YiLeen is originally from Malaysia, but has settled deep roots in New York, ever since she came to the city in 2010 to attend Parsons School of Design. Redeemer East Side was YiLeen's first church in New York City and was where she found clarity in her faith. As an Administrative Assistant at RES, she supports the staff and lay leaders by streamlining logistics and executing plans for various ministry programs and projects. YiLeen and her husband live in Elmhurst, Queens, where they enjoy having friends over, going out to enjoy delicious South East Asian food, and playing with their cat, Miso!

In 2010, a friend introduced Liz to Redeemer. Despite living in NJ at the time, she soon found herself commuting into the city every Sunday night for the PM service!

From 2013 to 2022, Liz had the joy of being part of the East Side team, overseeing volunteer teams and Sunday services. In June 2024, she rejoined the staff as the Director of Building and Event Operations for the East Side Building. She can't wait to see all that God has in store for Redeemer East Side in their new permanent home on the UES.

Liz majored in Spanish in college, which led her to study abroad in Mexico for a semester. She loved it so much that she stayed for six years, teaching English, pursuing a master's in applied linguistics, and enjoying all the delicious food Mexico has to offer!

In her free time, Liz enjoys listening to podcasts, cooking, and studying the map of Astoria, where she lives with her husband, Mark. She aspires one day to become a true Astorian, expertly navigating between 23rd Street, 23rd Road, 23rd Avenue, and 23rd Drive.

Jenny provides administrative and communicative support for the children's ministry team. Jenny grew up in the south and moved to New York in 2016. Her passion has always been to be a part of a healthy church in a large metropolitan area. She enjoys being in community with her friends and painting. She received an MA in Intercultural Studies from seminary in 2018.

Jill has a heart for relationships. She has spent her career training and discipling leaders in both the business and ministry worlds. Her years of experience crafting study and discussion curriculum, developing training programs, teaching classes, and coaching new leaders give her unique insight into pinpointing tailored assistance plans for the marginalized in the community. Jill holds a Master of Arts in Religion from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston, and she has been published in Deeply Rooted Magazine and The Gospel Coalition. Jill was born and raised in North Carolina, so when she’s not outside enjoying the weather, you can find her watching Netflix, hanging out with friends, or reading a book. Jill leads the Community and Diaconate ministries as our Director of Community and Care.

Sabrina is our Early Education Coordinator for the Children’s Ministry. She is a native from Bronx, NY, who came to Redeemer in 2015 through the invite of a friend. She was immediately drawn to the numerous ministries that Redeemer had specifically, the children’s ministry. Having the desire to teach children in her heart, she began as a nursery volunteer in April 2016 and then was hired as a Nursery Greeter in September 2016. When she is not working, she enjoys listening to music, spending time with friends and family, trying new foods, exploring the city and volunteering. She also has a Masters in Psychological Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Miriam Burns has attended Redeemer since its inception in 1989, is the conductor of The Orchestra of the Redeemer since its beginnings in 1995, and has been on staff as music director of the East Side morning service since 2000. Music Director and Conductor of the Tysons McLean Orchestra of Northern Virginia since 2012, she formerly held the same title with the Tallahassee and Kenosha (WI) Symphonies. Miriam was also on staff with the New York Philharmonic as one of the cover conductors for eight years, having been invited as a result of a competitive audition. Serving under then music directors Kurt Masur and Loren Maazel, she was entrusted as an assistant conductor on call for countless specific, fully prepared programs under many guest conductors of international repute.

Kyle has spent most of his life in the shadow of NYC, growing up in New Canaan, CT and then enjoying an extended stay in Princeton, NJ for college and seminary. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he ended up back home and loved ministering to young adults at his hometown church. But when Kyle's (then) soon-to-be-wife Samantha was accepted to NYU Law School, it was clear that it was time to move to New York. He joined the East Side staff in summer of 2021 and can't wait to find all of the quietest places in the city and try every kind of ice cream it has to offer.

Iain is a native of San Francisco, California where he grew up rooting for the (San Francisco) Giants, 49ers, and Warriors (yes, even before the Warriors were good). After moving to New York City in 2015, Iain immediately began attending Redeemer. By August of that year he had found one of his favorite jobs – working the Children's Ministry front desk at Redeemer WS. After working with the LSQ site from 2017-2020, Iain has now come aboard to do one of his favorite things: show how the love of God and His Word brings true justice and joy to all peoples. When he's not working you can find him dancing and telling inside jokes with his lovely wife.

Theresa grew up in Buffalo and then Hong Kong, before returning to the U.S. for college. She relocated to New York in 2005 and started attending Redeemer later that year. Theresa has worked in various ministry areas at Redeemer including with the short-term missions team and on Questioning Christianity — she joined the East Side team in 2021.

She met her husband, Brendon, through InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Northwestern, and they enjoy volunteering together at IVCF retreats for the NY/NJ region. They attend Redeemer West Side and also lead and host a community group in Hamilton Heights. Theresa enjoys drawing, photography and watching sci-fi action movies, although she now spends most of her time checking out neighborhood playgrounds with her young son.

David Ellis has stepped into the role of Senior Director of Spiritual Formation & Community and Assistant Pastor. David co-planted and pastored Astoria Community Church, where he served as pastor for the last 21 years. He has a Master of Divinity from New York Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Covenant Theological Seminary. He's fluent in Spanish and enjoys fitness, hiking, and doing crossword puzzles. David and his wife, Sobeyda (a former RCS counselor who now has her own practice), have four grown children and one grandson.

Carter has been a member and Elder of RES for over 30 years. He also serves on the board of Redeemer City to City. Under the auspices of Convene, he chairs and coaches a cohort of Christian CEOs who meet monthly. Previously, Carter worked as a Managing Partner at Blue Ridge Partners, a management consulting firm. Prior to that, he started, ran, and eventually sold a CRM software and services company. Carter has a Masters in Computer Science as well as an MBA from Harvard. He and his wife have two grown sons. Carter has served as our Executive Director since August 2023.

Originally from the UK, Luke moved to the US in 2008. He lives with his wife Victoria and sons Phineas and Asher in Riverdale. Luke has a passion for engaging people’s hearts with the gospel, and with a background in music, Luke continues to write for congregational worship, focusing on reflecting and celebrating the cultural diversity of NYC. Luke is currently completing his master’s in theology at RTS, and has worked in staff management as Director of Services and Church administration in the city for the past 10 years. Luke joined the team at Redeemer East Side as our Sunday Service Manager in February 2023.

Rich is passionate about transforming disconnected individuals into a missional family and has a huge heart for those who aren't sure about the Christian faith. He holds an MDiv from Regent College in Vancouver, BC and is the author of Questioning Christmas. He had been living and ministering in the Seattle area for more than two decades prior to joining the East Side Team in August of 2021. After all those years in Seattle, he is curious to find the best cup of coffee in New York and to see how it compares. He and his wife Erin are both originally from Nashville, TN — fun fact: they were high school sweethearts who went to Junior Prom together! — and together they have five children.

Rozz was born and raised in Kannapolis, NC, and began singing as a child at Mt. Calvary Lutheran church. After receiving her BCA degree from UNCC, she moved to New York to pursue a music career. She’s appeared on Broadway in Once On This Island, Big River and Urban Cowboy, Off -Broadway and regional performances of Dreamgirls, Aida, Joseph, and Candide. She’s recorded with Moby, Black 47, Grover Washington, Eartha Kitt and as a back-up singer for Diana Ross, Ben E. King, and Maxwell and many others. She’s performed with symphony orchestras, corporate clients, and many wedding and club date bands over the years, most recently as a featured vocalist for JK Entertainment. She served 10 years as Music Director at All Souls Community Church in Suffern, NY starting as a church plant in 2009, and for 5 years as a Deaconess from 2015 to 2019.

She came to Redeemer in 2003 when Tom Jennings asked her to sing at a West Side Evening Service. She lives in Fort Lee, NJ, her “Upper West Side” home just on the other side of the river with her husband Vince Strebe whom she met when he was hired as the Master Plumber to renovate her kitchen in 2016. They were married in August of 2017. Rozz is overjoyed to share her gospel/R&B roots as Music Director for the East Side evening service. She can be heard on several episodes of The Wonder Pets including “Off To School,” “Meet the Beetles” and “The Rat Pack,” and she co-wrote the title cut “Home For Christmas” on the NSYNC Christmas album.

Born and raised as a proud Jersey boy, David embraces all New Jersey stereotypes. After obtaining a degree in Mathematics and Economics from Rutgers University, David spent a number of years working in technology and finance. At the beginning of 2020, he left banking to pursue vocational ministry. He is currently pursuing his MABS from Reformed Theological Seminary, NYC. David has a heart for the marginalized, especially the orphaned, knowing that he has been adopted into His family as a son.
You can find David going on coffee tours in the city and eating too much pizza with the youth of East Side. In his free time, David enjoys all things involving a racquet, volleyball, and debating hot takes with friends.

Originally from Goshen, Indiana, Hannah moved to New York City in June of 2022 after receiving her degree in Theatre Performance from the University of Arkansas in May. Hannah has had a passion for working with children for many years, and spent her time in high school and college volunteering at her church. When Hannah isn’t with kids she is auditioning, hanging out with her dog, reading, or enjoying a cup of coffee. Hannah serves as the Elementary Ministry Coordinator for our Children’s Ministry.

Hector was born in Ecuador, and grew up in Flushing, NY. He loves history, learning about cultures, and traveling with his wife Erica. They have three children: Hector III, Grace Lucy, and Leonardo. Hector has been at Redeemer since 2009, and serves as Assistant Pastor and Director of Justice and Cross-Cultural Community as well as the Sunday Service Experience Team. He graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary, NYC.

Originally from Ohio, Lindsey is a drama graduate of New York University. After graduation, she performed professionally Off-Broadway, on screen and in national educational tours working with schools across the country. Lindsey began attending Redeemer in college, and began working in the children's ministry in 2010 serving in multiple roles along the way. Redeemer's family community has been such an integral part of her spiritual journey and life in New York, and she is committed to helping support families as they follow the call to plant roots and raise their children in the city. Lindsey married her high school sweetheart, Todd, and they are raising four little New Yorkers, Alexander, Emily, Elliot, and William in Astoria.

Cybele moved to the United States from Brazil in September of 1980. Since her Brazilian years, Cybele has been a devoted professional for the joy of her family and friends. She lived in Michigan for five years as a companion and enthusiastic supporter of her husband’s education and ministry. In 1985, she came to New York City, serving administrative roles at John Wycliffe School, Advent Hope, and Redeemer Church. Having been with the church since its early years, she has developed a passion and compassion for the city and commitment to Redeemer’s church planting vision. As a native Brazilian, Cybele is an avid soccer fan. “I enjoy the Brazilian salad buffet and ambiance at Plataforma Restaurant and also the juice and smoothies from Fresh Press.”

Crawford lives on the Upper East Side with his wife Rachel, and their four daughters – Ruthie, Lottie, Glory, and Eve. Crawford is a native Texan who has spent considerable time living on both coasts serving in university contexts and global cities. He loves thinking, teaching, and talking with people about how Jesus changes everything and connecting the gospel with people’s lives in the city.

Before joining Redeemer East Side as Senior Pastor in 2024, Crawford served as a Campus Minister with Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) at Stanford and Duke Universities. He holds an MDiv from Reformed Theological Seminary and a PhD in Historical and Systematic Theology from the University of Manchester. In a prior career he worked as an analyst for a consulting firm in the banking industry. Crawford loves spending time with his neighbors, friends, and family. In his spare time, he enjoys watching the NBA, trying new restaurants, and snow-skiing.

Jessica attended Redeemer from 2000-2016, up until she moved to Westchester (no, it's not upstate New York). She joined Redeemer staff in 2017, first working on a Redeemer-wide discipleship initiative and then dedicating her time to East Side Community Groups, classes, membership and the Diaconate. Her background in online media (working at Gourmet and Travel + Leisure and being a software tester) allows her to navigate both communications and technology at Redeemer. When she's not working, she enjoys eating Nutella, hiding vegetables in dessert and ice skating.

Originally from Atlanta, Mary Cameron Taylor moved to NYC January of 2017 after obtaining a Hospitality Management degree from Auburn University the December before. Upon moving to the city for a job in event coordinating, she quickly plugged in to Redeemer through joining a New Years Community Group that encouraged her to consider pursuing ministry as a potential career. With a love for investing in students, she joined the Redeemer East Side team in September 2017 as the Youth Intern and the next school year came on as the as the Youth Ministry Manager. In her free time she loves walking through the city, watching any and all Broadway Shows, cooking new dishes with friends, and planning events both large and small to intentionally build community.