Our Leaders

Stuart Swicegood, Pastor

Stuart grew up in south Alabama, where he confessed Christ as Lord at the age of 11 at a summer camp. Stuart began serving in youth ministry in 1997 in Tampa before moving to earn a Bachelor degree from The Baptist College of Florida in north Florida. He completed a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and he has pastored in Indiana, Kentucky and Mississippi. In 2015 Stuart attended the Harvest Training Center just outside of Chicago to be equipped to fulfill his passion to plant a church right here in the Northeast.
 
Stuart is married to his partner in everything Michele, and they have four children

 

Eric Seal, Iron Workers Men’s Ministry

 
 
 
Eric became a Christian in college, when a member of the Navigators came to his dorm room and explained the gospel and his need for Christ. He is married to June, with whom he has five children, twelve grandchildren, and one great grandchild. The two enjoy serving the Lord in whatever he leads them to and want to continue to be available to all those God brings into their lives, in order to reflect His faithfulness. Having led our youth group, and later our young adults’ group, in their home for many years, Eric now leads the men’s ministry. In addition, the Lord has blessed him with financial talents, which he enjoys using at New Beginnings as the treasurer. Eric is the CFO of Redhook Container Terminal, in Brooklyn, NY.
 
 
 

 

Lynn Vallimont, Elder

Hailing originally from central PA, Lynn’s exposure to God growing up was limited to grace before meals, vacation Bible school during summer, and attending a local Methodist church for a few weeks as a teen. In 1983, at Penn State, he committed his life to Christ. His first term as an elder was at a Presbyterian church in Huber Heights, Ohio, while serving in the US Air Force. Most of his early spiritual growth came through his involvement in the Officer’s Christian Fellowship Bible studies at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
 
After this, he and his wife, Abbie, moved to Reading, PA, where he was involved in the men’s group and helped videotape sermons at Exeter Bible Church. In 1994, he was transferred to New Jersey, where Abbie began teaching at Northwest Christian School and he began training for eldership at Grace Church on the Mount in Netcong, where Lynn continues his involvement in several ministries.
 
In early 2013, Lynn and Abbie found New Beginnings through a search on the 9 Marks of a Healthy Church website, 9marks.org. After checking out some sermons online, they began attending regularly. They became members, and Lynn volunteered to lead one of the small groups, which he continues to this day. Lynn has served as an elder since 2016.