Our Church Leadership

Our Churchthrives because of the energy and style of the people who have stepped up to lead. Here are a few of the people that make our church community special:

Pastor Yvonne Gilmore-Essig 

 Rev. Yvonne Gilmore-Essig is the Pastor of New Song Community Church. She is an ordained minister with standing in the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ and the United Church of Christ. She grew up in Washington, DC and was a member of Michigan Park Christian Church     under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Delores Carpenter.

While completing her degree in International Relations at The American University, she further discerned her call to ministry. From there, she went to The University of Chicago where she completed her Masters of Divinity degree.

While living in Chicago, she served at Park Manor Christian Church as an Associate Minister active in youth ministry, couples ministry and worship leadership where the Rev. James Demus is the senior pastor. She later served as an Associate Pastor at Shepherd Park Christian Church, an urban congregation in Northwest Washington, DC under the leadership of Pastor Marcus Leathers where her ministry focused on outreach and faith development. This is followed by her service to First Christian Church of Baltimore as the Interim Pastor, a suburban congregation in the Roland Park community of Baltimore, MD.

Yvonne has also served as a chaplain at Trinity Advocate Hospital in Chicago, IL; Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC; Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in West Baltimore; and at the Hospice of Baltimore in Towson, Maryland.

As a student of the prophetic tradition, Yvonne is a spoken word artist and member of The Cornel West Theory, included on their debut release 'Second Rome' on Sockets Records and on "The Shape of Hip Hop to Come." Yvonne is a servant to all and a friend of all movements that foster spiritual maturity and community building.  

Musicians - New Song Trio

Vernon Hairston on piano, Dwight Bailey on bass,
  Reggie Jackson on drums  

 

 
Associate Minister- Dr. Judy Alston 

Judy A. Alston, Ph.D. is Chair/Professor of the Department of Leadership Studies at Ashland University and is the author of numerous articles and books. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from The Pennsylvania State University and two Masters of Education degrees from the University of South Carolina. Currently she is a seminarian working on a Masters of Divinity at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH.