Meet The Staff
For over 100 years at Grace Assembly of God we have been blessed with many amazing pastors and leaders. Here you will get a quick overview of our current staff and find out a little bit more about the great leaders of our church
Rev. Douglas DeMent
Lead Pastor
Pastor Doug has served as the Lead Pastor at Grace since 2011. He and his wife Cindy are passionate about serving Grace Assembly. They are frequently used in counseling. Cindy has frequently hosted women’s events and faithfully served in our Grace Kids ministry. Pastor Doug is a dynamic leader who values cross-cultural, mulit-generational ministry where all are welcome and at home. Under His ministry the Bible is lifted up, and the church submissive to the work of the Holy Spirit! He has a desire to see the Gospel transform lives and transform our community.
Rev. Jeff Hill
Senior Associate Pastor
Pastor Jeff has called Grace Assembly home since he was 5 years old. After a tumultuous journey of submitting to the call of God, Pastor Jeff has served at Grace since 2012. His role has shifted throughout the years and is now tasked with many of the administrative and executive operations of the church. In addition to teaching the Word of God, Pastor Jeff desires to see all of the ministries of Grace Assembly working together to bring honor and glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rev. Pablo Vargas
Youth and Family Pastor
Pastor Pablo received his ministerial education at Northpoint Bible College and graduated in 2015 with a BA in Biblical Theology and World Missions. He is passionate about leading and discipling youth to finding a genuine relationship with Jesus as their Lord and Savior. He has a heart to see youth grow in their relationship with God and grow in their gifts and talents for God’s glory. He also greatly values studying Scripture, missions, fine arts, Biblical relationships and community. Serving alongside him are his wife, Rachel. Together they are parents to their son, Judah and their daughters Juilet and Audrey.
Rev. Juliana Durst
Children and Family Pastor
Pastor Juli has her formal education in Elementary Education as well as Special Education and has served as the full time Children's Pastor at Grace since 2013. She has also been entrusted with leading Children’s Ministers and Leaders throughout New York State as the New York Ministry Network’s Kid-Min Director. She is passionate about seeing young children fall in love with Jesus and understands they are not the church of tomorrow, they are part of the church today!
Rev. Jacob Fitzmaurice
Worship and Media Pastor
Pastor Jacob is a graduate of Messiah University where he received training in Music, Studio Engineering, and Theology. Pastor Jacob grew up at Grace Assembly and is passionate about leading people in worship and using his talents to bring people closer to Christ. Whether it be through technology or music, Pastor Jacob is leading us to Jesus and His Word.
Rev. Larry and Sharon Frank
Discipleship Pastors
Pastors Larry and Sharon were trained as and worked as teachers. They were both radically saved and they both obeyed the call of God to serve His Church. They have pastored in Central New York and New Jersey. They both served in our Network office, and have been used to equip ministers and their spouses all over New York State. In addition to serving as our Lead Elders, they also serve as co-pastors of our adult discipleship at Grace Assembly.
Alissa Hill
Office Administrator
Alissa faithfully serves as the communications hub of Grace Assembly. She runs our office smoothly in addition to making sure we have everything we need to be successful in our ministry. If you want a meeting with the Pastoral staff or have a general question, then Alissa is the person who can point you in the right direction. Alissa has often worn many hats. She frequently plays the role of event coordinator, foyer decorator, women’s ministry leader, Grace Kids volunteer, and a member of our Network’s Kid’s Camp Lead Team.