 20 years, when his predecessor and mentor William Lopez retired. A native of Puerto Rico, Luis had come to New York 15 years prior to that and had been working in a factory in the Bronx. Now, he loves his job at All Saints, he says, because “I love the people and my church.” He keeps fit by running and is a devoted baseball fan who goes to all the Yankees’ games he can. His favorite basketball team is the Knicks. Luis has two daughters, two sons, and seven grandchildren.
VESTRY
Wardens
David Bassiouni
Music, Finance
Marian Hoffman
Altar Guild, Buildings, Finance
Members
Florence Arwade
Music, Finance
Will Marcal
Treasurer/Finance
Sarah Rattle
Anti-Racism Committee (ARC) Liaison
Dianne Roberts
President NY Episcopal Church Women
Coordinator NY United Thank Offering
Robin Rule
Community Meal, Buildings
Paul Sabatini
Safe Church Re-Opening Consultant
Centering Prayer Liaison