ASUMC Leadership

Our church leaders and team members deeply care about our congregation and surrounding community. Learn more about each ASUMC team member and find their contact info below.

Pastor & Deaconess

Meet our Arch Street United Methodist Church leaders.

ASUMC Pastor

Robin Hynicka

Robin is appointed as the lead pastor of the Arch Street United Methodist (ASUMC). Since 2004, Robin has served the congregation and has engaged the community at large in justice-seeking action. Prior to coming to ASUMC, Robin served as the executive director of the Frankford Group Ministry, a cooperative ministry in the Frankford neighborhood. His very first appointment was to the United Methodist Mid Town Parish in North Philadelphia as a Global Mission Fellow – US2 which became a fulltime appointment.

In service to the community at large, he is on the Board of Trustees at Albright College, on the board of Center City Organized for Responsible Development and a founding member of POWER, an interfaith network of communities of faith and conscience. Robin is a graduate of Albright College and Duke Divinity School.

Contact Robin robin@archstreetumc.org

ASUMC Deaconess

Darlene DiDomineck

Darlene serves as the executive director of the Center-Philadelphia. Darlene began her service with Arch Street United Methodist Church in 2014 as the director of the Grace Cafe Sunday evening meal serve and helped to develop the nonprofit organization now known as the Center- Philadelphia before becoming its first executive director.

Darlene is a Deaconess and earned a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies from The University of South Florida. She previously served as the executive director of the Methodist Federation for Social Action, the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference, Memorial United Methodist Church in White Plains, NY, the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church as a missionary and Frankford Group Ministry as its director of Emergency Assistance.

Contact Darlene
Darlene@archstreetumc.org

The ASUMC Ministry Team

Meet our Arch Street United Methodist Church team members.

Building Manager

Frank Jones

I enjoy being part of a team that cares for people like Arch Street and when I am not in the building making sure everything is in order I might be on a basketball court someplace around town.

Music Director

Samantha Herrman

Samantha graduated from Temple University with her B.A. in music education in 2015. After teaching music in Philadelphia charter schools for 4 years, she switched careers and now works for Penn Medicine as a Change Management Consultant. She recently earned her masters from St. Joe’s in Org Development and Leadership. Despite her career change, she keeps her love of music alive by teaching in-home music lessons to beginner piano students, and of course, her work as Music Director for ASUMC.

Samantha’s love of music is life long, and she had been singing in her home church, a United Methodist congregation in Media, PA, since she was a little girl. Samantha started her career with ASUMC as an Alto Section Leader in 2013 and has grown into her new position as Music Director over the last 10 years. While planning all music for services and leading the choir is now a part of her job, her favorite thing to do is still sing during services to help people worship through music. A good gospel song is her favorite way to move the congregation.

ASUMC Team Member

Cathy Simpson

I have been a member at Arch Street for about 20 years and was appointed Lay Leader about 10 years ago. I also serve as one of the Worship Leaders. My spare time is spent attending theater, music and dance concerts and dining at unique and interesting restaurants.

Accompanist

James Dell’Orefice

An accomplished jazz pianist in the Philadelphia area, James has worked with such luminaries as Clark Terry, Lee Konitz, Curtis Fuller, Slide Hampton, Alan Dawson, Sonny Troy, Sammy Kaye, Ray Eberle, Frankie Lester, Bob Hope, Joan Rivers, Lorna Luft, Little Anthony and the Imperials, and Petula Clark. For many years, Jim toured with Connie Stevens as her pianist and assistant conductor. He has recorded with Bobby Rydel, Al Alberts, and many other prominent local Philadelphia musicians. His musical journey has taken him to Las Vegas, Broadway, and Atlantic City through venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Wilmington Opera House, The Philadelphia Academy of Music, and the Keswick Theatre. Among the highlights of his career are command performances for Luciano Pavarotti and President Bill Clinton.

James is an avid composer of jazz and religious music and a teacher of jazz piano and accordion. James received his B.M. in Piano Performance from The University of the Arts and his M.M. in Composition from Combs College of Music.

Director of Congregational and Community Development

Tess Feiler

I came to Arch Street from Lancaster County, where I had the privilege of organizing my community alongside incredible leaders in efforts such as: successfully calling for the release of peaceful protestors held on million-dollar-bail, county-wide voter registration and education, LGBTQ+, Racial, and Disability equity trainings for Lancaster businesses and organizations, POWER Interfaith campaigns around fair funding and affordable housing, and spearheading the launch of an LGBTQIA+ affirming Methodist-inspired church in York County.

I am currently enrolled in Widener University’s Dual Masters of Social Work and Masters of Education in Human Sexuality Studies. I hope to eventually provide sex therapy for LGBTQ+ populations with adverse religious/spiritual experiences. In my free time, I enjoy live music, movies, good food, and being with my partner Dana and our four cats (two haired and two hairless): Amara, Arakiel, Gremlin, and Guillermo.

Join Our Next Event

Join the next ASUMC worship or volunteer by checking out our events page!

Worship and Fellowship

Join us for worship online and in-person, Sundays at 11am. All are welcome.

Get plugged in with ASUMC

Check out our ministries, bible studies, and small group offerings.

Volunteer with us at The Center

Volunteer with our partner organization, The Center Philadelphia, and support our local community.