Ministry Team 

Christ Church's ministry leaders provide support to its pastoral team, facilitating excellence in both felt-need and spiritual areas.

Anthony Franklin, Senior Associate Pastor
Pastor Anthony Franklin is the senior associate pastor at Christ Church. He provides pastoral oversight to our staff, Men’s ministry, and the Small Group System of more than 60 groups.  He holds a master’s degree in professional studies from Alliance Theological Seminary. He has served alongside his Senior Pastor, Rev. Dr. David Ireland for over 20 years, and directs the church’s small group system.  Under his leadership a large network of small groups—consisting of Christ Church members and friends, meet regularly for an informal time of prayer, Bible-discussion, and relationship building activities.    Among his many responsibilities Anthony also provides oversight to various ministries including the men’s ministry and marriage builder’s ministry.

A prolific musician and worship leader, Anthony uses his musical gifts to facilitate intimate moments in the presence of God.  His preaching and teaching ministry has taken him beyond the walls of his local church to strengthen the body of Christ in the U.S., and overseas.

Pastor Anthony holds a Master’s degree in urban ministry from Alliance Theological Seminary.  He and his wife Barbara met at Nyack College and have been happily married since 1981.  They are the proud parents of two daughters, Tara and Jessica, and one granddaughter, Gianna.

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Pastor Marlinda Ireland, Director, Worship & Creative Arts
Marlinda serves as the Worship & Creative Arts pastor of Christ Church. She is a candidate for a master’s degree in theology from Alliance Theological Seminary.  She and her husband, Dr. Ireland, founded the church in 1986 with only six other adults. An accomplished musician, Marlinda is widely known as a facilitator of dynamic worship because of her consistent dependence upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit. She is often called upon to lead worship at conferences throughout the United States as well as teach the topic. Her insightful approach to the scriptures has been highly commended by many church leaders. Marlinda is the author of the book, What is God Waiting For?, published by Regal Books.

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Pastor Barbara Franklin, Director, Children's Ministry
Barbara is the Director, Children’s Ministry. She serves as the children's pastor at Christ Church, providing oversight and leadership to the church's volunteer staff and children. She is passionate about seeing the transforming power of God's love activated in the hearts of children at an early age. Barbara also believes that every child has God-given gifts and abilities that can be used to fulfill their purpose; He has a plan for their lives. Her goal, through children's ministry, is to cultivate each child's uniqueness through creative teaching, anointed worship, and caring volunteers who are committed to the spiritual and character development of the children. Pastor Barbara holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Nyack College. She is a former teacher to children with special needs in the public school system.

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Pastor Marcus Bourbon, Executive Director, Facilities Management & Director, Singles Ministry
Marcus primarily provides managerial oversight to the Facilities Management Department which comprises the Cathedral in Montclair and the Rockaway Campus. He is also the director of the Singles Ministry, providing support to over 700 singles in various stages of life. His diverse management and accounting background has afforded him the opportunity to further the Kingdom of God in a variety of projects and activities. Since 1995, he has been a committed member of Christ Church and is currently a District Leader in the Small Group System, providing pastoral oversight to over 200 families. He holds a master’s of Divinity degree with a concentration in urban studies from Alliance Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting from New Jersey City University. He is a candidate for a  doctorate in ministry at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is also an associate member of the Evangelical Theological Society. Marcus and his wife Grace have three children.

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Reverend Gerald Whitaker, Associate, Pastoral Care & Director, Young Adult Ministry
Gerald is a Teaching Counselor and Director of the Young Adult Ministry at Christ Church. As a Teaching Counselor, Gerald has extended responsibility in the Pastoral Care Department. These duties include assisting the pastors in providing quality pastoral care for the entire church family through supplemental counseling opportunities. As the Director of the Young Adult Ministry, Gerald is responsible for providing the ministry's strategic and tactical direction to over 300 young adults at the church. His ministry involvement at Christ Church includes serving as department head over Firm Foundation classes, team leader in the Laying a Foundation Ministry, providing pastoral care for approximately 100 people as District LIFE Group Leader and being a team member of intercessory prayer leaders for the mid-week Bible Study. Gerald and his wife, Cheryl, of over 24 years are the parents of one son.

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Deaconess Ann Brown, Director, Pastoral Care
Ann is the Director, Pastoral Care at Christ Church. She assists the pastoral team in providing social support, spiritual guidance, and referral services to people faced with personal challenges. Having been a member of Christ Church since its formative years and dedicating 16 years of service to the ministry, she is a pillar and a model within Christ Church. She received certification as a Lay Christian Counselor from Somerset Christian College. Ann has helped hundreds of people achieve stability in their lives. She and her husband, Arnold, currently lead "Overcomers," a 12-Step Christian support group structured to assist people grappling with life-controlling addictions and other life altering problems. With a management background of 19 years in customer service, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Christ Church and understands what it means to care for people and their families.

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Ryan Faison, Director, QUEST College Ministry
Ryan is Director, Quest College Ministry.  He recently served at Alliance Seminary in the capacity of Office Assistant in the Office of Student Financial Services and as Ministry Assistant in the Office of Internship/Spiritual Formation.  During the summer, over the last few years, he has worked as Legal Assistant in the law office of Joan Pinnock.  Ryan has been a member of Christ Church for nine years serving as an usher, young adult ministry member, and currently as worship leader.  He is a recent graduate of Nyack Alliance Theological Seminary obtaining his Masters Degree in Divinity and previously attended Seton Hall University where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science.  Ryan has received numerous collegiate awards as well as graduate honors and awards from both Seton Hall University and Alliance Seminary.

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Jack Redmond, Director, IMPACT Youth Ministry
Jack has been working full time with youth since 1993 and has been directing Christ Church’s youth ministry since January 2000. The goal of Generation Youth Ministry is to train and disciple each youth to “Impact Our Generation for Christ One Person at a Time!” He has worked with children, youth, and college students as a teacher at Columbia University as well as the West Orange and Millburn public school systems. In addition to local church leadership, Jack is a founding member of Generation Holy Youth Coalition that is impacting youth ministries and the youth culture throughout New Jersey and New York. He has earned a Bachelor's degree from Rowan University and a Master's degree from Teacher's College at Columbia University.

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Deaconess Maureen Maseko, Director, Church Life
Maureen is the Director, Church Life. She is responsible for assimilating new and existing members into the life of Christ Church. Additionally, she oversees spiritual formation, fostering principled spiritual growth and development as well as the assessment and evaluation of members' gifts, connecting them to their desired service areas. As Director of Church Life, Maureen is central to the orchestration of members throughout the discipleship process. From this broad platform, she guides the Personal Touch Ministry which addresses the needs of new converts,  helping them to grow in their new relationship with Christ. Maureen, a native of Zimbabwe, attended Caldwell College in NJ, majoring in Management with a concentration in Human Resources. She is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Organizational Behavior. Maureen  has 18 years of work experience in various fields, such as marketing, retail, education and project management in both the United States and Zimbabwe.

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Marco Hernandez, Director, Creative Ministry
Marco is the Director, Creative Ministry. He provides oversight to the creative side of pulpit presentations. By using illustrative sermons, object lessons and other creative expressions, the message from the pulpit is clarified, enabling the hearer to be transformed. Marco also provides ongoing training and spiritual development to members in our congregation through the School of the Holy Spirit. Marco's passion for children continues as he assists the children's pastor in shepherding the pre-teen children of Christ Church. During his previous employment, he gained notable status as an exhibit designer and fabricator at the American Museum of Natural History and was the exhibits director at Staten Island Children's Museum. His love for God, art and children has propelled him into his new role. Marco is a graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York City.

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