Meet Our Staff
Rev. Stephen C. Blonder Adams
"For me to be a saint means to be myself. Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is in fact the problem of finding out who I am and discovering my true self."
- Thomas Merton
As someone who has been called to serve God throughout his life, Rev. Stephen C. Blonder Adams proudly and faithfully serves as the thirteenth Senior Pastor at Old Stone Church.
Rev. Blonder Adams first came to Old Stone Church in 1989, as Interim Associate Pastor, fresh out of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. At the completion of that Interim period he went on to serve as Stated Supply Pastor of the Old Brooklyn Presbyterian Church, then later servicing as Interim/Gap Pastor for Plymouth Church of Shaker, Archwood UCC, Lyndhurst Community of Faith, and again at Old Stone Church.
Until 2011, when PCUSA allowed for the full inclusion of openly gay clergy, a pastor who is gay was not able to be fully out in the denomination. Even with the support of the church and many within the Presbytery, Rev. Blonder Adams was restricted from accepting a call to a church as a settled pastor.
Building on his undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Art, and Masters in Divinity, and the completion of four units of CPE, Rev. Blonder Adams went into hospice work full-time. This also gave him the opportunity to serve Old Stone Church once again as a part-time Parish Associate for many years.
In 2022, during a national search for a full time Senior Pastor at Old Stone Church, Rev. Blonder Adams was unanimously nominated by Old Stone Church's Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC), and elected by the congregation on July 17th 2022 to serve as Senior Pastor. Rev. Blonder Adams was officially installed on October 23rd.
Rev. Blonder Adams lives with his husband, H Bruce Blonder, in the Cleveland Heights neighborhood where among their many hobbies and passions including gardening, art, singing, and caring for their Century home together.
How Can We Help You?
Anthony Kastellic
Old Stone Church Front Office Coordinator Anthony has had a multi-faceted career path. From an Elementary School teacher in Akron following graduation from Kent State University to a Modern Dancer in New York City, where he studied with the Erik Hawkins Dance Company.
Anthony's time in NY helped develop a sense of design that, with his love of sewing, allowed him to build a business as a Private Tailor/Dressmaker and Interior Designer. Currently Anthony owns AKastellic Vesture, a fabricator of Ecclesiastical Vestments and Paraments.
An active Episcopalian, Anthony belongs to the Vergers Guild of the Episcopal Church, as well is a Lay Reader, Eucharistic Minister, Acolyte, and sits on the Property Committee of his parish church. Anthony is married and lives in Shaker Heights with his husband, Peter, where they enjoy cooking, entertaining, gardening and reading with their two cats, Naomi and Boaz.
How Can We Help You?
Tom Sarago
Community Engagement
Tom is a marketing and communications professional with more than 20 years of experience working for nonprofit organizations including Playhouse Square and Dance Cleveland as well as managing his own agency, Spruce, where he helped lead marketing and communications efforts for dozens of Northeast Ohio-based nonprofit organizations.
At Old Stone Church, Tom is responsible for leading efforts to foster and grow the congregation as well as working with various committees to increase Old Stone Church’s impact within the community.
Tom has served on the Board of Directors for Cleveland Print Room, Seeds of Literacy and served as VP, Communications for American Marketing Association's Northeast Ohio chapter.
Tom lives in Lakewood with his fiancé, Jacky, and their two daughters Emery and Edie. In his spare time, Tom enjoys producing music, buying records, and spending time connecting with colleagues.
How Can We Help You?
Frank Schwartz
Frank is a building manager with over 35 years of experience managing several downtown Cleveland buildings of various sizes up to 450,000 square feet.
At Old Stone Church, Frank works with the Directors, Session and the Senior Pastor to make improvement, upgrades and repairs to the properties. Budgets, through the 23 years here have ranged from $55,000 to $790,000 per year with $160,000 being an average.
Frank lives in Parma Hts. with his two daughters, Maia and Paige. Hobbies include boating, hiking, camping and home improvements.