Rev. Dr. Samuel Cruz, Senior Pastor

Pastor Sam was ordained in 1994 and has served several churches in the New York metropolitan area. He is committed to preaching a gospel that addresses current social issues including racial, gender, sexual and class oppressions. He is married to Tania Stanchich, who is a Licensed clinical Social Worker. Together they have three daughters – Amber, Jovana and Naome. Pastor Sam also serves as Assistant Professor of Church and Society, at Union Theological Seminary, New York. A 1987 graduate of the College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, N.Y., in 1994 he received the M.A., magna cum laude, from New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Brunswick, N.J. He completed his Master of Philosophy (1999) and a Ph.D. at Drew University, Madison, N.J. in 2002. Dr. Cruz’s publications include a book, Masked Africanisms: Puerto Rican Pentecostalism (Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2005) as well as a number of book chapters and journal articles on Latina/o and global Pentecostalism and on the sociology of religion – two principal areas of his research and teaching.

Mark Thaddeus Williams, Director of Music Mark Thaddeus is named for both an evangelist and an apostle – his mother thought the extra protection couldn't hurt. A decade ago he came to Trinity ready only to play out the ten weeks of the prior organist's contract and instead he has never left. Mark started on piano around the age of six and picked the organ up along the way. He holds a bachelor's degree in music from Colgate University and and an MPhil in musicology from Yale University. He believes that in music we touch the Divine and is ever thankful that the Concordia Choir really does go there.

Dr. Miriam Feliz Feliciano, Church Pianist

Miriam has been a music minister for over 20 years in the United Methodist Church and Presbyterian Churches in the metropolitan area. She studied music in the Conservatory of Music in the Dominical Republic, as well as in Lehman College and Columbia University. She also studied under Master Classes with Sonya Kasparouski and Professors Delfin Perez and Benito Mercedes and attended Julliard School of Music. She participated in several international and national choir festivals and tours such as Bellas Artes in Puerto Rico, BBC London, Liverpool, Santo Domingo, Honduras, Gospel Workshop of America, etc. Additionally, she has been featured in several recording as vocalist and instrumentalist. She has been a national and international guest speaker on worship and liturgy conferences as well as published several articles. Miriam Feliz has a M.A. and also Ed M. from Columbia University, and a M.A. and a Doctorate in Ministry in Theology from Drew University.

Mildred Corona, Administrative Assistant

Mildred Corona has been the Administrative Assistant of the church since 2006. She worked for Arthur Andersen Consulting and the United Nations in Venezuela, where she was born, and received  her B.A. in Modern Languages. She’s married to Silvestre Padrón and is the proud mother of Eric. She is currently studying Speech and Language Pathology in Brooklyn College and is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society.