Clergy, Staff, & Vestry
The Reverend Canon Jonathan Huyck, Rector
Canon Huyck became the 21st Rector of Grace Church on August 1, 2010. He holds degrees from Brown University, the University of Chicago Divinity School and the General Theological Seminary and is an honorary canon of the American Cathedral in Paris, where he served as canon pastor for six years before coming to Grace. He was born in New York City and raised in New York and Connecticut. Before his ordination to the priesthood in 2004, he was a comedy writer in New York and is still loyal to the American League baseball team of that city which shall remain nameless. He also loves the Beatles, cooking (Georgian food, especially), singing, and old buildings (Providence does very well on that score). Jonathan is married to Ann, who teaches ballet at Providence College, and they are parents of two boys and one chocolate Labrador retriever.
The Reverend Jennifer West,
Priest Associate
The Reverend Michael Coburn,
Priest Associate
Lay Staff
Vince Edwards, Organist & Director of Music
Vincent Edwards became Organist and Director of Music at Grace Church in September 2015. Vince has served parishes in Connecticut and New York, most recently St. Paul’s-on-the-Green in Norwalk, CT and St. Bartholomew’s Church in NYC. His choirs have performed and sung services in New York City and throughout England and Scotland. Former choristers and organ scholars who have worked with Vince have gone on to have successful professional careers in music themselves.
In addition to directing the Grace Church Choir, Vince founded both the Grace Church Choristers and Grace’s professional choral ensemble-in-residence, Collegium Ancora, upon his arrival in Providence. This choir, for boys and girls from grades 2 through 12, is based on the Royal School of Church Music training scheme. The Choristers sing regularly for services at Grace both alone and with the Adult Choir. Vince holds degrees from Bethel College (Music and Religion) and Yale University (Choral Conducting and Organ Performance).
Noah Klein, Associate Director of Music
Originally from southern Minnesota, Noah graduated from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University with a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance, studying under Dr. Janette Fishell. He was the Musical Intern for Tabernacle Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Noah was the winner of the Great Lakes Regional RCYO Competition for Young Organists at the 2019 regional American Guild of Organists (AGO) convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2021, he was included in The Diapason “20 under 30” class of 2021, highlighting emerging young musicians in the field. Noah recently received the Master of Music and Master of Musical Arts degrees from the Yale School of Music/Institute of Sacred Music, studying with Professors Martin Jean and James O’Donnell.
Charlene Williams, Director of Children & Youth Ministries
Charlene, who grew up here in Providence, oversees Grace’s Sunday School and youth group. She grew up in the Christian Pentecostal church and after college began attending the AME Church. During the week, Charlene works at the Wheeler School as the Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Prior to this role she was Wheeler’s children’s librarian for eight years, working with students in nursery through second grade.
Charlene graduated from Classical High School in 2005 and received her undergraduate degree from American International College in Springfield, MA in 2009. Upon returning to Rhode Island, she started her family (she has three school-age kids: Caleb, Caylynn and Cayden) and continued to work in the Providence community. Some of the organizations she has worked with include Community Libraries of Providence, Providence YMCA, and the Rhode Island Black Storytellers.
Michele Adamo, Director of Administration
As Grace’s Director of Administration, Michele oversees many aspects of running the parish. A native of Baltimore, Michele lived in Pennsylvania before moving to Rhode Island in 1997. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English from Bucknell University and has more than 20 years working in the world of marketing and communications. Prior to joining she staff at Grace, Michele served for several years as Office & Communications Manager at Beneficent Congregational Church in Providence. Though Michele serves as the Director of Administration, she’s also an ordained Episcopal deacon, having served at Grace Church for several months in 2020 as part of her diaconal training.
John Carbone, Sexton
Pedro Quinilla, Assistant Sexton
Selemani Mayundo, Assistant Sexton
Vestry
A church’s Vestry functions as an “executive board” of sorts and is made up of lay (non-ordained) parishioners elected by the members of the congregation. They meet monthly with the Rector and clergy to help advise and make decisions on financial, legal, and other matters as related to the functioning of the church as an institution.
Current members of
the Grace Church Vestry are:
- Joseph Berryhill (Class of 2027)
- Lori Brown (Class of 2025)
- Clinton Crocker (Class of 2027)
- Michael D’Alesandre (Class of 2027)
- Laurie DiBattista (Treasurer, Class of 2026)
- Peter Dugan (Class of 2027)
- Joel Goloskie (Clerk of the Vestry, Class of 2025)
- Nicholas Halar (Class of 2025)
- Carissa Mills (Senior Warden, Class of 2025)
- Pat Trosclair (Class of 2026)
- Frank Ward (Class of 2026)
- Jeff Williams (Class of 2026)
