Ministers
The Rev. Dr. Gareth Icenogle, Pastor/Head of Staff
201-652-1966, ext. 16, Gareth@westside.org
Gareth became West Side's Senior Pastor in February, 2009. He has degrees in ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA, and music degrees from the University of California, Riverside, and California State University of Los Angeles. His masters degrees are in music (voice and composition) and divinity, and his doctorate is in ministry, with a focus on spiritual formation and discipleship. He has written an internationally used textbook on the theology, purposes, and dynamics of faith formation through small groups.
Gareth comes to West Side from the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, where he served as Senior Pastor from 2004 to 2008. Before that he served First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, PA, as Senior Pastor and Co-Senior Pastor for 14 years. Previously he was the Director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Fuller Seminary.
Both natives of southern California, Gareth and his wife, Vida Smith, have been married for 36 years. They have two daughters, Tamara and Tonya.
The Rev. Marc A. Oehler, Associate Pastor of Parish Life
201-652-1966, ext. 18, marc@westside.org
Marc joined West Side’s staff in July, 2010, after spending 10 years as Associate Pastor of Community Life at the Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township (PCCT), NJ. He holds a B.A. in psychology from Lafayette College and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), with a masters degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Marc served as Spiritual Director at PCCT and Princeton Theological Seminary since 2003 and 2006, respectively. He has also been a certified Staff Person of Spirituality for Daily Life and retreat leader at the Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development in Camp Hill, PA. He feels his mission is for small spiritual group ministry, where he is able to get to the heart and journey with people while “encouraging them to grow into who they might become.”
Marc’s family includes wife Nicole, daughter Esmae, age 8, and son Caleb, age 5. We welcome them all to West Side!
Read an interview with Rev. Oehler.
The Rev. Penny Hogan, Associate Pastor of Family Life
201-652-1966, ext. 12, penny@westside.org
Penny joined the West Side staff in March 2012 as Associate Pastor for Family Life (working with youth, children and parents). She was ordained and installed at West Side on Sunday, June 3, 2012.
Penny received a Master of Divinity in 2010 from Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey. Before entering seminary, she served for six years as the youth, family and mission ministry at the 1500-member La Jolla Presbyterian Church in La Jolla, California. Among her many responsibilities, she planned and co-led a youth mission trip to Kenya, co-led a multi-generational trip to Malawi, and implemented an annual youth group house building trip to Mexico for nearly 100 people.
Penny and her husband, John, are Ridgewood residents.
Joanne Harris Rodland, Minister of Music201-652-1966, ext. 30, joanne@westside.org
Joanne has been on staff since 1968, first as associate to her husband, The Rev. John R. Rodland, then as Minister of Music following Jack's death in 1989. She is a graduate of Bucknell University and of Union Theological Seminary's School of Sacred Music. Her organ study has been with Prof. William McRae, Alec Wyton, and David Higgs at the Eastman School of Music. She served congregations in Brooklyn, NY, Pompton Lakes, NJ, Frankfurt/Main, Germany, and Lyndhurst, NJ, before coming to West Side.
Throughout her years at West Side, Joanne has remained committed to the West Side tradition of offering both choral and instrumental music of the highest integrity in worship and in the various music outreach programs. A certified Orffschulwerk Teacher and a specialist in children's choirs, she has conducted workshops and choral festivals nationwide and written extensively for professional publications. Under her leadership, our Oratorio Choir and Orchestra have performed major works of sacred choral repertoire.
Joanne's two daughter, Carol and Catherine, are both well-respected professional musicians.
Deborah Holden-Holloway, Associate Minister of Music
201-652-1966, ext. 22, debbi@westside.org
Before joining the staff in 1990, Deborah, or Mrs. Ho-Ho, as she is widely known, served congregations in New Jersey, Florida, and Maryland as organist/choirmaster. She holds a bachelor's degree in music education, with concentration in organ, from William Paterson University, and a masters degree in sacred music from Westminster Choir College, Princeton, with concentration in voice.
Mrs. Ho-Ho delights in creating music for the choirs, bell choirs, and instrumental ensembles which enhance our worship, and has published a number of anthems. She also serves on the executive board of the Northern New Jersey Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Debbi lives with her husband and two sons, one of whom attends New Jersey Institute of Technology, in Franklin Lakes.
The Rev. Elizabeth Junod, Parish Associate (part-time, volunteer)
201-652-1966, ext. 47, liz@westside.org
The Rev. Elizabeth Junod joined West Side in 2009 as a part-time Pastoral Associate. She
was welcomed into our Presbytery of the Palisades as a fully recognized
pastor in our denomination, PC/USA. She was originally ordained in the
United Methodist Church, but now she is a Presbyterian pastor. The
presbytery also affirmed her interim ministry here at West Side. God
bless Rev. Junod—we love her!
Liz has a bachelors
degree from Drew University, with a major in religion and minor in
psychology, and received her Master of Divinity from Yale University
Divinity School in May of 1989, where she was awarded the William E.
Downes Prize for excellence in preaching and public speaking.
She is married to Laurent Junod and has three children, ages 5, 9, and 11.
The Rev. Dr. William Chapman, Parish Associate (part-time, volunteer)
Andrew Roughgarden, Ministry Assistant to the Pastor (volunteer)