So,Who are we anyway?
Trinity is an open, loving community of faith that genuinely welcomes all who enter our doors; but we also strive to go beyond our building to engage with our neighbors, meeting them wherever they are.
As such, Trinity is dedicated to service and seeks to make a positive difference in the lives of those around us by feeding those who hunger, caring for those who are sick, welcoming those who are marginalized, and living out our Baptismal Covenant to seek Christ in all persons, to strive for justice and peace in our world and respect the dignity of every human being.
Have questions? Get in touch.
Our Mission and Vision
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God…For if we love one another, God abides in us, and God’s love will be perfected in us.” (1 John 4:7, 12)
Love is at the very core of Trinity Church. Through our faith and ministry, we seek to share Jesus Christ’s unconditional, revolutionary love for all of God’s creation and people.
We demonstrate love in action by respecting the dignity of all, practicing radical hospitality, standing in solidarity with the marginalized, advocating for peace and justice, dismantling structural racism and every system of oppression, embracing inclusivity, maintaining our sacred space as a spiritual and physical sanctuary, and pursuing ecological sustainability.
Strengthened by joyful worship, prayer, lifelong spiritual formation, stewardship of resources, pastoral care, and fellowship, we commit to follow Jesus in the Way of Love.
Our Parish Leadership
The Rev. Chase Danford
Rector
The Rev. Chase Danford is Rector of Trinity Church and Executive Director of the Trinity Center for Community. Before coming to Trinity in June 2020, he served for five years at Grace Church, Broadway, in New York City–first as Assistant Rector and then as Associate Rector. In addition to his parish role, Chase served at Grace Church School as Chaplain to the Early Childhood Division and adjunct faculty member of the Lower School Religion Department. He also previously served as Priest Associate at Grace Church in Brooklyn Heights, Curate at St. John’s Church in Larchmont, New York, and as a development officer with the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian organization.
Chase serves the wider church and community as a member of the Board of Directors of the Incarnation Camp and Conference Center in Ivoryton, Connecticut, as member of the Asbury Park Early Childhood Advisory Council, and as a founding member and organizer of the Monmouth Housing Coalition. He previously served on the Board of the GO Project, an educational equity and enrichment program for New York City public school students. He has also been a member of the Episcopal Church’s Executive Council Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility, Diocesan Council (Diocese of New York), and the Board of Missions (Diocese of New Jersey).
Originally from Texas, Chase is a graduate of Rice University and Virginia Theological Seminary. He and his husband, Giuliano Argenziano, are grateful to call Asbury Park their home.
The Rev. Geoff Curtiss
Assisting Priest
I have been retired for the past ten years. Linda and I retired to Bradley Beach having owned our house here since 1985. We have been familiar with Trinity over the years as our son worked the summer camp and was married at Trinity.
Linda runs the Bradley Food Pantry and we share interests in several community activities. I have been engaged in community organizing in a variety of ways and support the work of the Industrial Areas Foundation in NJ. I volunteer at the Monmouth NJ Reentry program and work with the Monmouth Affordable Housing Coalition. I am currently chair of the Democratic Club in Bradley.
My interest in Bible Study encourages me to teach regularly. I consider myself a contextual urban theologian interested in the mission of God in the local setting. I am involved with two local book groups. One is hosted by the Asbury Book Cooperative around the issues of Social Justice and the other is a non-fiction group with a particular focus on history.
The Rev. Katherine Cunningham
Assistant Ecumenical Pastor
Pastor Katherine Cunningham is a retired Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She served local congregations and was also the executive director of a non-profit counseling and consultation center in northern NJ, along with participating in global ecumenical agencies as a writer and volunteer. At Trinity, she works closely in the areas of anti-racism and with the Racial Justice Project. Pastor Katherine still serves in advocacy and education roles in local and international social justice and human rights networks. Much of the focus of her service is teaching and writing that relates to the interconnected dynamics of militarism, migration and anti-racism.
Pastor Katherine is the co-author of a recent e-book publication, “Focus: Palestine.” Katherine and her spouse, Kurt, enjoy traveling, visiting historical museums and sites, and hanging out by a beach
The Rev. Lucille Donohue
Assistant Ecumenical Pastor
Pastor Lucille became a member of the Trinity family in 2008. She began her ministry as an assistant pastor and moved on to complete studies to become a chaplain. She served as Chaplain and Director of an interfaith Aids Ministry, then as a hospice chaplain until she retired. While working for hospice, Lucille met and worked with Deacon Gail, who invited her to come to Trinity. Lucille currently serves as volunteer clergy here at Trinity and can be seen assisting in many church activities.
Lucille continues to support others in their times of illness and death. She is very active in her 12-step program, Overeaters Anonymous. Lucille spends 2 months per year in Florida at a treatment center, assisting others new to recovery in finding their spiritual path. Lucille is very grateful to have two of her sisters and their husbands worship here at Trinity with her.
She is also thankful to everyone in the Parish for their ongoing love and support. It brings her great joy to be a part of this loving and accepting community!
The Rev. Tom Pivinski
Asst. Ecumenical Pastor
Fr. Tom was ordained a Catholic priest in 1975 and after leaving active ministry joined the community of Trinity Church as an Assistant Ecumenical Pastor in 2005. Fr.Tom has joined the Trinity environmental group, EARTH, and is interested in encouraging Trinity members to consider the Legacy Project in order to sustain not only the preservation of its buildings but to empower future Trinitarians to be the face and hands of Christ on earth especially to the poor and underprivileged among us.
Fr. Tom and his husband, Malcolm, of 30 years have lived in Asbury Park for 25 years. They live a bi-ritual existence sharing Polish and South African cuisine and celebrating the Jewish and Christian holy days religiously.
Their home has been the refuge of as many as 6 rescue dogs at a time (Bojkie, Lily, Rosie, Chloe, Sebi and Big Momma.) Today, their visitors are welcomed by Sebi, Nikki and Curry.
Malcolm and Tom have traveled to almost every continent except Antarctica and South America, but their favorite is South Africa, Malcolm’s original home and still the site of his immediate family.
The Rev. Gail Bennett
Deacon, Associate for Pastoral Care and Bereavement Ministry
Deacon Gail was assigned by the bishop to Trinity Church in January, 2005. She is a gifted pastor. Years of serving as a volunteer hospital chaplain and a hospice chaplain have given her a keen ability to be present to those in pain in addition to having a love for youth ministry. Gail possess strong desire to bring the awareness of the poor, the lonely and those in need to the wider community. She serves on The Finance and Budget and The Council Committees of our Diocese. She has been a part of the diocesan mission group to the province of Haiti four times and served as a chaplain at Ground Zero for nine months.
TIM SEXSMITH
Property Supervisor
As Property Supervisor, Tim is in charge of the care of Trinity’s buildings and grounds. He manages the operations of the church’s buildings,
Tim is an honorably discharged US Navy Submariner with extensive supervisory, managerial, and technical experience gained as a small business owner, marine service engineer and quality assurance program manager. Tim lives in Bradley Beach with his wife Susan and their two adult sons. He is most at home in the outdoors, whether it be hiking, camping, boating, or swimming. He also enjoys listening to music, cooking, and playing with their dog Iggy.
Kris Hlatky
Social Justice Worker
Kris spends his days at Trinity working with people experiencing homelessness as well as providing case work and counseling. He received his MSW from Monmouth University in 2011 and has background in mental health, substance use and community organizing. In his spare time he spends time with his two children, Pippa and Margot, and his lovely wife Dallas. His interests are poetry, biking, music, philosophy and gardening. One of his favorite quotes is from Mr. Rogers, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people that are helping”.
Derek Bloom
Director of Social Justice
Derek is working as Trinity Church Asbury Park’s Food and Social Justice Director. Over the last ten years, he has worked on food and housing justice issues with low-income people and people experiencing homelessness. Believing that our baptismal covenant calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves, Derek is compelled to help meet the immediate needs of hunger in Asbury Park and to organize at the community level to prevent hunger and injustice in the future.
Derek self identifies as a white settler cisgendered male who lives on Sand Hill Nation Lenni Lenape territory known today as Asbury Park, New Jersey, and was part of a solidarity collective called Black Mesa Indigenous Support that works against settler and resource colonialism in joint struggle with the Dineh (Navajo) people who are resisting a forced relocation in northeastern Arizona.
He also currently is part of the Light Brigade Collective, a founder of Trinity’s Radical Well Being Program, the Asbury Park Transformative Justice Project, the AP Affordable Housing Coalition, the Monmouth Housing Coalition, the Green Team for the City of Asbury Park, the Equaity Committee of Asbury Park, the Rent Leveling board of Asbury Park and the Racial Justice Project at Trinity. Derek is also a parent to River and a lover of reading, surfing, family and chosen family!
Dr. Deborah simpkin-king
Director of Music and Arts
Deborah Simpkin King, Ph.D., is a choral conductor, new music advocate, and master teacher. She plays an active role in the vibrant Manhattan choral scene and serves the national and international music community through her guest conducting, body of published work and hosting with WWFM’s syndicated Sounds Choral.
Her leadership as a conductor is ongoing with the semi-professional Ember, of Ember Choral Arts; as Voice Faculty at the Manhattan School of Music; as Director of Music and Arts at the historic Trinity Episcopal Church in Asbury Park, NJ; and as a conductor within Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival.
At Trinity, Deborah enjoys supporting Fr. Chase’s vision of worship and liturgy with musical selections for choir, congregation, organ and piano. And she is grateful to share in Music Ministry with the dedicated singers of Trinity’s Adult Choir.
Siobhan Noland
Social Justice Development Manager
Siobhan Noland is the Development Manager for Trinity Social Justice. She has worked at the intersection of grantmaking and environmental justice for many years – first on the philanthropic side with the David and Lucile Packard Foundation in California, and more recently on the grant recipient side with The Land Conservancy of New Jersey. Siobhan is a seasoned fundraiser with experience in organizing high-impact events, communicating with funders, conducting relevant research, and grant writing in support of environmental awareness, ecological health, and the connection to social issues. She brings that experience and commitment to Trinity, where she is also responsible for cultivating relationships with individual donors and supporting development.
As a young person, Siobhan earned a BS in Psychobiology, pursued a MS in Environmental Studies, and went on to work in conservation and environmental protection as a matter of global and community health. She understands the power of philanthropic investment to mitigate environmental degradation and nurture local well-being and is eager to support her neighbors in and around Asbury Park.
Siobhan and her husband Richard and two teenagers are recent transplants to Ocean Grove. She looks forward to swimming in the ocean on a daily basis.
Jill Osis
Director of Operations
Jill has served Trinity as the Director of Operations/Parish Administrator for almost 25 years. She manages the day-to-day operations of the church. Jill works to support the parish in all areas including finance, building use and maintenance, youth programs, fundraising, community engagement and ministry team coordination.
Jill lives in Neptune with her husband Dave, their youngest son, her mom and the 2 cutest puppies in the world, Ellie and Rosie. Jill has 4 children and 3 amazing grandchildren. She enjoys being outdoors and around the water as much as possible.
Courtney Pearson
Director of Operations
Courtney has been the Operations Assistant for just over a year, but has a long history as part of the Trinity Family. Courtney works to support the Director of Operations, the rest of Trinity, and the Trinity Center for Community in a myriad of ways including administration, design, fun, games and boulder building. Outside of Trinity, Courtney lives in Neptune and is a toy inventor! WooHoo!
The Vestry
Russell Bennett
Gregory Curatolo
Donna Griffin
Mary Perez
Wendy Jaghab
James Pillar
Andy Place
Bill Presutti
Adrienne Wert
Lesley Castellini (Warden)
Carol Scollay (Warden)
Our Parish Leadership
The Rev. Chase Danford is Trinity Church’s Rector. Before coming to Trinity in June 2020, he served for five years at Grace Church, Broadway, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City–first as Assistant Rector and then as Associate Rector. In addition to his parish role, Father Chase also served at Grace Church School as Chaplain to the Early Childhood Division and adjunct faculty member of the Lower School Religion Department. He also previously served as Priest Associate at Grace Church, Brooklyn Heights, Curate at St. John’s Church in Larchmont, New York, and as a development officer with the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian organization.
Chase serves the wider church and community as a member of the Board of Directors of the Incarnation Camp and Conference Center in Ivoryton, Connecticut, and also as a member of the Board of Missions in the Diocese of New Jersey. He previously served on the Board of the GO Project, an educational equity and enrichment program for New York City public school students. In the Diocese of New York, he served as a member of the Diocesan Council, the Task Force for Socially and Environmentally Responsible Investing, and the Young Adult Network. He has also been a member of the Episcopal Church’s Executive Council Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility.
Originally from Texas, Chase is a graduate of Rice University and Virginia Theological Seminary. He and his husband, Giuliano Argenziano, are excited to make Asbury Park their home.
The Rev. Geoffrey (Geoff) Curtiss is the former Rector of All Saints Episcopal Parish in Hoboken, NJ. (1980-2013). He and his wife Linda retired to Bradley Beach in 2013. Geoff is interested in contextual theology and community organizing. He serves as chair of Episcopal Network for Economic Justice and is also a board member of Cristosal – a human rights organization in the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Geoff is active in the work of NJ Together, having participated with IAF organizing in New Jersey since 1986. He leads a community Bible Study on Mondays at 5:00 p.m. Linda runs the Bradley Food Pantry. Geoff’s interests include collecting 45 rpm’s (1950’s-1980’s) and baseball cards, playing golf, reading (member of two local book groups) and traveling. He is also active in the Ocean County Model Railroading Club.
Pastor Katherine Cunningham is a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She served local congregations and was also the executive director of a non-profit counseling and consultation center in northern NJ, along with participating in global ecumenical agencies as a writer and volunteer.
While retired from active ministry, Pastor Katherine still serves in advocacy and education roles in international social justice and human rights networks and within both her denomination and other ecumenical organizations. Much of the focus of her service is related to advocating for freedom and just peace for Palestine, along with advocacy work that relates to the interconnected dynamics of militarism, migration and anti-racism.
Pastor Katherine is the co-author of a recent e-book publication, “Focus: Palestine.” Katherine and her spouse, Kurt, enjoy traveling, visiting historical museums and sites, and hanging out by a beach.
Pastor Lucille became a member of the Trinity family in 2008. She began her ministry as an assistant pastor and moved on to complete studies to become a chaplain. She served as Chaplain and Director of an interfaith Aids Ministry, then as a hospice chaplain until she retired. While working for hospice, Lucille met and worked with Deacon Gail, who invited her to come to Trinity. Lucille currently serves as volunteer clergy here at Trinity and can be seen assisting in many church activities.
Lucille continues to support others in their times of illness and death. She is very active in her 12-step program, Overeaters Anonymous. Lucille spends 2 months per year in Florida at a treatment center, assisting others new to recovery in finding their spiritual path. Lucille is very grateful to have two of her sisters and their husbands worship here at Trinity with her.
She is also thankful to everyone in the Parish for their ongoing love and support. It brings her great joy to be a part of this loving and accepting community!
Fr. Tom was ordained a Catholic priest in 1975 and after leaving active ministry joined the community of Trinity Church as an Assistant Ecumenical Pastor in 2005. Fr.Tom has joined the Trinity environmental group, EARTH, and is interested in encouraging Trinity members to consider the Legacy Project in order to sustain not only the preservation of its buildings but to empower future Trinitarians to be the face and hands of Christ on earth especially to the poor and underprivileged among us.
Fr. Tom and his husband, Malcolm, of 30 years have lived in Asbury Park for 25 years. They live a bi-ritual existence sharing Polish and South African cuisine and celebrating the Jewish and Christian holy days religiously.
Their home has been the refuge of as many as 6 rescue dogs at a time (Bojkie, Lily, Rosie, Chloe, Sebi and Big Momma.) Today, their visitors are welcomed by Sebi, Nikki and Curry.
Malcolm and Tom have traveled to almost every continent except Antarctica and South America, but their favorite is South Africa, Malcolm’s original home and still the site of his immediate family.
Deacon Gail was assigned by the bishop to Trinity Church in January, 2005. She is a gifted pastor. Years of serving as a volunteer hospital chaplain and a hospice chaplain have given her a keen ability to be present to those in pain in addition to having a love for youth ministry. Gail possess strong desire to bring the awareness of the poor, the lonely and those in need to the wider community. She serves on The Finance and Budget and The Council Committees of our Diocese. She has been a part of the diocesan mission group to the province of Haiti four times and served as a chaplain at Ground Zero for nine months.
As Property Supervisor, Tim is in charge of the care of Trinity’s buildings and grounds. He manages the operations of the church’s buildings,
Tim is an honorably discharged US Navy Submariner with extensive supervisory, managerial, and technical experience gained as a small business owner, marine service engineer and quality assurance program manager. Tim lives in Bradley Beach with his wife Susan and their two adult sons. He is most at home in the outdoors, whether it be hiking, camping, boating, or swimming. He also enjoys listening to music, cooking, and playing with their dog Iggy.
Derek is working as Trinity Church Asbury Park’s Food and Social Justice Director. Over the last ten years he has worked on food and housing justice issues with low-income people and people experiencing homelessness. Believing that our baptismal covenant calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves, Derek is compelled to help meet the immediate needs of hunger in Asbury Park and to organize at the community level to prevent hunger and injustice in the future. Derek self identifies as a white settler cisgendered male who lives on Sand Hill Nation Lenni Lenape territory known today as Asbury Park, New Jersey, and is part of a solidarity collective called Black Mesa Indigenous Support that works against settler and resource colonialism in joint struggle with the Dineh (Navajo) people who are resisting a forced relocation in northeastern Arizona. He also currently is part of the Asbury Park Transformative Justice Project, the AP Affordable Housing Coalition, the Racial Justice Project at Trinity, and the AP Dialogue Group.
Deborah Simpkin King, Ph.D., is a choral conductor, new music advocate, and master teacher. She plays an active role in the vibrant Manhattan choral scene and serves the national and international music community through her guest conducting and body of published work.
Her leadership as a conductor is ongoing with the semi-professional Ember of Ember Choral Arts (formerly Schola Cantorum on Hudson), as Director of Music and Arts at Trinity Episcopal Church in Asbury Park, NJ, and also as a conductor within Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival. Her commitment to nurturing the next generation in the arts can be seen through the the arts education initiatives at Ember Choral Arts, along with her long standing leadership of the NJ-ACDA High School Choral Festival.
Through PROJECT : ENCORE (which she founded), Dr. King is at the leading edge of the new music industry, working with composers in finding post-premiere performances, and performing many premieres herself.
As a monthly columnist with ACDA’s Choral Journal and host of public radio’s Sounds Choral (syndicated through WWFM) she serves the music community internationally.
Kris spends his days at Trinity working with people experiencing homelessness as well as providing case work and counseling. He received his MSW from Monmouth University in 2011 and has background in mental health, substance use and community organizing. In his spare time he spends time with his two children, Pippa and Margot, and his lovely wife Dallas.
His interests are poetry, biking, music, philosophy and gardening. One of his favorite quotes is from Mr. Rogers, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people that are helping”.
Siobhan Noland is the Development Manager for Trinity Social Justice. She has worked at the intersection of grantmaking and environmental justice for many years – first on the philanthropic side with the David and Lucile Packard Foundation in California, and more recently on the grant recipient side with The Land Conservancy of New Jersey.
Siobhan is a seasoned fundraiser with experience in organizing high-impact events, communicating with funders, conducting relevant research, and grant writing in support of environmental awareness, ecological health, and the connection to social issues. She brings that experience and commitment to Trinity, where she is also responsible for cultivating relationships with individual donors and supporting development.
As a young person, Siobhan earned a BS in Psychobiology, pursued a MS in Environmental Studies, and went on to work in conservation and environmental protection as a matter of global and community health. She understands the power of philanthropic investment to mitigate environmental degradation and nurture local well-being and is eager to support her neighbors in and around Asbury Park.
Siobhan and her husband Richard and two teenagers are recent transplants to Ocean Grove. She looks forward to swimming in the ocean on a daily basis.
Jill has served Trinity as the Director of Operations/Parish Administrator for almost 25 years. She manages the day-to-day operations of the church. Jill works to support the parish in all areas including finance, building use and maintenance, youth programs, fundraising, community engagement and ministry team coordination.
Jill lives in Neptune with her husband Dave, their youngest son, her mom and the 2 cutest puppies in the world, Ellie and Rosie. Jill has 4 children and 3 amazing grandchildren. She enjoys being outdoors and around the water as much as possible.
Russell Bennett
Gregory Curatolo
Donna Griffin
Wendy Jaghab
Mary Perez
James Pillar
Andy Place
Bill Presutti
Adrienne Wert
Lesley Castellini (Warden)
Carol Scollay (Warden)
Our Historic Building
The first Episcopal services in Asbury Park were held in 1873 in the main office of none other than James A. Bradley, founder and benefactor of the City. One year later, the first “regular service” was held in a tent on what was later known as Library Square.
Permanent and summer residents alike joined in deciding to erect a church building on the lot located opposite the tent, on the corner of Asbury and Grand Avenues where our present church stands. Land was deeded by James Bradley and by July 23, 1875, the 30 by 60 foot wooden Gothic-style structure was completed. The interior of the church filled about one-half the area of the present building. The wooden church was consecrated by Bishop John Scarborough on September 14, 1880. It was lost to fire.
The building as we now know it today was built over a period of several years — with the cornerstone laid on December 30, 1908. The task of raising money to pay off “all debts and encumbrances” so that the church could be consecrated then took 9 1/2 years; finally, on June 15, 1919, the current building was formally consecrated as “Trinity Church.” The architect, Mr. Brazer, was only 27 years when he designed our church. He is still well-known for several notable works, including the beautiful Capitol of Puerto Rico. His prominent local family included the founders and publishers of the Asbury Park Press, many of whom worshiped at Trinity and endowed the building with beautiful memorials. Mr. Brazer conceived of our church as a “stone edifice in the best style” of English perpendicular Gothic, which flowered in England from 1350-1550.
The building he designed is filled with magnificent artistry. The windows are of Antique English style with delicate limestone tracery, and are enriched by stained glass created by some the best artists of the United States, England, and Germany. The terracotta tile in the sanctuary was created by artists at the Moravian Tile Works.
The Aeolian Skinner organ is one of the finest instruments in New Jersey. When completed, the building cost $42,790, a huge sum at the time, and Trinity Asbury Park was widely recognized as one of the great church buildings in New Jersey. The cost today to build such a glorious structure would be phenomenal. But, the real value of this space is that it has been a sanctuary for countless thousands seeking God, and a beacon of outreach and hope to the people of Asbury Park and beyond.
Throughout the middle of the 20th century, Trinity experienced continued growth, as well as the dramatic expansion of church facilities — including renovation of the Church and office wings and the building of a new education wing and gymnasium. In terms of attendance, the parish reached its largest numbers in the mid-sixties and has re-achieved that scale in the early part of the 21st century. Like many urban areas in New Jersey, however, Asbury Park suffered greatly during the seventies and eighties. Loss of tourism and industry led to increased poverty rates — which led to absentee landlords and the loss of much of Asbury’s middle class.
Throughout the past two decades, Trinity has re-engaged in a dramatically changed Asbury Park community, looking for new ways to serve. Our membership has grown in both numbers and diversity. Our outreach toward the surrounding community has increased substantially, with a number of new programs being instituted. We are once again a strong, healthy parish.
The parish continues to grow in its constituency — deliberately and willingly inclusive. Members, leadership and staff are white and black, gay and straight, rich and poor, liberal and conservative, women and men, younger and older. We have come to see in God’s call to us a model of Christian life that sees holiness in diversity and change, in service and humility, in love and care freely given, and without expectation of reply. We can no more anticipate the future than could those who came before us, but we know, that so long as the people of this Church listen for that small voice of love, which is God in this world, our future is secure.
