OUR LEADERSHIP AND STAFF
Meet the Leadership Team
REV. DR. MICHAEL FORD (he/him/his)
Senior Pastor
Rev. Dr. Michael Ford is our Senior Pastor. His educational preparation for ministry began with a BA degree in Religious Studies from Concordia University College in Alberta, Canada. He earned his Master of Divinity degree from McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario and completed a second Masters Degree from Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo with a concentration on Comparative Religion and Interfaith Dialog. He was awarded his Doctor of Ministry at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in Rochester, NY on May 19, 2012. Prior to coming to Lake Avenue, he served seven years as Pastor at Dundas Baptist Church near Hamilton, Ontario.
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In addition to his responsibilities at LABC, Michael has served as Chair of the Board at Cameron Community Ministries, and is currently on the Board of Trustees for Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School.
REV. SUSAN MAYBECK (she/her/hers)
Assisting Pastor
Susan graduated from the University of Rochester in 1958, majoring in English. She and Ed, her husband, met on the integrated campus in 1955, and were married in 1957. Susan was a stay-at-home mom and an enthusiastic volunteer in school libraries, church, and a Scandinavian Society. She went back to work as a secretary to the Dean of Students at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. Loving the atmosphere she she enrolled in Seminary and graduated with a BD in 1979. She served in Interim positions in two churches and in 1980 moved to
Washington DC to become Minister of Congregational Development at Calvary Baptist Church. A call to the United Church of Pittsford brought Susan and her family back to the Rochester area.Â
Susan retired from UCP in 2000. In retirement Susan taught at the Divinity School and served on the General Board of the American Baptist Churches, as President of National Ministries. And now Susan has another opportunity to serve at LABC. Not bad for a senior citizen! Susan and Ed have 2 children (a minister and an engineer) and 2 grandchildren.
MANITA OPOKU (she/her/hers)
Sunday School Coordinator
Manita is currently a University of Rochester student working to get her BA in Language, Media, and Communications, with a double minor in Linguistics and Creative Writing. She has been working with children for as long as she can remember--ever since she aged out of Sunday School herself. Since then she has worked both in her church's Sunday school and at a local preschool. When she’s not at work or at school you can find her lounging around outside rereading her favorite book or daydreaming about what the future might hold for her. Working at LABC has given Manita the chance to explore different ways of teaching the Bible in a way that’s enjoyable for both the teachers and children.
HKADIN LEE (she/her/hers)
New American Coordinator
Hkadin Lahtaw Lee serves as LABC’s New American (formerly Refugee Outreach) Coordinator. She formally began her work on July 1, 2008. Hkadin’s work focuses on coordinating volunteer efforts and providing support to families and individuals from Burma who have come to this city as refugees. Her primary focus is with those who are
past the three months that mark the conclusion of their formal sponsorship by Catholic Family Center. Hkadin brings enormous talent and a wealth of personal experience. Fluent in both Burmese and English. She has been a part of LABC for two decades; coming herself originally from Burma, with LABC’s support. She is committed to working with leaders of the diverse Burmese communities to empower them to support their own people in reaching self-sufficiency.
Stan Van Rompay
Music Director, Organist and Chancel Choir Director
Stan Van Rompay (b. 1999) is an organist, harpsichordist, and passionate educator from Ghent, Belgium. He served as a faculty member at the Municipal Music Academy of Roeselare (STAP), where he taught organ, accompaniment practice, andkeyboard classes.
Simultaneously, he holds the position of Coordinator of theMusical Instrument Collection at the Alamire Foundation, a research center in Leuven focusing on vocal music from the Low Countries during the Renaissance. Previously, he also taught organ at the music academies of Turnhout and Deinze.
As a child, Stan spent much of his time at the piano. He attended secondary school at a local secondary music school, where he expanded his musical education with intensive lessons in percussion, marimba, composition, and music theory.
At the age of 13, he began organ lessons, which became his primary field of study after secondary school. His musical ambitions led him to study at the conservatories of Ghent (KASK & Conservatorium), Brussels (KCB), Leuven (LUCASchool of Arts), Bologna (Conservatorio Gian Battista Martini, Italy), Gothenburg (GU, Sweden), and Rochester, New York (Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, USA).
During his advanced organ studies, Stan also took harpsichord lessons at the Brussels Conservatory (KCB) under Bart Naessens. Both his degrees in performance he attained with a high distinction.
In 2024, Stan received a scholarship from the prestigious Belgian American Educational Foundation to pursue an Advanced Diploma at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.
Currently he continues his musical studies at the Eastman School, where he pursues a Doctorate in Musical Arts in Organ performance under the tutelage of Professor Nathan Laube.
KEN SETERA (he/him/his)
Office Manager
Ken has served as the Office Manager at LABC since 1996. He is the first face that people see when they enter the office, and is always ready and willing to help out. He is a fan of coffee, and almost
always has at least one on the go. In his spare time (which is limited), he loves to sing and is part of a local walking group.
BONAVENTURE MOULOGHO
Church Accountant
Bio Coming Soon
LLOYD CUYLER
Custodian
Lloyd and his team are responsible for keeping the church and it’s grounds in tip-top shape. Lloyd can often be seen popping in at all hours of the day and night, checking over the church to make
sure things are clean and ready for the next use. He is a valued and vital part of the LABC staff team.