About Us

About Us

About Our Church

We believe that Grace Episcopal Church is called by God to live the way of Jesus through a ministry of reconciliation, seeking to restore all people to unity with God and each other, through prayer, worship, spiritual growth, witness and action. Our parish community is a group of diverse people who come together through worship, fellowship, spirituality and service to make God’s love known. We are all ages, stations in life and theological backgrounds. Our parishioners often speak of our congregation as a family, perhaps because we find nourishment here in both faith and friendship.

Here are our annual reports.

2023 Annual Report

2022 Annual Report

Clergy, Staff & Vestry

CLERGY

Dustin Trowbridge,  Rector

STAFF

Michelle Lara, Parish Administrator

Jie Y. Segal, Music Director

Sandra Rodriguez, Church School Director

Jim Sevier, Sexton

Leah Buchanan, Hospitality Assistant

Verne Becker, Security Administrator and Livestream Coordinator

VESTRY

Emily Nevill, Senior Warden (Finance)

Liz Weber, Junior Warden (Property)

Retiring Class of 2025: Sally Cochran, Adrienne Langford, Sarah Styles

Retiring Class of 2026:  Angela Metzler,  Paul Shusterman, Paula Spruck

Retiring class of 2027: John Loftin, Mary Bish, Elaine J. Hinsch

VOLUNTEERS

Sally Ann Mock, Assistant Treasurer/Pledge Secretary

Patty Hyland, Assistant Pledge Secretary

About Our Staff

A portrait of Rev. Dr. Dustin Trowbridge of Grace Episcopal Church in Nyack, New York.

The Rev. Dr. Dustin Trowbridge

Rector

Email:dtrowbridge@gracechurchnyack.org

The. Rev. Dr. Dustin Trowbridge joined Grace Church as Rector in January 2023. He previously served as rector of St. James Church in Danbury, Connecticut. Prior to his service at St. James’, Fr. Dustin was rector of St. George’s Church in Newburgh, New York. He also served as associate rector at Trinity Episcopal Parish in Wilmington, Delaware. Fr. Dustin grew up in a small town in West Virginia. He completed his undergraduate work at Yale University where he majored in English Language and Literature. He followed that with service as an English teacher with the Peace Corps in Kazakhstan, and later at Fatih University in Istanbul, Turkey. Returning to the United States, he enrolled at Indiana University, earning a M.A. in Central Eurasian Studies as well as a Master of Public Affairs. While at Indiana University, Fr. Dustin served as a Peer Minister with the Episcopal Campus Ministry,  from where he was called to the priesthood. Fr. Dustin attended General Theological Seminary in New York, earning his Masters of Divinity degree in 2009, and has since earned a Doctor of Ministry from the Virginia Theological Seminary in 2020. He was ordained a priest in 2010 by The Rt. Rev. Wayne P. Wright of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware, on behalf of The Rt. Rev. Catherine Waynick of the Diocese of Indianapolis. To contact Fr. Dustin, call 845-358-1297.

Michelle Lara

PARISH ADMINISTRATOR

Email: ParishOffice@gracechurchnyack.org

Michelle Lara grew up in Brooklyn, NY and attended Berkeley College. Her  professional background includes Director and Owner of a boutique design studio for over a decade, and a web producer and writer for a South Florida based newspaper.  On her personal time, Michelle enjoys cooking, reading and hiking with her husband of over 20 years and their two children.

Jie Y. Segal

Music Director

Email:music@gracechurchnyack.org

Jie Segal holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting from Manhattan School of Music, studied with Kent Tritle. He is the author of Chinese for Singers, the first comprehensive guide for Western singers to use in singing Chinese texts. He is also on music staff at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, where he has performed, among others, Messe de Minuit by Charpentier, Musikalische Exequien by Schütz, and Missa O quam gloriosum by Victoria with the Cathedral’s professional choir. In 2015, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall, directing Xian Xinghai’s Yellow River Cantata. Dr. Jie is a recipient of the Asian Culture Council Fellowship (2011) and the U.S. China Cultural Institute Fellowship for Young Conductors (2006). As pianist and vocal coach, Dr. Jie performed at La Lingua della Lirica Festival in Italy (2015-16), and performed Bellini’s opera I Capuletti e I Montecchi at Manhattan School of Music (2013). In China, Dr. Jie was lecturer at Shanghai Conservatory of Music where he conducted the Symphonic Chorus, and the chorus master at Shanghai Opera House.

Sandra Rodriguez

Church School Director

Email: smrod74@yahoo.com

Sandra “Sandy” Rodriguez, a special education teacher, grew up in Valley Cottage and went to Nyack Public Schools. She graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a BS in Special Education, and earned her masters at CUNY Hunter. She has worked in early intervention for 25 years and specializes in medically fragile infant care. She came to Grace Church when her daughter Estelle was born in 2012. She was a church school teacher for several years before becoming director. She also volunteers with Midnight Run.
For more information about Church School, 845-358-1297, Ext 15. smrod74@yahoo.com

Jim Sevier

sexton

Email: 1026abs@gmail.com

Jim Sevier grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and attended Washington University. He was a purchasing manager for more than 45 years, mostly in fabrics and industrial management. He is a Son of the Revolutionary War — his relative was John Sevier, the first governor of Tennessee. He loves history, working in the garden and repair work of all kinds. He is married and has four children and eight grandchildren.

Verne Becker

Security Administrator and Livestream Coordinator

Email: heyverne@gmail.com

Verne Becker has attended Grace since 2001, and serves as chair of the Adult Spiritual Formation Commission in addition to his security and livestreaming duties. He is a retired middle school teacher, most recently at Saddle River Day School in Saddle River, N.J. He lives in Nyack with his wife, Nancy, and two cats.

Evensong Recital: Sunday, November 3rd | 4pm

Evensong Recital: Sunday, November 3rd | 4pm

Evensong Recital: Sunday, November 3rd | 4pm
The first Evensong recital of the season is taking place on November 3rd. Our musical director Jie Y. Segal will be playing French composer/organist Jean Langlais’..

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Grace Church Parish Hike: Sunday October 27th | 2:00pm

Grace Church Parish Hike: Sunday October 27th | 2:00pm

Grace Church Parish Hike: Sunday October 27th | 2:00pm

Please join us for the Parish Hike on Sunday, October 27 at 2pm. We have been enjoying this event since the 1960’s! This year will be extra special, as we..

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Grace Episcopal Church Fall Garden Party | Sept 29, 2024

Grace Episcopal Church Fall Garden Party | Sept 29, 2024

You’re warmly invited to the Grace Episcopal Church Fall Garden Party

Sunday, September 29th, 4-6pm

Join us for an evening filled with delightful hors d’oeuvres, refreshing beverages, and uplifting..

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Depolarizing Politics | Sept 25, 2024

Depolarizing Politics | Sept 25, 2024

Now that we are full-tilt into the presidential election season, the Adult Spiritual Formation Commission was wondering how we could help people rise above the seemingly irreconcilable divisions they have over candidates..

Posted by Liz Johnson, 0 comments
Blackout Poetry & Sacred Text | August 28, 2024

Blackout Poetry & Sacred Text | August 28, 2024

Blackout poetry, also known as erasure or redacted poetry, is a type of found poetry that involves obscuring a large portion of an existing text to create a new poem. In this one-hour workshop led by poet and educator..

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Parish Potluck Cookout | Aug 25, 2024

Parish Potluck Cookout | Aug 25, 2024

On Sunday, August 25th, we are planning to hold an informal potluck cookout dinner at Grace Church. We’ll gather at 4pm, and share a meal together out in the Memorial Garden. Grace will provide the grillables (hamburgers..

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Parish Cookout | August 25th, 2024

Parish Cookout | August 25th, 2024

Come find out how we can plan for the future by looking back at the past!

Sign up on our Google form here: Preservation Project.

What is it?

Fr. Dustin will lead a discussion sharing his experience..

Posted by Liz Johnson