Our Team - Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township

Ministers & Staff

Providing spiritual leadership to members, creating and supporting ministry programs, and facilitating the inner workings of the church are only a small fraction of what our wonderful pastors and staff do each day.

Associate Pastor

Rev. Thomas A. Brown

The Reverend Thomas A. Brown joined the staff of PCCT as the Associate Pastor for Congregational Life in December of 2012. He served as Associate Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in the Chicago suburb of Western Springs since his ordination in 1999.

Tom is a product of youth ministry who came to the church, and to faith, because a friend invited him to youth group in eighth grade. Tom built a strong youth program and added innovative new mission projects at PCWS.

Tom comes to us with over twenty years of experience serving the church through mission, youth and pastoral work. After college, he spent a year as an urban missionary intern and then worked as a part-time youth director before accepting God’s call to go to seminary. Tom has been active in Newton Presbytery of New Jersey as Moderator of the Committee on Preparation for Ministry and served as the Session Moderator at the First Presbyterian Church of Hanover from 2013-2020.

A native of Southern California, Tom graduated from the University of California in San Diego with a degree in Psychology in 1992. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1999, having spent an extra year there specializing in youth ministry. Tom and his wife Alison have 2 boys Zachary and Nathan.

Associate Pastor

Rev. Thomas A. Brown

Director of Family Ministries
Yvonne Anderson

Director of External Communications
Lynn Apolinaro

Director of Music

Matthew Zabiegala

Matt is responsible for interacting with all musical programming, planning music for worship services, serving as organist and choir director and working to build the music ministry program for all ages at the church. He is an accomplished musician in choral leadership, organ, and piano accompaniment – as well as leading children and youth ensembles, including conducting hand bell choirs, youth choruses, and instrumental music instruction.

Matt holds a Master’s Degree in choral conducting from the distinguished choral program at Rutgers University and earned his undergraduate degree in music from Ohio State. He currently is artistic director of the New Jersey Chamber Singers. A native of Medina, Ohio, he now lives here in Chatham, and is thrilled to be serving a church in his home town.

Director of Family Ministries

Yvonne Anderson

Yvonne is an educator with a B.S. degree in history and government from Bowie State University. She also holds a Master’s Degree in teaching from Johns Hopkins University School of Education, and a Master’s Degree in Administration & Supervision from Washington Trinity University in Washington, DC. She has been an educator for over 19 years and a school principal for over 11 years.

A resident of West Orange, Yvonne grew up in Neptune, New Jersey, and attended Faith Baptist Church in Asbury Park where she was a part of the music ministry and worked with the Sunday School department. Yvonne is also a member of Christ Church in Montclair and has worked with the Quest Teen’s Ministry.

Director of External Communications

Lynn Apolinaro

Lynn is a communications professional with a B.A. degree in Journalism and English from William Paterson University. She has worked for youth non-profit organizations for more than 20 years, first as the Public Relations Director for Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey and then as a grant writer for Northern New Jersey Council, Boy Scouts of America. Prior to that she worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for various weekly newspapers before becoming the health editor at The New Jersey Herald newspaper in Newton.

Born and raised in Mine Hill, NJ, Lynn lives in the town of Byram with her husband and son. She is eager to learn more about our church and share in the good work we are doing in our community.

Church Administrator

Ceri Gilpin

Ceri lives in Berkeley Heights with her husband Brian, son Charlie and dog Dash. Their daughter Julia lives in Morristown.

Administrative Assistant

Gloria Newson

Gloria lives in Stanhope with her husband Owen and their dog Coach. Their daughter Tempe, Jamie (Tempe’s husband) and grandson Teagan live in Maine. Her son Ryan and his wife Natasha live in North Carolina.

Sexton

Mark Van Nest

Mark has operated his own construction contracting business in Lebanon Township for the previous seven years. Previously he had worked in home demolition and reconstruction. His career has been centered around hands-on construction work.

Mark is a graduate of Bernard’s High School and has studied English and Literature at Raritan Valley Community College. Mark lives with his wife Karen in Long Valley.

Bookkeeper

Allie Goldstein

Allie lives in Summit with her husband Eric, three children Sam, Zach and Kate and their dog Marty.