Pastoral Staff
Charles Park
Lead Pastor
Email • charles@riverNYC.org
Charles emigrated to the U.S. from Korea at age 14. He later went on to Stanford where he received degrees in Computer Science & Economics. He continued on to M.I.T. where he earned a Ph.D. in Economics. After striving hard to achieve the American Dream, he found getting tangled up with the story of God made life much more interesting and unpredictable! He's been involved in full time ministry for nearly 15 years, including helping plant the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Greater Boston. He and his wife Caroline moved to Manhattan in June of 2004 to start the River. They live in Battery Park City with their three children, Clara, Ariel and Caleb.
John Furste
Associate Pastor
Email • john@riverNYC.org
After teaching high school Spanish for three years, John transitioned to full time ministry. He joined the staff of the Vineyard of The Rockies where he helped pioneer a community of faith that eventually grew to a weekly attendance of over 2,000. A gifted musician, John has been involved with Vineyard Music USA for several years, including playing on the cd's "saving grace" and "more than ever--live from the rockies" as well as his own music projects. After 30 years of following Jesus, John is still excited about the on-going adventure of faith! John and his wife Sara live in downtown Manhattan and have 2 grown kids (Zachary & Emily) attending school in Boston and Seattle.
Caroline Park
Kids & Family Pastor
Email • caroline@riverNYC.org
Caroline was born in St. Luke Hospital on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She later moved to Korea where she went on to study math and business at Pohang University. She then returned to New York to get an MBA at Columbia Business School. She was reluctant to marry a pastor, much less become one! Yet she has found that pursuing God has brought more life in exciting ways. Her leadership at The River includes children, family and leadership development. She is the proud mother of 3 beautiful kids: Clara, Ariel and Caleb.
