Staff & Leadership
Pastor Mike O’Dowd
Doug Marcantonio, Church Office Administrator
Martin King, Maintenance & Housekeeping
Michelle Aiello, Care Ministry Leader
Cynthia Pinter, Treasurer
Mike Detz, Elder
Neil Aiello, Elder
Steve Cooper, Elder
Dan Faris, Elder
Bill Weeks, Elder
Steve Demsen, Deacon
Tony Acquisto, Deacon
John Pelletier, Deacon
Pastor Mike O’Dowd
Hey, I’m Pastor Mike! I grew up in North Jersey, but when I left home for college, my life journey took me across much of the south for the next 30 years! I retired from the Air Force in 2010 as a Colonel and Commander of the 23rd Fighter Group, and for most of my 24 years in service, I flew the A-10, to include in numerous combat deployments over that time. Most importantly, I met my wife Lucia from Killeen, Texas and we married in 1990. Now we are a family with our adult daughter Jessica, and our son Ben with his wife Tori and our two grandsons Emerson and Everett. I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1990, and the Lord has been working and moving in my life ever since. Ultimately, He moved me to Dallas in 2012 where I attended Dallas Theological Seminary, graduating in 2015 with a Master of Theology. It was that very same year that the Lord called me to Leptondale to serve as Pastor, and along the way, I heeded His call to write as well. My books The Gospel: A Redemption and Restoration Story and Are We Neglecting a Great Salvation: An Exposition of Hebrews were published in 2021 and 2024 respectively. I love the Lord, His people, and preaching and teaching His holy word…and I am a hopeless hugger! And in heeding His calling, I have discovered the great joy in doing so. He is good and His calling is as sweet to me as the One whom we “taste and see”! I hope you can come and join together with the intimate family of believers at Leptondale Bible Church!
Doug Marcantonio, Church Office Administrator
I grew up in Brooklyn, NY. Yep - went to school and all over by subway and public bus. I would walk down to watch them build the Verrazano Bridge or go to Manhattan and see the first World Trade Center be built. I could watch the ships in New York harbor from my high school windows. I even worked at the World’s Fair at Sermons From Science. I went to Nyack College and received a degree in education but when I graduated, there were no teaching jobs available and I received a draft notice to join the Army. I also met my wonderful wife, Norma, at college. She’s from Pennsylvania and can do almost anything. If you attend here, you know how she bakes. We have two sons and 5 grandchildren. I was in the New York Army National Guard for 32 years in Administration and Logistics. During that time, I was talked into getting a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Marist. After I retired in 2004, the position of Church Office Administrator opened here at the church and with my background I believe God was leading me to take this position. I pray that I’m a reflection of Christ to those who come by here.
I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was about 6 years old after we had a special speaker in church. When we got home, my father asked me if I wanted to do so and I said “yes.” It is amazing to see how God answers prayer and brings joy, peace, guidance and help - even during stressful or hard times. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6.
Martin King, Maintenance & Housekeeping
Hi, my name is Martin King from Queens & Brooklyn, New York. I have lived the last 30 years in the Hudson Valley, and I attend and am a member of Leptondale Bible Church.
Michelle Aiello, Care Ministry Leader
Hi! My name is Michelle Aiello. I was born and raised in the town of Dover Plains which is in Dutchess County. I still get to visit there regularly as my parents and sister still live on the property where I was raised. It was a wonderful country upbringing with learning to swim in the 10 mile river and skating on the pond in our cow field. A local farmer kept his cows in the field and I have fond memories of feeding them apples from my hand. They provided hours of entertainment. After college, I spent 12 years in Brooklyn, NY and 3 years in Oradell, NJ. Since 2007, Orange County has been my home. Together, my husband, Neil, and I are blessed with 5 children and 10 grandchildren. I’m thankful the Lord has blessed me with a husband with whom I am equally yoked. I love that as we grow closer to God we grow closer to each other. I don’t think a day goes by where I don’t work on some sort of handmade project. Whether it’s crochet, hand sewing or dabbling in drawing, I just feel better when I am working on something creative. It grounds me. My deep connection with my grandparents encouraged me to pursue a career as a social worker. I used to say that I work with the elderly, but as I age, I prefer to think of them as our “seasoned” generation. Most of my career has been working as a nursing home social worker. I believe in the value and wisdom of those who have lived for many years. I consider it a privilege to have them allow me into their life as they share their stories. As the Lord has led me to my current role as the Care Ministry leader at LBC, I am blessed to have this privilege extended to all ages. Neil and I started to attend LBC at the end of 2019. I am so thankful we did! Yes, this is our family now and I can’t imagine what our life would be like without them. Neil and I often reflect on how full our lives are now. We didn’t even know what we were missing! But most importantly, I am so thankful for how my relationship with the Lord has grown since we started to attend Leptondale Bible Church. In 2019 we were looking for a new church. We drove by the church and I said, “Neil look, that church has “BIBLE” in its name.” That’s what we were looking for. A church where they preached the bible. And that is what we found here. It’s made all the difference!
Cynthia Pinter, Treasurer
A native New Yorker, born in NYC but raised in the Hudson Valley since the age of five. I’ve attended Leptondale Bible Church for almost as long and was a part of the “Washingtonville Gang” that traveled to church on Sunday mornings on an old school bus singing hymns as we bounced along the bumpy back roads to Leptondale. My roots run deep at LBC from Pioneer Girls and Youth Group, where I was affectionately called “Midge,” to cramming in Pastor Brown’s office for the young couples Sunday school class. From nursery coordinator and co-leader of a Bible study for young mothers called Kindred Spirits to countless summers of VBS. From the opening to the closing of Leptondale Christian Academy and all the years in between – high school and college graduation, marriage, three children – to now empty nester and treasurer of the church. To say that Leptondale was and still is an integral part of my life would be an understatement. Despite and through all the changes, both big and small, Leptondale has remained the same - true to the Word of God with a focus on loving and serving and well, I’m still me – a thinker, planner, listener, observer, helper, problem solver and a “bean counter” at heart, with a family that I love and a husband who thinks I’m awesome, but most importantly I’m a child of God whose faith not only began but grew and matured because of my Leptondale family.
Mike Detz, Elder
I’m Mike Detz, Elder Chair here at Leptondale. Even at my advancing age, I’m still fully employed and have the all-way-too-common “Town of Newburgh one hour commute” each way for work (most days). I try to carry my faith the best I can in all I do (even driving on the Thruway…and I’m even successful sometimes!). I’m flawed, as we all are, so I am so very thankful to have a loving and gracious Savior in Christ Jesus, a loving, supportive family, and an intimate family of believers here at Leptondale Bible Church. My journey here was filled with some joy and a whole lot of pain and heartache. I grew up regularly attending mass, serving faithfully as an altar boy, and attending parochial school. I seriously considered the priesthood at one point in my early years as I always had a desire to be closer to God. You know how some folks get voted the “Most likely to succeed” or the “Prettiest” or “Coolest” when graduating? I got voted the “Most likely to become Pope” by my 8th grade class! (Hey, there’s always time, maybe they’ll elect me in the future…maybe I could give re-unifying the Church a shot, eh?) My bio could also list stuff like a couple degrees from Marist, military service, years of martial arts training, and a bunch of professional business experience, but I find my identity as a child of God and when I keep that squarely in my mind, everything else is relatively simple. God Bless.
Neil Aiello, Elder
Hi! My name is Neil Aiello and I am one of the Elders at LBC. I spent the first 50 years of my life in Bergenfield, NJ. A pivotal point in my life was when my father passed away when I was 13 years old. At that time, I became dedicated to caring for my mom and helping her manage the home and providing for her. I worked in a wide variety of jobs in retail including auto parts, Old Navy and Macy’s. I also worked for many years as a milkman, delivering to homes in the middle of the night! My greatest joy during my years in New Jersey was raising my boys. I was active in coaching baseball and soccer and being involved in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Some of my favorite memories were hiking and camping with the Scouts. The leaders didn’t get much sleep on those camping trips! I never thought I would leave the State of NJ but the Lord had other plans. I moved to Cornwall NY in 2007 and officially became a New Yorker! I still can’t believe it. My wife Michelle and I have been blessed by our combined family of 5 children and 10 grandchildren. Michelle and I started coming to Leptondale Bible Church in 2019. As an Elder, it is a privilege for me to work with my fellow Elders to ensure the church’s well-being and spiritual health. I love spending time in conversation with my brothers and sisters in Christ and consider it a joy to make others laugh. I’m truly blessed by my family here at Leptondale Bible Church.
Steve Cooper, Elder
Hi, My name is Steve Cooper. I’m truly the local Yokel of the group. Born at St Luke’s Hospital, 66 years ago. I have lived in New Windsor my entire life with the exception of about a year from 1979-80, when I returned to re-start my dad’s general light excavation business. How many people can claim to live in the same house they grew up in. Even the landline phone number is the same, however the address has changed 4 times over the years LOL! As stated I grew up in New Windsor and I have one sister who is 9 years older than me. We were raised by parents with a strong Christian faith. I accepted Christ as my Savior at about 8 years old, and while the road has not always been a smooth one, except for a 3-year period in my early 20’s when I fell away, He was faithful and did not allow me to stray too far, and brought me back into fellowship with Him and other believers. One of the toughest things I had to face growing up was losing my Dad at age 14. If you still have yours, cherish him. I married my wife Jackie in November 1979, and we have raised 7 Children. All are adults now and we have been blessed with 4 grandkids. One of my children, Mary Ellen, is serving at the High Braes retreat center in Redfield, NY. She is one of LBC’s supported missionaries and you can see her picture on our missions’ board downstairs in our Fellowship Hall. While I was raised in a local Presbyterian church, my first experience with LBC was during childhood, attending Sunday Evening Services with my Dad. When I could drive I started coming back in my late teens. When we came back to the area in 1980, we became members, and have basically been here since then. Over the years, I have served as a Christian Service Brigade leader, trustee, Deacon and Elder. Currently, along with serving as an elder, I also lead the home Bible study group which meets at the Aiello’s (which you can check out on this website!). If you are not part of one of our study groups, I strongly encourage you to attend one. When not at LBC these days I still work full time in my business although I hate to admit that I’m slowing down. Come by and we can chat about the Lord, or anything you want to.
Dan Faris, Elder
My name is Dan Faris… I am an outsider. What do I mean by that? Most of Leptondale Bible Church has deep roots—some going back 50 years or more. My wife and I arrived only about 20 years ago, moving here from the West Coast. I was born in Idaho and raised in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. My dad worked road construction during the Interstate boom, so we moved constantly. By the time I entered high school, I had attended more than 20 different schools. Thankfully, my last stop was Libby, Montana, where I was able to stay all four years. Dad worked on the Libby Dam project, a hydroelectric dam on the Kootenai River. The reservoir it created stretches into Canada, named after both countries and the river itself—Lake Koocanusa. It was in that little Montana town where I got into my fair share of trouble as a young man. But it was also where I realized I needed salvation. In 1970, evangelist David Wilkerson was leading a nationwide crusade following the release of The Cross and the Switchblade, a film based on his autobiography. When his crusade came to Kalispell, Montana, I attended—and that day, I began my lifelong journey of following Jesus. Later, while studying at DeVry Institute of Technology in Tempe, Arizona, I met the love of my life, Kathy. We married and built a family—two daughters, two sons, and nine grandkids. (We can show you pictures if you want!) I served in the United States Coast Guard, stationed in Alaska and Oregon as a Search and Rescue Air Crewman in Sikorsky HH3F helicopters. Those years gave me technical experience in electronics and electromechanical systems, which later shaped my 33½-year career in semiconductor equipment as a field service engineer. That career brought me to this part of the country right after 9/11, yet another example of how God moves people to the right place at the right time. Through every transition, one truth stands—God provides. He places people where they’re needed, when they’re needed, so His work can continue as He intends. And that includes me. Now retired, I serve full-time at Children’s Bible Fellowship of New York in Carmel, NY. Our 230-acre campus is a home away from home for handicapped individuals from the greater New York area and high school students from the city. We no longer run large summer camps but instead focus on targeted, year-round ministry for those we serve.
At the heart of CBFNY is our mission: “Reconnecting the next generation and the forgotten into real belonging in the Body of Christ.” God is good. If you’re searching for purpose, step into where His people are working—you might just find the place He’s prepared for you.
Bill Weeks, Elder
I was born in Columbia Presbyterian hospital in NYC when my parents lived in Greenport LI. My father was a Baptist pastor. My mother was a pastor’s wife. We moved to Vestal NY when I was 3 or so, but most of the growing up that I remember was in New London Connecticut (so really just across the Sound from Greenport). I was baptized by my father in a slightly leaky baptistry in the Montauk Avenue Baptist Church. I dropped out of college and went to Alaska, where I backed into working at radio stations. When management heard my sense of humor they suggested that I try fixing things instead of talking on the air. I met my wife, who is from Radford Virginia, in Glennallen Alaska, and we were married in a log cabin church in Gulkana. Getting married 5,000 miles or so away from the relatives helps keep the invitation list manageable. My two girls were born in Fairbanks. We ultimately moved south from Barrow, because there is no other direction to go from there except on to the pack ice. We have seven grandchildren who refuse to live anywhere close by. I would love to talk with you about God’s word and God’s Son Jesus anytime.
Steve Demsen, Deacon
Hi, Steve Demsen Here……Deacon Leptondale Bible Church. I am one of six children. I grew up on Long Island, in a town called Massapequa Park. I grew up in a Presbyterian Church, which means I went every Sunday because I had to and that’s what you did back then, up until the age of 18, graduating from High School, which at that time I could choose to attend church or not. I did not. After High School I attended college after taking a year off, which means I tried it, but that didn’t work out. At the age of 20 I enlisted into the United States Marine Corps and was stationed in Beaufort SC as a Hydraulics Mechanic working on F-4 Phantom aircraft. After completing my 4-year commitment I returned home with my wife working as a teamster truck driver delivering construction material from New Jersey to Connecticut. Also during that time was a volunteer Firefighter for the Massapequa Fire district for 17 years, where I obtained the rank of 1st Lieutenant. It was during that time where I reconnected with a friend from High School and it was that friend who introduced me to the Lord. I saw something in him and I wanted what he had. That was 2001. That is when I gave my life to the Lord. At that time I was starting to experience marital problems and in 2004 after 20 years, my ex-wife and I parted ways. After some time, God brought a wonderful woman into my life, Sonya. It’s been 19 ½ years now since we married. It’s been a journey. Some bad, some good, but God has been faithful through this journey. God is good all the time, all the time God is good, Amen? Together we continue to grow and put our trust in the Lord. I am living proof that God doesn’t necessarily call the qualified, just those who are willing.
Tony Acquisto, Deacon
Hi everybody. My name is Anthony Acquisto but feel free to call me Tony, as most do. I was born in Mount Kisco, NY, long, long ago in 1956. My mom being one of eight and my dad, one of four, there were many aunts, uncles and countless cousins. I realized early on what a blessing that was. At seven years old our family moved to Somers, NY. A wholesome place to have grown up. My varied interests led to different jobs over the years and schools. The job I had the longest was working for a railroad of the MTA. I am retired after having worked there for 30 years.
My wife is Susan Acquisto and my daughter is Sophia Acquisto. Susan was attending Leptondale Bible Church ( LBC ) when we started dating. After attending a service myself, there was no turning back. I have attended regularly since then and have become a member of the family of believers. Susan and I were married by the pastor Mike O’Dowd. I have attended churches of various denominations over the years, though all were Christian as Jesus is my Lord and Savior.
I will now be serving at LBC as one of the Deacons. I consider it a blessing to be able to serve the Lord in this capacity. If we have not met, I encourage you to please introduce yourself. I look forward to meeting you.
John Pelletier, Deacon
Hi, I am John Pelletier and I’m a deacon serving joyfully in my second term. I grew up in a small town here in the Hudson Valley and I first heard about Jesus Christ in June 1982. In late 1982, I went into the Army and served in the Army National Guard. This was my first achievement. On September 30th, 1984, I committed my whole life to Jesus and the change was super dramatic. At 32 years of age, I went to Bible college and I earned a degree in Religious Education & Theology; this was a huge achievement for me. I have served in multiple capacities in ministry including as an assistant to the pastor in Rhinebeck NY. This was a huge blessing in serving. Currently I lead a prayer meeting here at Leptondale. I enjoy exercising my gift of helps as my heart is for people and those in need. This too is an achievement done unto the glory of the Lord our God.