Ministers
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, 29, and Tonya, 26.
Kent L. Smith, Associate Pastor of Christian Education and Youth
201-652-1966, ext. 12, kent@westside.org
In addition to West Side, which he joined in 1993, Kent has served churches in Joplin, MO, Bradenton, FL, and Bartlesville, OK, over 36 years, always as Minister of Christian Education and Youth. Kent has also worked at the Presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly level in youth work and as a contract writer. He has participated as a manual writer, as part of a planning team, and many times as small group leader for the Presbyterian Church's national Montreat Youth Conferences and for the Presbyterian Youth Triennium.
Kent has two favorite pastimes: music and computers. He plays the clarinet and the guitar and has accompanied West Side youth in singing contemporary Christian music. He also does computer programming and has worked on the development of a new operating system for a national computer company.
Kent and his wife, Margo, an English teacher at Ridgewood High School, have two adult sons, Palmer and Tyler.
Rev. Elizabeth Junod, Pastoral Associate
201-652-1966, ext. 18, liz@westside.org
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.
Liz sees her biggest opportunity at West Side as supporting the deacons and empowering the laity in general. “I will be supporting Kent and Gareth and be an extra set of eyes and ears to help out,” she says. “The deacons have done a remarkable job, particularly since Beverly left. I hope to support them so they can continue living into their role as ministers of the church.”
She is married to Laurent Junod and has three children, ages 3, 7, and 9.
201-652-1966, ext. 15, 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.