Elder Charles Jones, Pastor
Director of Community Outreach and Congregational Care
Charles "Charlie" Jones, a seasoned minister with 20 years of experience, was born and raised in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia. Before answering the call to pastoral ministry, he served as the Youth Director at Tabernacle International Deliverance Church.
For the past five years, he also served as Campus Pastor of Wissahickon Presbyterian Church, Charlie's ministry vision manifested in the establishment of "The Ark Christian Worship Center," a church dedicated to guiding hearts toward authentic relationships in Christ within its community. He firmly believes that both "Family" and "Community" can be transformed through the transformative power of the Word of God, starting with his own blended family.
Charlie and his wife, Laurie, are proud parents of eight children and seven grandchildren, with two still at home, Mikayla (20) and Noah (16). They see their family as a living testament to God's love and commitment to building stronger communities for Christ.
In recognition of his impactful work, Pastor Charlie was honored with the 2014 Lucien E. Blackwell Guiding Lights in the Community Award.
To reach Charlie, contact charlie.concordliberty@gmail.com.
David Steel, Service Leader
Dave was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware and recently returned after spending 26 years in Northern New Jersey where he had worked in IT, travelling to Europe, Canada and throughout the United States and lecturing for a short while at NYU (his alma mater).
Moving back to Delaware in 2005 to take a position at Wilmington Trust Company, he brought his wife Raffaela known as Rae (now married 40 years) and son Fred (33 years old). Dave and his wife, who is Italian on both sides, now live in North Wilmington with their cats and an 89 year old baby grand piano.
Musically, Dave has played piano and organ since he was 6 and studied privately with two Wilmington based concert pianists. He has composed choral music, a series of preludes for piano and has written over 60 arrangements of songs from the American Songbook. He has studied composition and conducting and, although he plays jazz and ragtime, Billy Joel and Elton John, he leans towards the classics and his favorite composer remains Beethoven.
Having retired in 2017, he now sleeps in, takes long showers, practices his piano ‘til all hours and consumes all the Italian food his wife can make. Dave calls this 'a blessed life'.
Daniel "Dino" Firmani, Sexton
In addition to being Concord Liberty’s Sexton, Dino Firmani has been with FedEx for over 30 years and previously worked for US Airways for 24 years. He now enjoys helping the congregation handle all of its needs, diligently caring for the church property and its contents.
Dino attended West Catholic High School for Boys in Philadelphia but eventually moved to Delaware and has called Delaware his home for more than 30 years. He’s been married to his wife Nancy for more than 40 years and has two adult children, Cory and Nadine, and has a Great Pyrenees dog named Willie.
Dino is an avid runner who has completed 24 marathons. During his vacation and “down” times he likes going to his condo in North Wildwood, New Jersey.
Mary Ann Emely, Church Secretary
After a lifelong career in working with various types of non-profit organizations, Mary Ann transitioned from full-time work (mostly in the Washington, DC area) to part-time work in the Brandywine/Delaware Valley area in order to live closer to her children and grandchildren. Concord Liberty Presbyterian Church is the first religious non-profit for which she has worked. She also does administrative volunteer work for a large regional cat rescue organization in this area, Forgotten Cats; and is a horse show volunteers for Plantation Field Equestrian Events in Unionville. Mary Ann enjoys doing things that require writing, technical and graphic skills.
Mary Ann’s writing skills are supported by a degree in English from the University of Connecticut (she was raised in Connecticut) while her creative skills have evolved around her natural abilities in that area, and have been supported by years of on-the-job training and continuing education to grow her knowledge and improve those abilities.
Mary Ann resides in Glen Mills with her husband Chuck. When not working or volunteering, she enjoys opportunities to see her children and grandchildren who live in Cochranville, Pennsylvania and Street, Maryland. She also enjoys patio gardening, feeding the birds, going to occasional equestrian events to watch her granddaughter, Maddy, a rider in eventing, and exploring restaurants in the area.
To reach the office, email office@concordliberty.org.