Grace Church in New York
Staff & Leaders

  • Martha Korienek
    Associate Rector

    The Rev. Martha S. Korienek joined the staff of Grace Church in September 2016. Previously she has served at St. Michael & All Angels in Corona del Mar, CA, Church of Our Saviour in Chicago, IL, and she came to us from St. Paul’s in Burlingame, CA (near San Francisco). She earned her M.Div. from Yale Divinity School and a Certificate in Anglican Studies from the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale in 2006. Before seminary, she was part of the Episcopal Urban Intern Program in Los Angeles, CA, which is one of the Episcopal Service Corps sites. She earned a B.A. from the University of Illinois-Champaign/Urbana, where she double majored in education and French. She is originally from the Chicagoland area, and is a Cubs fan, however, she has attended more Yankees games than any other team, and considers herself a Yankees fan, as well.

  • Chase Danford
    Assistant Rector for Youth and Family Ministry

    The Rev. Chase Danford oversees ministries to children, youth, families, and our 20’s and 30’s group. Before coming to Grace Church, Chase worked in external relations at the International Rescue Committee, raising awareness and support for programs to aid refugees and crisis-affected communities. Chase served as assisting priest at Grace Church in Brooklyn Heights while at IRC, and he previously served as curate at St. John’s Church in Larchmont, New York. He earned his M.Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary and his B.A. in Sociology from Rice University. In addition to his duties at the church, Chase will teach third grade Bible class at Grace Church School.

  • Patrick Allen
    Organist and Master of Choristers

    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.

  • Don Waring
    Rector

    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.