Church Staff
Rev. Jan Willem van der Werff
Pastor/Head of Staff
Jan Willem (pronounced “yahn villem”) was born, raised, and educated in the Netherlands. He has been living in the United States since 1996 with his wife AnneMarie Luijendijk, a professor of religion at Princeton University. They have four children: Lia, Erik, Annabel and Rosemarie.
Prior to coming to Dutch Neck he served Covenant Presbyterian Church in Trenton, NJ, and as an interim at Boehm’s United Church of Christ in Blue Bell, PA. Before that, he was pastor of the Allin Congregational Church (UCC) in Dedham, Mass, and Montvale Congregational Church (UCC) in Woburn, Mass. He also has served as a port chaplain for Seafarer’s Friend in Boston, a religious reporter for Dutch Public Radio, and Public Relations Manager for the Amsterdam Council of Churches. Rev. van der Werff thrives on being in ministry together at Dutch Neck to explore the Vision Statement “to be a dynamic, interactive, innovative church.”
Rev. Rory Chambers
Pastor for Youth and Young Adult Ministries
Rory comes to us from Melbourne, Australia. He’s spent many years in high school chaplaincy and camping ministries while also playing guitar in pubs, clubs, resorts and music halls. After three years in Manhattan as an at-home parent, Rory and his family moved to Princeton in 2017 and he completed a Master of Divinity at Princeton Seminary.
He’s enthusiastic about community, food, woodworking, movies, and being fascinated by new hobbies and ideas.
Laura Eastman
Children's Ministry Coordinator
Laura is a New Jersey native. She holds a B.A. from Cornell University where she technically studied chemistry, but probably spent an equal amount of time holding small group Bible studies with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Never one to specialize, she enjoyed taking courses on the New Testament, pedagogy, and developmental psychology. After college, Laura moved to Nebraska and was a stay-at-home parent while her husband went to graduate school. During this time, she volunteered on the children and mission committees of their church with a focus on creating opportunities for active intergenerational fellowship. When the family moved back to New Jersey they found Dutch Neck Presbyterian shortly thereafter. You will likely find her singing in the choir or biking the kids to the church's nursery school. She enjoys Tolkien, Rush, making fresh mozzarella, and personal finance.
Bradley King
Director of Music Ministries
Praised by reviewers and audiences for his “profound” and “engaging” style, Bradley performs regularly in a broad range of programs from contemporary to ancient. Bradley is a regular member of the Rose Ensemble, Les Canards Chantants, Apollo’s Fire and has recently joined the Grammy-nominated ensemble The Western Wind. On stage he has performed such diverse roles as Anthony from "Sweeney Todd", and Colin from "Le Devin du Village". A frequent collaborator of Doug Balliet and Andrew Lovett, Bradley also uses his unique blend of power and sweetness to bring new works to life, and also is the bassist/cellist for the folk-fusion band The Chivalrous Crickets where he also sometimes lends his voice. Mr. King has distinguished himself in international competitions, winning first prize at the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition, as a Semi-finalist in the New York Oratorio Society Competition, and being selected for major performances at the Mozarteum Academy in Salzburg. Bradley studied conducting at the University of North Texas under Richard Sparks, Joshua Habermann, and Jerry McCoy and joined the team at Dutch Neck Presbyterian in 2022.
Dr. Martin Tel
Organist
Martin's love for church music began in a milking parlor where he heard his dad belting out psalms and hymns while milking the cows. Working on dairy farms helped fund Martin's addiction to education, earning degrees in language arts, organ performance, theology and church music. Since 1996 he has served as the Director of Music at Princeton Theological Seminary. He has been organist at Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church since 2010. Martin is married to Sharilyn and they have three children.
Amy & Dr. Ken Carter
Children’s and Youth Choir Directors
Having previously led the Children’s Choirs of Dutch Neck Presbyterian together from 1996 through 2004, then from 2008 through 2011, husband and wife team Ken and Amy Carter are happy to be engaged once again in this joyful ministry with our critically important youngest worshipers.
Both 1997 graduates of nearby Westminster Choir College, Amy has been a vocal music teacher ever since, serving first in the Pennsbury School District (PA) and, since 2007, in the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, currently at Wicoff Elementary. She earned Kodály Certification, completing all four levels at Westminster, and subsequently earned the M.M.E. with Kodály Emphasis from Capital University. After earning M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in music from Rutgers University, Ken held faculty positions at Rutgers, Westminster Choir College, the American Boychoir School, and Arts High School in Newark. Since 2012, he is the Choral Director at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North. A published composer, much of Ken’s work focuses on choral music for children’s and high school choirs. Both Amy and Ken are active members of and the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE), and both have been featured presenters/clinicians at regional workshops and national conferences. Amy has served as President of the New Jersey chapter (KNJ) and on the OAKE National Board both as Eastern Regional Representative and as Eastern Division President, and Ken was the inaugural recipient of OAKE’s annual Ruth Boshkoff Composition Prize in 2011.
Lori Appelget
Church Office Administrator
Lori grew up in the First Presbyterian Church of Springfield in Delaware County, PA. Now, she and her family are members of Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church and run a Community Supported Agriculture Program at their farm in West Windsor. Previously, she worked as a Marketing Manager for ALK, a Trimble Co. in Princeton, and in a communication role at World Education Services in NYC. When she isn’t in the office, she is on adventures with her Girl Scout Troop, at her favorite coffee shop or in her flower garden!
Bill Gawroski
Custodian
Bill M Gawroski III is owner operator of Just-N-Time service LLC offering commercial cleaning and landscaping services. You can find him working together with his wife Georgina and son Noah. Bill is subcontracted to do the cleaning for the First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck and the First Presbyterian Church of Plainsboro.
Trevor LePrevost
Maintenance Administrator
Best known for his leadership of the West Windsor Historical Society, Trevor was formerly a full-time contractor and thus no church job appears to be beyond him. His family has been in West Windsor for hundreds of years, and we hope that he remains with us for a similarly long time.
Bob Thomson
Audio Visual Technician
In 2005, Bob saw a notice for a prayer service as the US entered the Iraq War. He started attending Dutch Neck with his elderly mother, a resident at Bear Creek until her passing in 2007. Bob worked in Princeton for a research company as tech support with computer systems for 47 years. Bob belongs to the Robbinsville Volunteer Fire Department and was an active volunteer for 40 years.
Upon retirement in 2016, Bob was able to spend more time enjoying the music programs in the area. He got "hooked" on the music of Westminster Music College at a Christmas concert led by Dr. Martin Tel. Bob is an avid music fan of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Westminster Bell Choir too. Bob's love of music extended to his own participation in the DN bell choir and chancel choir.
Bob served Dutch Neck as a Deacon Treasurer for two 6-year terms. When the Pandemic hit, he stepped up to be on the Tech Team that brought Dutch Neck into the world of Zoom. Bob and seminary intern Jon Rodriguez equipped the sanctuary for audio and visual capability. Using his IT expertise and his quest to give to the church, Bob has continued to learn and improve the broadcasts. Bob serves on the Communications Committee, maintaining the website and social media platforms. Thanks to the dedication and time that Bob gives to this endeavor, Dutch Neck has been able to connect with past members and out-of-towners to broadcast Sunday worship services, weekly prayers services, adult education classes, weddings, funerals, and even a talent show.