Meet The Team.
Want to join the team? Available jobs are posted here.
The Reverend Brian Neville
Senior Pastor
Office Hours: S-Th 9-5
Pastor Brian Neville joined Grace United Methodist Church in 2020, along with his wife, Emily, and two sons, Davy and Halloran. He received a B.A. from Houghton College and his M.Div. from Palmer Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He grew up in Buffalo, New York and proudly cheers for the Buffalo Bills. He previously served at Hillsdale UMC, First UMC in Toms River and Chews UMC. He loves to hike in the woods and consider all that God has in store for the great congregation here in the region of Wyckoff, New Jersey. You can find out about the pastoral services he provides here or read his blog.
The Reverend Nyasha Jeche
Family Ministries Pastor
Pastor Nyasha Jeche is a third year Master of Divinity student at Drew University and joins Grace UMC through the Mosaic Ministries program. She was born and raised in Harare Zimbabwe. She holds a Diploma in Religious Studies and a BA (Hon) in Religious Studies from the University of Zimbabwe. With a strong passion for youth ministry, congregational leadership, and gender justice, Nyasha strives to create spaces where faith, equity, and community intersect. Nyasha’s ministry is characterized by her dedication to serving others, her commitment to social justice and her passion for nurturing faith and discipleship. Outside of academia, she enjoys watching documentaries and listening to music, drawing inspiration from stories and melodies.
Margin Alexander
Director of Music
Margin Alexander is a composer and keyboardist active in the New York City metropolitan area as well as in the neo-classical world arena. He is a graduate of Rowan & Montclair State Universities (B.A and Masters) specialized in conducting, music education, instrumental & music theory. Having studied with professors like Harold Oliver, Ruth Rendleman, Bob Aldridge (Grammy Award Recipient,) Sir Zane Randall Stroope & Dean Drummond (a Harry Partch method pioneer) has given him a wide range of experience and skills in various domains of music such as choral & instrumental conducting, piano, orchestration, educational pedagogy, musical theater, new age techniques, music theory, etc. Aside from his engagements as a composer, Margin Alexander is also an avid world performer of his own works and a seasonal Carnegie Hall artist. So far, Margin Alexander counts performances in more than 30 countries around the world and numerous domestic ones. Serving at Grace United Methodist Church of Wyckoff is one of the most recent missions he has undertaken with joy and commitment.
Kristine Pepper
Administrative Assistant
Office Hours: M-F 10-12
Kris joined GUMC as part time office manager in February, 2026. She brings years of professional experience in non-profit organizations as a public relations and communications professional. She is also a freelance writer and editor of Ridgewood Magazine. Kris raised her three grown daughters in Wyckoff and now resides in Haskell. She enjoys the outdoors and never misses a chance to visit the Jersey shore.
Christopher DeMaria
Custodian and Groundskeeper
Chris is a dedicated husband and proud father to his daughter, Sophia. With over a decade of experience in maintenance and turf management at a prestigious club in Ridgewood, he has developed a strong work ethic and a sharp eye for detail. Chris takes pride in delivering high-quality results and maintaining spaces to the highest standards. He is a Hawthorne resident for over 9 years, and looks forward to working with everyone at GUMC. He hopes his efforts helps the church progress and grow.
Donna Ernst
Director of Nursery School
Office Hours: M-F 9-2
Donna has been a member of the Grace Nursery School staff since 2008. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Early Childhood and Special Education from Boston College and a Master of Education degree in Reading from William Paterson University. She lives in Glen Rock with her husband, Joe, and children, Kaylie and Brendan. Her family loves to spend their free time at their home on the Jersey shore.
Hilda Gomez
Finance
Office Hours: M-F 11:30-2
Hilda is our Financial Secretary. She has over 10 years of managerial, financial and customer service experience. Hilda, her husband and son live in neighboring Franklin Lakes. She is an active member and volunteer with her son's school's PTA. She recently returned to college part-time and is working towards a degree in Accounting. Feel free to stop by the finance office and say hello!
Colby Hillman
Technical Director
Colby has been a part of Grace United Methodist Church ever since he was a child. He graduated from Moravian University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania with a B.S. in Computer Science. Colby is currently a software engineer and enjoys tinkering with technology in his free time. He had been a tech assistant for GUMC for a few years until transitioning to the Tech Director position.