Staff:

Passionate and experienced people help deliver the message of God, through word, through music, and through outreach. Here you can meet the shepherds of our flock.

Pastor Paul Milholland

Pastor Paul B. Milholland became the spiritual leader of Trinity in May of 2010. At Trinity he preaches and leads worship, coordinates strategic planning, teaches bible study and other classes, provides pastoral care and counseling, performs weddings and funerals, and supervises the growing staff of Trinity.

Pastor Paul says, “Here at Trinity my role is to walk the journey of faith with each person, wherever they find themselves, helping them grow into the realization that God has made them unique and blessed them with God’s never-ending love.”

“Those who come here will get a Lutheran Christian perspective centered upon Grace (God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense) as the heart of our community – and we will walk with them as they explore who God is calling them to be.”

“Being a part of Trinity is about being in relationships – with God and with each other. I love the rich diversity of our congregational family.”

“What a joy it is to be welcoming to SUCH a diverse group of people. We strive to make EACH individual feel a part of our family.”

“As we live into our mission of Welcome, Worship and Work, we seek to not only reach persons who come through our doors or onto our property, but to relate to those who might NEVER step through our doors.”

Pastor Paul loves to take folks out to brunch in order to get to know them and also share his joy about the Trinity family.

Pastor Paul can be found many days out on the streets of Astoria, greeting folks, sharing a cup of coffee or meal, and often in intimate conversations with persons about their life – learning about the struggles and joys they face, providing comfort and hope through a message of God’s unconditional love. As he prays with folks:

“Dear Lord, help this person to know that they are loved completely by you. And that there is no circumstance or person from the past present or future that will EVER take that love away from them.”

One of Pastor Paul’s great delights is teaching in the diakonia program, a lay ministry program of our denomination, where he teaches Intro to Old Testament, Lutheran Confessions, and Christian Doctrine.

Pastor Paul is married to his husband, Juan C. Milholland (JC) and they enjoy quiet evenings together, cooking and seeing TV, trips together and exploring the great metropolis of New York City, especially its architecture and beautiful parks.

The son of a Lutheran minister, Pastor Paul is a native of North Carolina. Prior to coming to Trinity he served parishes in NC, VA and FL and was pastor of a Lutheran church Suffolk County NY for 8 ½ years.

He was educated at Lenoir-Rhyne College, receiving his Bachelor of Arts. He received his Master of Divinity from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg PA. He engaged in Clinical Pastoral Education (hospital chaplaincy training) at the Lutheran Medical Center in the Sunset Park area of Brooklyn, NY.

He and JC live in the house just behind the church building, on 37th Street, called the Rectory. It is here that pastoral counseling, Making Peace with Your Past meetings, membership classes, Wine & Cheese conversations and other meetings and events.

You may contact Pastor Paul through: Office Phone: 718-278-0036; Cell Phone: 631-991-0491; Email: paulbmilholland@gmail.com

John Simmons

landscaper

John Simmons is gratified to be a part of the Trinity staff and grateful for all the encouragement while gardening this past season. 

I enjoy hard work and getting outdoors - it's a blessing.  Two guys from Romania walking by while I was digging the tulip bed this summer said "you have the best job!" and it's true!  Despite coming to New York over 30 years ago to pursue singing as a profession, I call Virginia home, and think it's a pretty good place to come from.  We Virginians like to dangle our participles!  Two of my brothers and my parents are a continual delight when I get to visit them in Virginia Beach.

I've been a choir section leader pretty much since college and have been singing in Long Island churches since about 1994 and currently at Garden City Community Church.  It's kept me off the streets and out of mischief. Praise the Lord!

Deacon Roberta Detmers

SHEPHERDING MINISTRY

Roberta was born in Brooklyn and lived in a six family cold water flat. Spending her first ten plus years there attending public school and beginning an affiliation with the local Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod. She attended release time on Wednesdays, Sunday school, and church services and sang in the children’s choir. At the age of eleven her parents became home owners in Woodhaven, Queens.  Shortly after the family moved into their new home they were invited by their next door neighbors to attend church with them, this began the long standing affiliation with St. Luke Lutheran Church (ELCA) where she was confirmed and married. During her years as a member of St. Luke she taught Sunday school and was a member and President of the congregation council. Her two daughters were baptized, confirmed and also married through this congregation. (St. Luke closed in 2015 along with two other congregations in the area of southwest Queens).

 Roberta considers herself a “late in life learner,” beginning college in her mid-thirties after securing a position as a Paraprofessional with the New York City Department of Education. She began to pursue a bachelor’s degree through the ACE program at Queens College. Through her union contract she was able to work and complete her studies after putting together a “life experience” package which accrued her thirty-six credits, she graduated with a Bachelor of Art degree in Studio Art. Always wanting to become a teacher, and Music and Arts money “dried up” in the city system, she then pursued a TESOL degree through the College of New Rochelle. As she continued to work as a Paraprofessional (teacher’s assistant) she continued to work towards her Master’s degree. Approached one day by a colleague, who knew she had a BA in studio art, she was asked if she may be interested in teaching the following year as an art teacher and there began her 15 years as a Computer graphics teacher at Richmond Hill High School. After over thirty years with the Department of Education Roberta retired in 2011.

 Through the years Roberta was always a part of her faith community and eventually was nudged by the Holy Spirit to join the diakonia program, a two-year faith formation program here in our Metro New York Synod. After graduating from that program she felt the Spirit calling her to public ministry and became a synodical deacon in 2010. She served a call to her then congregation of St. Luke Lutheran Church, Woodhaven until its closure in May of 2015. In October of 2018 Roberta became a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and was called as a synodical deacon by Trinity to head their Shepherding Ministry along with continuing as coordinator of the Queens Growing in Faith, diakonia program and installed on Pentecost Sunday, June 9, 2019.

William Easterling

director of music

William Easterling, who has been Trinity’s organist/choir director since October 2007, has over 35 years of experience in church music, having served his first church while in middle school.

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, William holds degrees in Organ and Vocal Performance from Baylor University, and a Master of Sacred Music Degree (with distinction) from Westminster Choir College. He is grateful to have studied with four of the most distinguished concert organists and professors in the country; at Baylor with Joyce Jones, at Westminster Choir College with Alan Morrison, and privately with Ken Cowan and Matthew Lewis. He studied conducting at Westminster with Joe Morrison and James Jorden.

William came to us from Christ Church United Methodist in Manhattan, where he held the post of Organ Scholar/Assistant Organist. At Christ Church he accompanied the professional choir in a diversified repertory of oratorios such as Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Brahms Requiem and the Vierne Messe Solemne, as well as choral rep from composers of the Renaissance period to the music of Arvo Párt and John Adams. This immersion of different styles of the choral literature resulted in a respect for a wide range of church music, and that respect is evident in the varied repertory of Trinity’s choir.

Prior to his position as Organ Scholar he was a paid soloist at Christ Church for several years and also at Marble Collegiate where he sang tenor solos in Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem and Haydn’s Creation among others.

As a singer he has appeared with the opera companies of Dallas, Fort Worth and Santa Fe (as a member of the Apprentice Artist program), along with The Brevard Music and Bard Music Festivals among others. He received his Actor’s Equity card just out of college from Casa Manana Theater in Fort Worth, Texas. In New York he sings with the New York Choral Artists, appearing regularly with the New York Philharmonic and other orchestras under the batons of distinguished conductors such as Kurt Masur, Loren Mazel and Sir Colin Davis and Joseph Flumerfelt. As organist he made his New York recital debut at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Luisana Santana

Director of Outreach

A long time resident of Long Island City and Astoria, Luisana has lived over half of her life in the neighborhoods Trinity Lutheran Church calls home. She has always been excited about the prospect to service the people in her community and usually volunteers with different organizations to satisfy that need.

As Director of Outreach she combines her extensive academic and diverse professional background in marketing, sales, customer service, and small business administration with all the volunteer work she has done since her early 20’s.

She helps Trinity Lutheran Church members go into the community as a group and has created various events that has brought the Trinity Lutheran Church community together. She has envisioned and coordinated events such as “Family Portrait Day”, “Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day”, and “Blessing of the Backpacks”.

She holds a Master’s of Science degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from New York University, a Bachelors of Arts degree in Communications Arts TV/Radio from New York Institute of Technology, and an Associates in Video Arts and Technology from Borough of Manhattan Community College. Communications is her thing.

She is passionate about bringing people together and creating inclusive atmospheres, reading books while making notes and highlighting quotes, and watching Frasier reruns on TV. In her spare time, Luisana loves to explore NYC with her daughters Eleanor & Margaret.

Deacon Rob Sinanan

CHILDREN’S EDUCATION

Child of GOD by Love.

Christian by Faith.

Lutheran by Choice.

The focus of my ministry is Youth and Education.

Goals are to encourage all into a relationship with a Risen Lord.

What drew me is a need to live a life of Response to the justifying Grace that saves us.

Deacon Gwen Miller

prayer/care MINISTRY & Community outreach

I am a Brooklyn native who transplanted to Queens back in the late 1970s. I reside in Jamaica/Briarwood Queens with my legally blind brother Gary, and my adult son LJ who visits frequently. I am eighth among ten children raised by southern-born Lutheran parents, Pernell and Ann. Worship is an essential part of my life. 

There was a time when worship and God were the furthest things from my heart and mind. I fondly refer to myself as “The Prodigal Daughter.”  I wanted nothing to do with God, nor religion, after the sudden death of my father when I was 13 years old. He was the source of everything that mattered to me, and the person who introduced me to God and instructed me on God's ways on a personal level. I spent decades of wandering in pain and feeling a deep despair. In my darkest moments I found myself talking to God. Yes, to the same God whom I had not thought of for so long. Prayer is such a vital ministry. These conversations I have with God, some are short throughout my day and others are long with tears and petitions. 

I want to share this personal truth to say that every person’s faith journey shapes their call. It is the road that lead me to the Diakonia program in 2015 and the Diaconate program twice: once in 2018 which, for various reasons, I suspended and returned in 2020, where God, through the Holy Spirit, lead me back to my calling. I am now a Deacon In Waiting with my callings in Prayer/Care Ministry and Community Outreach. I have an extended community service background as an employee in Social Services that assists New Yorkers with food insecurity needs and other services.

I serve beyond my worship community with membership within the Lions Club International, whose motto is “We Serve." We empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, and encourage peace. I am on the board of the Briarwood/Kew Gardens Lions Club. In my work and activities,  I am wholly dedicated to living out the Word of God and being the light of Christ through service in various ways and to everyone who crosses my path. Prayer for me is like breathing, and community service is my joy. Here at Trinity, working closely with our Director of Outreach Luisana Santana, I can live out my calling as our wise Pastor Paul once said, “You might be the only Bible anyone reads.”  I concur, for I believe “Not everyone will come into a worship place, therefore be ‘the church’. This is what we are to the world.

Prayer call-In on Mondays at 8:00 pm (EST) (732) 434-3943

Blessings and brunch Call-In the last Saturday of the month:

11:00 am (EST) (732) 434-3943

One on One Prayer Requests trinityprayercare@gmail.com

Attention DCN Gwen

Contact phone: 917-539-1872