Grace Church in New York City Rotating Header Image

MEET THE STAFF

The Reverend J. Donald Waring, Rector
(212) 254-2000 ext. 127
dwaring@gracechurchnyc.org

The Reverend J. Donald Waring has been the Rector of Grace Church since July, 2004. Previously he served as the Rector at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Terrace Park, Ohio for nine years. Prior to his rectorate at St. Thomas, Don served as Associate Rector and then Interim Rector of Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Don earned his M. Div. from the General Theological Seminary in New York in 1989. During his studies at the General, Don served as a Seminarian at St. Thomas on Fifth Avenue, and then at Grace Church in 1988-89. He earned his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota and has won numerous preaching awards during his career. Don is married to Stacie Soule Waring and they have two sons, James and Luke.

The Reverend Linda Bartholomew, Associate Rector
(212) 254-2000 ext. 114
lbartholomew@gracechurchnyc.org

The Reverend Linda Bartholomew is the Associate Rector joining Grace Church in September, 2004. Linda was a priest on staff at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Cincinnati Ohio. Prior to that she was a priest intern and Deacon at St. James Parish, Cincinnati, and St. George’s in Kettering, OH. In her life before ordination (1997) she was a Pastoral Associate in the Roman Catholic Church for ten years, and a Hospital Chaplain for three. Linda attended Seabury Seminary in Evanston, IL for one year’s post-graduate work into the Episcopal priesthood. Before that she earned her D. Min. from McCormick Theological in Chicago, IL and her M. Div. from St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee. Earlier she earned a BGS from University of Dayton, Ohio, specializing in Psychology and Art. Linda is married to Adam Bartholomew, who is also an Episcopal priest. They have a grown daughter, Jesy.

The Reverend Ted Pardoe, Assistant Rector
(212) 254-2000 ext. 121
tpardoe@gracechurchnyc.org

Ted has completed his course work in the Master in Sacred Theology program at General Theological Seminary. He is working on his thesis which has the working title “Double Monasteries: Women and Men in Religious Communities of Spiritual Equality.” He received his Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in May, 2005. The parish that sponsored Ted for ordination is the Eglise du Saint-Esprit – The Little French Church. He has been active as a layperson at Grace Church, Saint Esprit and with the Diocese of New York where he has served on a handful of committees and boards as well as several other not for profit organizations.

The Reverend Stephen Arbogast, Assisting Priest
stephen.arbogast@aya.yale.edu

The Reverend Stephen Arbogast has been with Grace Church since 2007 as an assisting priest. He is the chair of the Department of Religion, Philosophy, and Ethics at Trinity School. He holds his M.Div.from Yale and a Th.M. from Harvard.

Dr. Patrick Allen, Organist and Master of Choristers
(212) 254-2000 ext. 110
pallen@gracechurchnyc.org

Dr. Patrick Allen, Organist and Master of Choristers at Grace Church in New York, previously served as Director of Music and Fine Arts at Independent Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, Alabama. Prior to that appointment he served as Associate Organist at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, New York, Director of Music and Organist at both The Cathedral Church of Saint John and Congregation Beth Emeth, in Wilmington, Delaware. In the summer he is on the faculty of the Baroque Performance Institute held at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, Ohio. With Catherine Rodland, he co-authored The Chorister Training Program of The Royal School of Church Music in America, an American adaptation of the English Model SING ALOUD. Dr. Allen has received degrees from the University of North Texas and The Florida State University.

Stephen Tharp, Artist in Residence

Stephen Tharp is the first person to be appointed Artist in Residence at Grace Church. This position was created in the Fall of 2007. Having held a similar position for nearly two years at Historic St. Peter’s Church, Perth Amboy, NJ – the oldest Episcopal parish in the state – he also served as Associate Organist at St. Bartholomew’s Church, Manhattan, from 1998-2002, and was Organist at St. Patrick’s Cathedral from 1995-1997. A native of Chicago, Stephen received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Illinois College (Jacksonville) and his M.M. from Northwestern University.
Known today as the most traveled concert organist of his generation, his 30 intercontinental tours and over 800 U.S. recitals have included performances at such venues as the Royal Albert Hall, London; Cologne Cathedral, Germany; Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow; the Hong Kong Cultural Centre; the Crystal Cathedral; the Riverside Church, NY and the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia. He as 12 commercial CDs to his credit and is married to Maria Helena Tharp, Organist at St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church here in Chelsea.

Maura Hooper, Director of Youth and Family Ministry
(212) 254-2000 ext. 113
mhooper@gracechurchnyc.org

Maura received a BFA in Drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2008. Upon graduating, she relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana where she worked as the Christian Education Coordinator for Lakeview Presbyterian Church. While coordinating children’s ministry there, Maura wrote and directed two original children’s plays, According to Luke and Charlie’s Easter Showdown, for the youth of the church. Originally from Pasadena, Maura spent her formative years as an active member of the Church of Our Saviour in San Gabriel, CA.