Chrishan and his much better half Danielle, are the Lead Pastors at Hillsong East Coast. Chrishan has grown up in Hillsong Church since he was around 7 and Danielle since her senior years in High School. They have 4 beautiful, cheeky and headstrong daughters, and as a family are committed to loving God and people, and living the adventure that it is to build His Church.
28 Sept 2026
NCS Bergen County Presents Rev. John Algera
I met my wife Debra (Abma) while on a summer ministry assignment in Boca Raton, Florida, after graduating from High School in 1970. Our courtship continued as I entered Calvin College and Debra completed high school. I quickly failed the advanced Biology and Chemistry courses that were needed for the forest ranger course of study.
This led to a nudging call of the Holy Spirit to ministry that was confirmed during a summer mission experience in 1972 on the west side of Chicago in the heart of the African American community. That became a summer of learning about community, racial and justice issues.
Debra and I were married on December 29, 1973 while still in college. From 1975 – 1976 we served a one-year internship at Sun Valley Christian Reformed Church in the Sun Valley/Las Casitas projects on the west side of Denver CO. I graduated from Calvin Seminary in 1978 with a MDiv., and our one son Benjamin was born three days after graduation. God brought us back to New Jersey after seminary where I served for 1 year prior to ordination as a youth pastor at Madison Ave CRC. I was ordained there on September 25, 1979. I served from 1979 – 1987 as co-pastor and until September 2018 as senior pastor.
During those years we founded Paterson Habitat for Humanity and Madison Ave. Crossroads Community Ministries. I have been engaged in many other ministries through the years in the church, neighborhood and city of Paterson. Paterson has been our home for all these years and we greatly appreciate the diversity of culture and races. I have also been deeply engaged with many African believers in a number of Global Prayer Missions in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and Ethiopia. My one and only book is Signs & Wonders: A Reformed look at the Spirit’s ongoing work.
In 2013 I founded Urban Wilderness Renewal which is devoted to awaken an awareness of the presence of God in the ordinary and wilderness places of our lives and in the beauty of God’s creation. I am currently running this through Spiritual Direction, Guiding the Ignatian 19th Annotation retreats and River of God Paddling. I also personally find great solace in and on rivers fly fishing and kayaking.
My lifelong love of over 52 years of marriage, Debra Joy, went home to be with Jesus on May 6, 2026. This has led me to a decision to move closer to our son Ben & daughter-in-law Emily and our grandchildren Sara, David and Joshua who live in Holland MI.
23 Jun 2026
NCS Bergen County Presents Ryan Huber
Ryan Huber serves as special advisor to the New Canaan Society on Thought Leadership and leads the NCS Speakers Bureau. Ryan has been teaching, speaking, writing, and helping people grow for over 20 years in church, school, college, seminary, and corporate settings.
He is an affiliate assistant professor of Christian Ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary. Ryan’s first book, Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Ethics of Formation, was released in 2020. His FORMATION series has been used by small groups, Bible studies, and church classes across the country. He’s also written on the Significance of Friendship for Spiritual Formation in Bonhoeffer’s life and for Christians today. He holds a PhD in Theology, concentrating on Christian Ethics and Church History, from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a ThM from Boston College.
He lives with his wife, Jessica, and three sons in Nashville!
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