Our Team

David is a Queens-native and ordained minister of the gospel. His singular passion is community formation--i.e., creating belonging for others. He serves as the lead pastor of Elm Church. He enjoys time spent with his wife Sonia and their two daughters, rooting for the San Antonio Spurs, and fishing. He is a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary and currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary.

david@elm.church

Having himself come from humble beginnings, Lester seeks to empower local youth to rise strong—within deep communities and broad opportunities. He brings decades of experience as a youth worker and as the VP of a title insurance company. Lester is the president of City Mission, a local non-profit that serves the youth, immigrants, and those experiencing homelessness. He firmly believes people need real communities more than distant problem solvers. Lester is one of our Ruling Elders and serves as the chair of our City-Positive Committee and Hospitality Committee.

lester@elm.church

Sarah is a licensed clinical social worker who was born and raised in Queens. Sarah was drawn to the Elm for the way it cared so intentionally and deeply for the neighborhood. In her down time, she enjoys reading and watching standup comedy. Also, if the question is pizza, the answer is always yes! Sarah is one of our Ruling Elders and the chair of the Diaconate Committee.

sarah@elm.church

Sonia is a Queens girl, wife to Dave, and mom of two gorgeous kiddos and a spicy cat. She is a full-time RN and enjoys photography and reading the news. On her days off you might find her with a large cup of coffee roaming the aisles of Costco or at home cooking for friends. Sonia chairs the Sunday Worship and Operations Team (SWOT) and leads the monthly marriage group.

sonia@elm.church

Growing up in Elmhurst, Sandy was familiar with the unique circumstances and challenges that children of immigrant families faced. It is Sandy's purpose to advocate for these families by providing platforms that nurture growth and connection. Boosting confidence and building connectedness is what she aims for when loving the children entrusted to her care. Sandy enjoys spending her downtime camping, cooking for and trying new flavors with others, and playing board games. Sandy is the Children’s Ministry director overseeing weekly Sunday School, the Parktivities program at Elmhurst Park, and the Elm Summer Program (ESP).

sandy@elm.church

Trusty is a Queens native, born and raised in Jackson Heights. He works in Information Technology administering IT infrastructure for a public transportation company based in Rockland County and Westchester. Trusty has a passion in fostering spaces where people feel a sense of belonging and seeing relationships develop. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Sandy and baby, Soraya, playing basketball, hiking, going to the beach, camping and spending time with his dog, Java. Trusty is one of our Ruling Elders and the chair of our Small Group Committee.

trusty@elm.church

David was born and raised in Queens. He received his M.Div from Alliance Theological Seminary. He is passionate about empowering the youth and creating a safe and loving space where they can grow, discover and live out their potential. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, going to cafes, watching Netflix, and talking about sports—especially basketball. Most importantly he is a die-hard Knicks fan! David is our pastoral resident.

davidlee@elm.church

Michael is an Elmhurst native and loves how much Elmhurst has transformed throughout the years. He is a physician assistant, husband and father to two little ones. In his free time, he enjoys exploring new places with his family and everything about sports, especially basketball and football. He is a big time Knicks, Mets and Giants Fan! Michael leads our new Youth Committee.

michael@elm.church