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| The Community Church of Mountain Lakes United Church of Christ |
| OUR AMAZING STAFF |
Ms. Donna Garzinsky, Director Church Music/Organ. Donna Garzinsky is The Community Church’s Director of Music/Organist. Donna earned a BM degree
(magna cum laude) in Church Music/Organ and Music Education from Westminster Choir College and an MA in Christian Education from Princeton Theological
Seminary. Winner of the McCurdy Talent Award Organ Competition at Westminster and the Metro. NJ Chapter of the AGO's Jane Whittemore Organ Competition,
she previously served churches in northern and central NJ as organist and/or director of music. Donna’s goal for the church's music ministry is: to enrich, enliven,
and inform our worship of God through music so that we might grow in faith, fellowship, and service. Click here to send confidential e-mail to Donna
Ms. Robin Cooper, Director of Children's Ministries and Choirs, joined The Community Church nearly seventeen years ago with her family. She attended
DePauw University in Greencastle, IN, were she majored in Elementary Education. While there, she spent much of her time at the Bethel United Church of Christ.
She married and moved to New Jersey, teaching both fourth and fifth grades before having her two children. Robin has been very active in the church serving on
several committees (including chairing the Board of Christian Education), has been the church secretary, and sings in the Chancel Choir. Click here to send
message to Robin
DePauw University in Greencastle, IN, were she majored in Elementary Education. While there, she spent much of her time at the Bethel United Church of Christ.
She married and moved to New Jersey, teaching both fourth and fifth grades before having her two children. Robin has been very active in the church serving on
several committees (including chairing the Board of Christian Education), has been the church secretary, and sings in the Chancel Choir. Click here to send
message to Robin
Janet Eveleth, Director of Bell Choir (adult) and Sunday Ringers (children) attended Smith College in MA. While there, Janet was a member of the Smith
College Choir, which toured overseas in the summers. Janet also studied bell ringing at Westminster Choir College in Princeton. Janet is all about making beautiful
music! Click here to send confidential e-mail to Janet
College Choir, which toured overseas in the summers. Janet also studied bell ringing at Westminster Choir College in Princeton. Janet is all about making beautiful
music! Click here to send confidential e-mail to Janet
Mr. Ray Rajkumer, Sexton. Ray was born in Trinidad and came to the United States in 1972. He served in the US Army from 1974 until 1977 when
he received his US citizenship. Ray has worked as an apartment building superintendent in New York City and as custodian of the Jewish Community
Center in Ft. Lee until accepting his position here in 1999. Click here to send confidential e-mail to Ray
he received his US citizenship. Ray has worked as an apartment building superintendent in New York City and as custodian of the Jewish Community
Center in Ft. Lee until accepting his position here in 1999. Click here to send confidential e-mail to Ray
Stephanie Burk, financial administrator. Click here to send confidential e-mail.
Rev. Dr. Debra Duke, Acting Pastor, earned her M.Div. and Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary where her area of focus was Mission, Ecumenics and the
History of Religions. Her dissertation explored the life and ministry of Mary Edwards, one of the first single women missionaries sent overseas by the American Board of
Commissioners for Foreign Mission. Edwards developed Inanda Seminary, a school for girls in Natal, South Africa, which is still in operation today and is one of our
global mission partners.
Dr. Duke also holds an A.B. in Engineering Science from Dartmouth College and an M.S. in Engineering and Policy from Washington University in St. Louis. During
college, she spent a semester studying at the Université de Toulouse, in Toulouse, France. After college, Dr. Duke served as an appropriate technology extension worker
in Senegal, West Africa under the United States Peace Corps. She taught local women the benefits of energy efficient cook stoves and trained local artisans in their
construction and marketing.
During seminary, Dr. Duke founded and directed an ecumenical community organization in Olney Philadelphia, called EcuMinistries of Olney (EMO). EMO brought
together Christians from some 38 different churches to study, pray and minister to their shared community. Dr. Duke has served as Interim Pastor for local churches
seeking pastors and one whose pastor was on sabbatical. She has also served as an Interim Conference Minister. She has served as a teaching assistant at Princeton
Theological Seminary and has taught World Religions at The College of New Jersey and Montgomery County Community College. Dr. Duke was the recipient of the
1997-1998 United Church of Christ Historical Council Essay Prize and the 1993 Blizzard Award for commitment to social ministry. Her work has been published in
Missiology: An International Review, Prism, The Journal of Ecumenical Studies, The Encyclopedia of Protestantism and elsewhere.
Dr. Duke has lived in Cranbury, New Jersey; Hanover, New Hampshire; Toulouse, France; Kaolack, Senegal; St. Louis, Missouri; Leeds, Maine; Philadelphia and
Norristown, Pennsylvania and Largo, Florida. She loves French language and culture, and aspires to spend more time in France or a French-speaking country. (While
awaiting that opportunity she delights in every French restaurant or café she finds.) She is also interested in Chinese culture and would like to learn to speak Mandarin.
When not doing professional ministry, Dr. Duke has spent some time substitute teaching, most often in middle school Math or French classrooms. She loves to sing and
once had the opportunity to sing at Carnegie Hall with her college reunion choir. Dr. Duke loves to run for pleasure and health. She has completed two half marathons
and hopes someday still to run a marathon. She enjoys ethnic cuisines, especially spicy Asian cuisines. Dr. Duke has three wonderful high school aged daughters, two
very wise cats and an adorable dog who all live together with her in a little house in Cranbury, New Jersey. Click here to send confidential e-mail to Rev. Duke
History of Religions. Her dissertation explored the life and ministry of Mary Edwards, one of the first single women missionaries sent overseas by the American Board of
Commissioners for Foreign Mission. Edwards developed Inanda Seminary, a school for girls in Natal, South Africa, which is still in operation today and is one of our
global mission partners.
Dr. Duke also holds an A.B. in Engineering Science from Dartmouth College and an M.S. in Engineering and Policy from Washington University in St. Louis. During
college, she spent a semester studying at the Université de Toulouse, in Toulouse, France. After college, Dr. Duke served as an appropriate technology extension worker
in Senegal, West Africa under the United States Peace Corps. She taught local women the benefits of energy efficient cook stoves and trained local artisans in their
construction and marketing.
During seminary, Dr. Duke founded and directed an ecumenical community organization in Olney Philadelphia, called EcuMinistries of Olney (EMO). EMO brought
together Christians from some 38 different churches to study, pray and minister to their shared community. Dr. Duke has served as Interim Pastor for local churches
seeking pastors and one whose pastor was on sabbatical. She has also served as an Interim Conference Minister. She has served as a teaching assistant at Princeton
Theological Seminary and has taught World Religions at The College of New Jersey and Montgomery County Community College. Dr. Duke was the recipient of the
1997-1998 United Church of Christ Historical Council Essay Prize and the 1993 Blizzard Award for commitment to social ministry. Her work has been published in
Missiology: An International Review, Prism, The Journal of Ecumenical Studies, The Encyclopedia of Protestantism and elsewhere.
Dr. Duke has lived in Cranbury, New Jersey; Hanover, New Hampshire; Toulouse, France; Kaolack, Senegal; St. Louis, Missouri; Leeds, Maine; Philadelphia and
Norristown, Pennsylvania and Largo, Florida. She loves French language and culture, and aspires to spend more time in France or a French-speaking country. (While
awaiting that opportunity she delights in every French restaurant or café she finds.) She is also interested in Chinese culture and would like to learn to speak Mandarin.
When not doing professional ministry, Dr. Duke has spent some time substitute teaching, most often in middle school Math or French classrooms. She loves to sing and
once had the opportunity to sing at Carnegie Hall with her college reunion choir. Dr. Duke loves to run for pleasure and health. She has completed two half marathons
and hopes someday still to run a marathon. She enjoys ethnic cuisines, especially spicy Asian cuisines. Dr. Duke has three wonderful high school aged daughters, two
very wise cats and an adorable dog who all live together with her in a little house in Cranbury, New Jersey. Click here to send confidential e-mail to Rev. Duke
