Meet Our Speakers

Adam DePasquale serves as Lead Pastor, Executive at Walnut Hill Community Church, where he shepherds the church alongside Shawn Winters and champions churchwide ministry, including worship and the arts. He holds an MA in Transformational Leadership and a Bachelor of Music and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Arts, Ministry, and Mission at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. In addition to his pastoral leadership, Adam is a musician with experience in the music industry and recently released a collection of instrumental piano music with his brother under the name Oak Brothers, reaching more than 3 million streams. He also serves as a board member for Vision New England and is passionate about supporting God's work across the region. 

Ali Psomas serves as Executive Director of ASAP!, a Connecticut-based nonprofit dedicated to arts-driven learning. A graduate of Marymount Manhattan College with a degree in Theatre, she has spent her career creating opportunities for young people to explore their creativity and discover new possibilities through the arts. 

An arts educator, performer, and nonprofit leader, Ali believes creativity is a gift from God that can reveal purpose and bring people together. She lives in New Milford, Connecticut, and is an active member of Walnut Hill Community Church and a youth group leader there. 

Brianna De Leon is an actress, filmmaker, writer, and creative storyteller who is passionate about the power of story to communicate truth and connect with people. Her work spans film, television, theater, and digital media, and she has performed in a variety of lead and supporting roles throughout her career. 

At Walnut Hill Community Church, Brianna helps lead the Drama Ministry, writes and directs dramatic sketches for worship services and special events, and mentors children and students in the dramatic arts. She is passionate about helping artists use creativity and performance to engage the heart, inspire transformation, and tell meaningful stories.

Chris Vitarello serves as Worship Director at Walnut Hill Community Church, where he leads and develops worship ministry across multiple campuses. A New York Blues Hall of Famer with more than 30 years of experience, he is an accomplished guitarist, vocalist, recording artist, and educator who continues to perform, record, and tour nationally. 

In addition to his work in the church and music industry, Chris serves on the faculty at The Brunswick School, where he invests in and mentors the next generation of musicians. He is passionate about helping artists grow in both their faith and their craft. 
 

Christopher Ellington is a creative director, visual storyteller, and production leader with more than 20 years of experience in design, photography, video production, and brand development. His work has included creative leadership for national brands, nonprofits, businesses, and ministries, helping translate ideas into compelling visual stories. 

As Production Director at Walnut Hill Community Church, Christopher oversees creative production and helps shape the visual storytelling, media, and worship environments that support the church's mission. Passionate about helping people communicate with clarity and purpose, he enjoys equipping artists, leaders, and organizations to create meaningful content that engages audiences and creates lasting impact.

Christine Vitarello (Mira) is an award-winning visual artist and veteran art educator known for her expressive portraiture, landscapes, and seascapes created in soft pastel and oil. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute and a Master of Fine Arts in Art Education from the College of New Rochelle. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is held in private collections. 

For more than two decades, Christine has balanced a career in art education with an active studio practice, developing curricula, teaching students, and creating work for galleries, exhibitions, and commissioned clients. Passionate about helping artists cultivate both their craft and their calling, she believes creativity flourishes when art, faith, family, and vocation are woven together into a sustainable and meaningful life. 

Christine is an active member of Walnut Hill Community Church and enjoys encouraging others to grow as artists and lifelong learners. 

Connie McFarland serves as Director of Communications & Culture at Walnut Hill Community Church, where she helps shape the church’s voice, tell meaningful stories, and cultivate a healthy staff culture. With more than 15 years of experience in communications, branding, and creative strategy, she is passionate about helping organizations communicate with clarity, creativity, and purpose. 

A musician, vocalist, and worship leader, Connie enjoys helping artists and leaders craft stories that connect with people and inspire action. She is passionate about using creative communication to strengthen community, support ministry, and bring vision to life. 

Cristin Gordon is a production stage manager, choreographer, dancer, and educator whose work bridges the worlds of professional theater, dance, education, and ministry. A graduate of Gordon College, she has spent more than a decade working in film and live theater on both the East and West Coasts. Her work has been showcased in several Off-Broadway productions, music videos, and original ballets. 

Cristin is professionally trained in classical ballet, jazz, modern, and musical theatre and has taught dance in schools, camps, and studios throughout New England. An award-winning choreographer and longtime mentor of young artists, she is passionate about helping people discover the power of movement, storytelling, and artistic expression. 

For nearly ten years, she has helped lead the Movement Ministry at Walnut Hill Community Church, where she invests in artists and explores how dance can be used to communicate truth, cultivate beauty, and deepen worship. 

Crystal Ellington serves as Pastor of Spiritual Formation and Online Campus at Walnut Hill Community Church, where she leads discipleship, prayer, and spiritual growth initiatives. A gifted preacher, teacher, and ministry leader, she is passionate about helping people encounter God, grow in their faith, and discover their purpose. 

With a background in organizational leadership, education, and digital ministry, Crystal combines strategic thinking with a deep sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. A vocalist, worship leader, and dancer, she believes the arts can help create meaningful opportunities for people to connect with the Creator and experience His presence.

Deana Merchant is an actress, director, writer, and ministry leader with a passion for storytelling and the dramatic arts. A longtime member of Walnut Hill Community Church, she has performed in numerous productions and enjoys helping others discover how drama can communicate truth, engage audiences, and bring stories to life. 

In addition to her work in theater, Deana serves as Ministry Coordinator for YoungLives Greater Danbury, where she leads and mentors teams that support young mothers and their children. Known for her energy, creativity, and heart for people, she is passionate about helping others grow in their gifts and experience the transforming love of Christ.

Erin Martin is the Pastor of Worship at Grace Chapel in Massachusetts, where she leads and supports worship ministries across multiple campuses and invests in the spiritual and artistic development of worship leaders, musicians, and volunteers. A Berklee College of Music graduate, Erin has served in church worship ministry for more than twenty years, combining a passion for artistic excellence with a deep commitment to spiritual formation. 

Erin is passionate about helping artists cultivate lives that are as healthy and Christ-centered as the work they create. She is committed to encouraging artists, worship leaders, and creative teams to pursue both excellence and spiritual depth, believing that lasting impact flows from a life rooted in Christ.

Hailey Budihardjo serves as an Associate Director at Walnut Hill Community Church, where she helps shape worship services across multiple campuses and provides leadership for the church's local and global outreach. Working closely with pastors, worship leaders, artists, and ministry teams, she is passionate about creating environments where people can encounter God through thoughtful planning, collaboration, and creativity. 

A graduate of Gordon College, Hailey is also a dancer and choreographer with more than 19 years of training and performance experience. Whether serving through worship planning, outreach, or the arts, she enjoys helping people discover and use their gifts in service to God and others.

Jamie Martin is an author, poet, community builder, and entrepreneur whose writing and leadership have inspired and equipped people around the world. She is the author of several books, including the bestselling Give Your Child the World. 

A graduate of the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a degree in English, Jamie has spent more than fifteen years building online communities, creating digital content, and helping people live with greater purpose, confidence, and intentionality. Through her books, videos, blogs, and mentoring communities, she has inspired countless individuals to grow as parents, educators, leaders, and lifelong learners, creating an impact that extends across families and generations. 

Passionate about the power of words and storytelling, Jamie enjoys helping writers find their voice and create work that inspires meaningful change.

Jared DePasquale is a composer and storyteller whose work spans film, television, and audio drama. For more than 30 years, he has created music for some of Western culture’s most celebrated stories, known for its emotional depth and narrative impact.  

A graduate of Duquesne University, Jared began his career apprenticing under Emmy Award-winning composer Joseph LoDuca. He has since contributed music to more than a thousand projects and received numerous awards for his work.  

Jared is also passionate about mentoring and developing the next generation of artists and regularly speaks and teaches in creative and academic settings. He lives in Nashville with his family.

Joshua De Leon is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, editor, director, and creative entrepreneur. As founder and CEO of Lion Pride Studios, he has spent more than a decade helping organizations, businesses, and artists bring their stories to life through film, video, and digital media. 

His work has spanned broadcast television, documentary filmmaking, commercial production, and original film projects. Joshua previously worked as a video editor at ESPN, creating content for national audiences and major sporting events. 

Passionate about using storytelling to inspire and engage people, Joshua also serves part-time at Walnut Hill Community Church, where he uses his gifts to support the church's mission through creative media and stories of life change. He enjoys helping artists, organizations, and ministries communicate meaningful messages that make a lasting impact.

Oraine Stewart is a Jamaican-born singer, songwriter, worship leader, and business leader whose music blends gospel, reggae, and contemporary influences. Introduced to music through the church at a young age, he performed throughout Jamaica and later traveled internationally with a recording group and collaborated with a multi-platinum artist before starting a family and transitioning into business. 

Today, Oraine continues to write, record, and collaborate with other artists while serving professionally in the business world. As an elder and worship leader at Walnut Hill Community Church, he is passionate about helping artists pursue their creative calling while building lives marked by faith, purpose, and sustainability. 

Ryan Keating is the Lead Pastor at Fellowship Church in Middletown, CT. He is a PhD candidate in Philosophy of Religion at the University of Cambridge where his research focuses on God’s relationship to space. He served in Christian ministry with his family for twenty years in Turkey and Cyprus. He is a sommelier and wine educator and continues to do consulting in the specialty coffee world. Apart from his academic work in philosophy and theology, Ryan's poetry has appeared in dozens of literary journals around the world. His chapbook, A Dance in Medias Res, is available from Wipf and Stock Publishers.