Faculty/Speakers Bios
The Rev. Dr. Charles G. Ackerson is Rector of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Baldwin. He serves as Examining Chaplain of the Diocese of Long Island and is also a member of the Chapter of the Cathedral of the Incarnation, Garden City. Dr. Ackerson has served on the Christian Education Commission of the Dioceses of Albany, New Jersey, and Long Island, and he has been a workshop coordinator, presenter, and consultant in each of these dioceses. For ten years, he served on the faculty of the Mercer School of Theology as Professor of Christian Education. Also for the Diocese of Long Island, Dr. Ackerson designed and coordinated the “Christian Education Workshop Series” and chaired the Christian Education Task Force. Dr. Ackerson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Philosophy from Hunter College of the City University of New York, a Master of Divinity from the Philadelphia Divinity School, a Master of Arts in Philosophy from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology and Statistics from the State University of New York at Albany.
Ms. Louise M. Baietto is Deputy for Finance and Administration for the Diocese of Long Island where she has served since 1990. Prior to joining the diocese, she was the Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), a national non-for-profit organization created by the Ford Foundation, where she previously held an administrative position. She has a Masters in Business Administration from St. John’s University, Jamaica, NY. Louise also serves on the financial faculty of the CREDO Institute, a clergy wellness initiative created by the Church Pension Group. She formerly served as Secretary of the Conference of Diocesan Executives (CODE), an organization in which she is still an active member.
The Rev. Deacon Elizabeth A. Belasco has served on Diocesan Council, the Department of Planning and Evaluation (Chair), the Commissions on Christian Formation and Liturgy and Music, and is a five-time Deputy to General Convention, as well as serving on the Mercer Board of Trustees, and as a member of the Search Committee for Bishop-Coadjutor. She served as chaplain at Ground Zero, Memorial Park (where the unidentified remains are stored), and to tsunami victims in Sri Lanka. She is also active in the Cursillo movement, and has taught several Scripture courses at The Mercer School as well as courses concerning the Diaconate.
She serves as Spiritual Director to both lay and clergy in the diocese, and, with a Lutheran Deacon, conducts , a bereavement support group. She has also directed spiritual gifts discovery workshops in several parishes.
A retired high-school science teacher and supervisor, Deacon Belasco holds a BS from Queens College, an MA and PhD from New York University, and is a graduate of the Center for Christian Spirituality at the General Theological Seminary, as well as the Mercer School of Theology.
The Rev. Canon Lynn A. Collins, D. Min. is Priest-In-Charge and healer at St. John’s Church, Hempstead. She was appointed to Diocesan Council and is chair of the Diocesan Stewardship Committee, a former National Staff Officer, and a Deputy to the 2009 General Convention. She has served as a missioner in several countries as the National Staff Officer. Canon Collins earned her M. Div. and D. Min. at NYTS, Anglican Studies at GTS, taught at Howard Divinity, DC, Claremont Episcopal School, LA, and at Oxford University, UK. She is the former Rector of St. John’s Church, Los Angeles, and St. Paul’s Church, Ohio.
The Reverend Simon Foster serves as Rector of St. John’s of Lattingtown. Father Simon was ordained in the UK in 1992 and his ministry has included lecturing and facilitating discussion in the parish, other churches and faith communities, community colleges and at C.W. Post. His themes have varied from Celtic Spirituality, Marxism and the Church, The Gender of God, Sexuality and Theology and recently on whether Spirituality and economic crisis are mutually exclusive themes. He was a Conference speaker in England on church growth, renewal and evangelism and was Diocesan Urban Poor Officer. His main motivation is a deep love for God and the Church and God’s people outside the traditional church as well as in it. His ministry is spent among the churched and unchurched alike and is rooted in Daily Eucharist and Morning Prayer. He preached recently in Manhattan on the theme of why church could be so deadly and boring in relation to the Gospel imperative of abundant life. A Fall project in his parish is for ‘Atheists and Agnostics and those who are not sure’ entitled “Spirituality on tap,” meeting in a local bar.
The Rev. Canon William F. Geisler, CPA, holds an AB from Harvard College and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He was ordained in 1969. He has served as a trustee of Grace Cathedral both as a lay person and a cleric. He was Chief Financial Officer for the Diocese of California for 31 years. He has served as treasurer of the Conference of Diocesan Executives (CODE) and a member of the Church Pension Fund Committee on Medical Insurance. He is a tax and financial consultant on clergy and churches for the Church Pension Fund, is one of the editors of the annual and has been a presenter at various clergy financial planning seminars for over 25 years.
Dr. Ted Gerbracht is active in a variety of financial, stewardship and educational ministries at the parish, diocesan and national level in the Episcopal Church. He has served as Treasurer of the Diocese of Long Island (1991–2000), and as a Trustee of the Estate of the Diocese of Long Island (2004-2008). He is currently focusing on theological education as Trustee and Treasurer of General Theological Seminary in New York, and as adjunct professor of the History of Christianity at the George Mercer School of Theology in Garden City, Long Island. As volunteer Assistant to the Dean for Special Programs, Ted has created an expanded curriculum for part-time and non-ordination track students at General Seminary to commence in September 2009. He is a participant in the Episcopal Asiamerica Ministry Consultation, and is a member of its Chinese Convocation. He has masters’ degrees from Butler and St. John’s Universities, an MBA from Adelphi University, and a Ph.D. in history from NYU. Ted recently completed the program for training personal financial planners at Molloy College.
The Very Rev. Christopher D. Hofer has been the Rector of the Church of St. Jude, Wantagh, since July 2004. He is active in Diocesan affairs serving as Secretary of Convention (and subsequently serving on Diocesan Council and Departments of Council as an ex officio member), Secretary of the Archdeaconry of Nassau, Dean of the South Nassau Deanery, SHE/CAP/RAP instructor, and Deputy to the General Convention (2009). He is an active member of the Episcopal Urban Caucus. Fr. Christopher was Associate Missioner with the Episcopal West Side Shared Ministry in Cleveland, Ohio, where he served on the Board of Trustees for the Episcopal Community Services Foundation and Community Corners. He attended graduate school in Communications at Kent State University and graduated summa cum laude, Communication Studies, from Walsh University, North Canton, Ohio.
The Reverend Charles F. McCarron is currently the Executive Director of Episcopal Community Services in Long Island. Father McCarron has been a non-profit administrator for 18 years and was formerly the administrator of Catholic Charities Health Services, a Medicaid-funded outpatient medical and dental facility and special needs housing program for economically disadvantaged people living with HIV and AIDS on Long Island. Father McCarron has also served on the NYC Department of Health HIV/AIDS Prevention Planning Council, the executive Committees of The Nassau and Suffolk County HIV/AIDS Commissions, The Nassau/Suffolk Ryan White Planning Council, and the steering committee of the Nassau/Suffolk Health Systems Agency. He is currently on the board of Episcopal Community Services in America and APICHA, the Asian AIDS agency. Fr McCarron has graduate degrees in Church History, Spirituality and Law.
The Rev. Frederick McElderry has been pastor of St Andrew’s Lutheran Church in West Hempstead, New York for over 20 years. He is a graduate of Concordia College, Moorhead Minnesota and the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. In addition, he has done course work in Preaching and Worship in preparation for a Doctor of Ministry degree.
Mr. Albert Rosenvinge, ACSW, received his Master of Arts degree in Educational Psychology from Kean College, and Masters in Social Work from SUNY in Stonybrook. He is a licensed clinical social worker at the highest level in New York State and is a member of the Academy of Clinical Social Workers. He has been with Family Consultation Service/ Episcopal Community Services since 1986 when he began as a part-time counselor in the Parish Based Counseling program. He began working with the agency full time in 1991 and is currently the Director of Community Counseling and Education Programs. He has worked with Molloy and Touro Colleges as well as Adelphi, SUNY Stony Brook, Yeshiva Universities in the graduate and undergraduate schools of Social work. In addition to providing trainings and workshops he has experience working with individuals and families, and has experience in Employee assistance programs and addictions field.
The Rev. Dr. Winfred Vergara is Program Officer of Asian American Ministries in the Evangelism and Congregational Life of the Episcopal Church Center. He is author of a number of books, including and |
THE GEORGE MERCER, JR. MEMORIAL SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
