Caris Adel is a blogger and homeschooler who is passionate about recognizing the image of God in everyone, and seeing the truth of God everywhere. She loves coffee, good music, books, the beach, other cultures, Earl Grey tea, silence, Bollywood movies, good food, sweet wine, chocolate, memoirs, paint, paper, making jewelry, reading a good quote, Madeline L’Engle, Rob Bell, wonder and mystery, theology, deep thoughts and quirky movies, traveling and road trips, story and liturgy, campfires and Christmas, Twitter and Instagram. Read more of her blog at www.carisadel.com
Grace Aheron is the founder of Charis Community, an intentional community of radical Christian discipleship in the Diocese of Virginia. Charis Community is a partnership with Grace Church, Red Hill, a mission parish outside of Charlottesville.
Desi Allevato always knew she was looking for something, but wasn’t sure what. She found her husband Frank in graduate school, and later, thankfully, found her way OUT of her PhD program and into a more “normal” life. In 2012 she and Frank walked into the Easter Sunday service at Church of Our Saviour just up the road from their house and she found God. Or God found her; she’s not sure which yet. While very pregnant with their son, John Paul, Desi was baptized in July of that same year, and together with Frank, confirmed in the Episcopal Church on her 36th birthday in 2013. Since then, she’s done her best to balance raising a family, sustaining a loving marriage, working full-time, and growing into a faith and a love of Jesus that manages to change her life every single day. Desi works as a digital product manager in Charlottesville, Virginia. Oh, and she just had major brain surgery in September 2018.
Meredith Baker and her family now attend church at Redeemer Episcopal Midlothian in Virginia and previously attended Christ Church Washington Parish. She has written about the history of the Episcopal Church of Virginia in The Richmond Theater Fire: the Early Republic’s First Great Disaster (LSU Press, 2012).
Wendy Claire Barrie has directed programs for children, youth, and families since 1989 in seven Episcopal congregations large and small on both coasts, presently at Trinity Church Wall Street. Wendy is also the mother of an especially curious thirteen-year-old, and the author of the new book Faith at Home: A Handbook for Cautiously Christian Parents.
The daughter of an Episcopal priest, Margaret Blackerby grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and graduated from Sewanee: the University of the South in May 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in English and women’s and gender studies. She has attended Camp McDowell Episcopal Camp and Conference Center in Nauvoo, Alabama since before she could walk or talk and now works for the McDowell Conference Center as a visit coordinator. She loves Irish dancing, speaking French, reading good books, drinking warm tea, and talking with friends on cozy porches.
The Rev. Wren Blessing serves on the staff of The Episcopal Diocese of Montana and as part of that role, directs Camp Marshall, an Episcopal summer camp on Flathead Lake. She lives with her young sons in Helena.
Lacy Finn Borgo is a spiritual director, retreat leader and author. Her work includes the Life with God for Children curriculum, published by Renovaré Press, and the Good Dirt Families series introducing families to spiritual disciplines through the liturgical year.
The Rev. Meaghan Brower has been the director of the Episcopal Conference Center in Rhode Island since 2012. After graduating from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2007 Meaghan worked as the Associate Rector at Emmanuel Church in Southern Pines, NC. From there she and her husband Jonathan took some time off to travel and discern God’s will in their lives. They were delighted that discernment brought them back in their home state of Rhode Island where Meaghan works at camp and Jonathan works as a furniture maker. They have three children.
Karen Neiswender Calani is a Health and Nutrition Coordinator with Food for the Hungry (FH). Karen has worked with FH extensively in Latin America over the past seventeen years, focusing on improving maternal and child health in rural communities. Together with her husband, Rodolfo, and their son and daughter, Karen lives in Guatemala. Karen enjoys reading a good book (to her kids), trying out new recipes (on her kids) and watching movies with her husband (without kids).
Bill Campbell is the Executive Director for Forma – the Network for Christian Formation. He lives in Alexandria, VA with his wife Amy, their precocious daughter Maddie and their bird crazed GSP, Owen. Bill loves fundraising, especially for the Episcopal Church and he nothing gives him more pleasure than a day spent in the field with his dog. You can always find Bill wherever two or three are gathered to share tall tales and love Jesus.
Matthew E. Chen is a parishioner at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter in Vienna, Virginia. He works in public affairs in Washington, D.C.
Christina (Tina) Clark serves as Director of Christian Formation at St John’s Cathedral in Denver, CO and is the author of the resource book “Arts Camp: A Creative, Customizable Alternative to Vacation Bible School and Beyond” and of the novel “Little Gods on Earth.” Tina lives between Denver and the Rocky Mountains with her wife, 2 sons, and 3 dogs. Tina’s superpower is in creating meaningful formational experiences involving vans filled with unwashed teenagers and loud music. A staunch advocate for social justice, Tina yearns to walk every day in the baptismal covenant to seek and serve Christ by striving for justice and peace among all people and respecting the dignity of every human being…even the ones with whom she ardently disagrees.
Ray Capo is a member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Columbus, Georgia. He is a proud father of two sons. Ray has received his Masters in Education from Columbus State University and has taught middle grades math and Language Arts in the public schools for 22 years. He also enjoys teaching children’s Sunday School classes and VBS classes. Ray has written and published seven hymns with the United Methodist Church General Board of Discipleship Ministries which can be viewed by links to their music and composers’ pages.
The Rev. Adam Walker Cleaveland was in full-time youth ministry for 10 years before founding Illustrated Children’s Ministry, a fast-growing online business creating illustrated faith resources for the church and the home. He lives in Chicago with his wife (a pastor), their young son and daughter and 10 year old lab-pit, Sadie. Adam loves to draw (with both a pen and a stylus) and loves binge-watching the many great TV shows that are created today. You can find Adam on most social networks as @adamwc and you can learn more at adamwc.com.
Fr. Ben Day is the rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Kennesaw, GA. He is an avid reader, cyclist, and runner. He is also a single father to a wonderful 3-year-old son, Marshall. They share their home with two rescue dogs, Becket and Augustine– both named after Archbishops of Canterbury!
The Rev. Dorian Del Priore is the Canon for Parish Life at Trinity Cathedral in Columbia, South Carolina. He holds a BA in Religious Studies from the University of South Carolina and an M.Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary. Dorian and his wife have two kids (a teen and pre-teen), and he loves photography, hiking, camping, and ice cream, especially butter pecan.
Emma Detrick is a high school student in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She enjoys music, writing, photography, and skiing. She came to Christ after learning about God at summer camp and growing in faith alongside equally curious friends and amazing mentors. Presently, she is involved in activities at her local Episcopal, Baptist, and non-denominational churches, in addition to vocal endeavors with choirs and musicians. She hopes to share her writing with others to encourage deeper thought and inspire compassion.
Alissa Ellett has worked in ministry for fifteen years, serving in churches across California. She earned her Masters in Christian Education from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Currently based in Fresno, CA, when she’s not writing for Illustrated Children’s Ministry, she’s immortalizing moments and seasons in others’ journeys through her photography business, Waypoint Photography.
Kim Faasse is the Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Spring, Texas. She is wife to Scott and mother to Jacob (11) and Phoebe (6). She enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, canning and making her kids crazy.
Elizabeth Floyd is the Coordinator of Christian Formation at Church of the Resurrection in Greenwood, South Carolina. She leads its children’s ministry programs alongside a talented group of devoted volunteers. When she’s not at church, you can find Elizabeth at the Y or jogging with her best pal, Marley. She loves the mountains, the ocean, and all the hiking trails in between. Elizabeth lives in the lovely little city of Greenwood with her husband, Ryan, three children, and Marley the dog.
The Rev. Ann Benton Fraser is a priest serving a wonderful congregation in rural Mississippi. A Louisiana native, she lives with her husband Andrew and their adventuresome daughters, 5 and 3. She spends time reading, being outside, learning from her children, and not feeding the pets (thanks, Andrew). Either indecisive or decidedly adaptable, she likes Game of Thrones and Call the Midwife, using scissors and glue, making messes and cleaning up messes, quiet and chaos, things Protestant and Catholic.
Mary Ann Frishman is president of Frishco, Ltd, an editorial development house focused on textbook development and ancillary educational materials, including marketing support, for all grade levels. Mary Ann holds multiple degrees in English and curriculum development from the University of Texas at Austin. She is deeply connected to her community and is currently helping to establish Good Shepherd on the Hill Early Childhood Center. She also volunteers at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and Helping Hand Home Society. She and her husband have two children, ages 17 and 20, and reside in Austin, Texas.
The Rev. Patrick Funston is husband to Michael and father to Eirnín and York. A 2011 graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, Patrick serves as the rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Manhattan, Kansas. Prior to St. Paul’s, Patrick was the Chaplain of Bishop Seabury Academy in Lawrence, Kansas. Patrick, an avid gamer and geek, loves to preach and teach in his congregation and on his YouTube channel.
The Rev. Sarah Kinney Gaventa is the Dean of Students at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She is mother to Charlie, and wife to the Rev. Matthew Gaventa, Head of Staff at University Presbyterian Church, in Austin, TX. Her mother was Pamela Kinney, a brilliant and creative elementary school teacher who had an encyclopedic knowledge of Broadway musicals and Greek mythology. She was also a very, very good mother.
Jerusalem Jackson Greer is a writer, family minister, speaker, blogger, and the author of the book At Home in this Life: Finding Peace at the Crossroads of Unraveled Dreams and Beautiful Surprises, and A Homemade Year: The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting and Coming Together. Jerusalem lives with her husband and two sons (ages 12 and 16) at the intersection of beauty and mess, on a farm-in-progress in Central Arkansas. Together they are attempting to live a slower version of modern life rooted in their faith. In-between batches of laundry Jerusalem loves to write and speak all the wonderful trouble this pursuit causes her. You can find Jerusalem online at jerusalemgreer.com or on Instagram under the same name.
Charlotte Hand Greeson shares her passion for formation as a manager, editor, and writer for Building Faith. In addition, she assesses curriculum for the Center for Ministry of Teaching and speaks on formation on behalf of the CMT. Charlotte takes seriously Paul’s injunction in his letter to the Romans to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep,” living this out in social media ministry. A 22-year military spouse, she currently lives in California.
The Rev. Marcus Halley is an ordained Episcopal priest serving as rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Minneapolis. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Johnson C. Smith University, a Master of Divinity degree from the Interdenominational Theological Center, and a Master of Sacred Theology from the School of Theology at the University of the South. An avid writer and blogger, Fr. Marcus has contributed to numerous other publications both online and in print.
Christine V. Hides is the Director of Ministries with Children and Youth at Northbrook UMC and a deacon candidate in the United Methodist Church. She writes about faith formation at Bless Each One. A former kindergarten teacher, she is passionate about childhood literacy. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and two teenage daughters.
Catherine Holochwost is an art historian, college professor, and mom to three boys. Raised in the Pentecostal and charismatic Episcopal tradition, she also maintains a meditation practice based on Buddhist principles to maintain a modicum of sanity. Her passions and scholarly interests include landscape studies, material culture, and creative placemaking, especially in areas that might otherwise be marginalized.
The Rev. Nancy Hopkins-Greene serves Church of the Redeemer in Cincinnati, OH and as a part-time assistant editor at Forward Movement. With two kids in college, she and her spouse Roger are officially “empty nesters,” but the kids will be home for the summer soon! When she isn’t preaching or praying or writing or editing, she loves gardening, composting, running (slowly), and hiking.
Erin Hougland is in the process for ordination to the priesthood in the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis. Currently, she is the Director of Discipleship at Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, a new church plant in Brownsburg, Indiana. Erin graduated with her Master of Divinity degree from Earlham School of Religion in 2014 with a focus on ministry writing and peace and justice ministry. She is currently working to obtain her Anglican Studies diploma from Bexley Seabury in Chicago. Erin is a 3rd generation Episcopalian, Tai Chi Instructor and likes to be outside as much as possible with her two boys and husband. She keeps a blog at www.ehougland.com.
The Very Rev. Miguelina Howell serves as Dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford, Connecticut. Miguelina is originally from the Dominican Republic where she holds a license in clinical psychology, planted two Episcopal congregations and served as catalyst for the planting of a year round Episcopal School. Miguelina is member of the Episcopal Church Latino/Hispanic Ministries Missioner’s Council of the Advice, serves a CREDO Faculty and asmember of the Board of the Society for the Increase of Ministry. Miguelina served as member of the Task Force for Re-imagining the Episcopal Church. She served in the Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic as priest-in-charge of three congregations, executive director & administrator of the Diocesan Camp & Conference Center, and coordinator of Young Adult Ministries.
K. C. Ireton is the author of The Circle of Seasons: Meeting God in the Church Year and Cracking Up: A Postpartum Faith Crisis. Her magazine print credits include Books & Culture, The Christian Century, Christian Reflection, MomSense, and Weavings; online she writes regularly for Grace Table and The Cultivating Project and is currently the writer-in-residence for Velvet Ashes, an online community for women serving overseas. She lives with her husband and four children near Seattle. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, teaching at her local co-op, working on a writing project, or sitting in traffic, she can usually be found curled up with an old book, a child or two, and a cup of tea.
Ben Irwin is the author of The Story of King Jesus and communications director for the Preemptive Love Coalition, and blogger. He and his wife were confirmed in the Episcopal Church in 2011. Ben lives with his family in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Rev. Sara Irwin was ordained in the Episcopal Church in 2004, and serves as Pastor of St John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Carnegie, 5 miles south of Pittsburgh, PA. She is mom to Isaiah and Adah, and spouse to the Rev. Noah Evans, rector of St Paul’s Episcopal Church, Mt Lebanon. She loves tattoos, hiking, and making beer. She writes for Mt Lebanon Magazine and other publications. Her blog is at www.saraiwrites.blogspot.
The Rev. Maria Kane, a priest, historian, and writer, has recently entered her third year serving as rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 30 miles outside of Washington, D.C. Prior to arriving at St. Paul’s, Mother Maria served as a parish priest in southern Virginia and a chaplain & teacher at a New England boarding school. She’s long been fascinated by history and storytelling and finds immeasurable joy in hearing people’s stories and walking alongside them in faith. She has written for Weavings, Alive Now!, and the Upper Room. For two years, she served as one of Lent Madness’ Celebrity Bloggers.
The Rev. Matthew Kozlowski is the co-editor of the website Building Faith (buildfaith.org), where he helped create Home Practices, a series of faith activities for households. He lives in Alexandria Virginia with his wife Danielle and two young daughters.
The only daughter of British Guyanese immigrants, Pamela A. Lewis was born in Queens, New York. Now retired, Pamela was a high school French teacher for 30 years. She enjoys serving in her church, reading, writing, and learning classical guitar. She writes regularly for The Episcopal New Yorker, Episcopal Journal, and is a blogger for The Huffington Post. She resides in Queens.
The Rev. Charles LaFond is an Episcopal priest, speaker, author and blogger. Currently he serves as Advancement Director of Heading Home in New Mexico, where he lives on a small farm with his dog Kai.
The Rev. Kit Lonergan is currently serving as Priest in Charge at St. James Episcopal Church in Groveland, Massachusetts, and as Chaplain at Esperanza Academy in Lawrence, Massachusetts. She and her husband are parents to a 5 year old rescue chocolate lab, a 3 year old daughter and a one year old son. She would desperately like to tell you about her hobbies, but they would currently be listed as: eating leftover food off plastic plates, searching for rogue socks, and wearing sweaters with something unidentifiable smeared on the shoulder in public. Neither crafty nor good with plants, she loves intergenerational ministry, dark humor, the BBC and pie.
Andrea McKellar is the Ministry Developer at The Episcopal Church in South Carolina and mom to two young children. When not solving the problems of the world, she is blogging about church stuff at funeralhomechurch.com. Andrea enjoys reading with her children, golf, and Sunday afternoon naps.
Miriam Willard McKenney finds extreme joy parenting her three girls: Nia, 23; Kaia, 18; and Jaiya, 14. She and her husband, David, met at the Union of Black Episcopalians conference in 1981. Miriam works as Forward Movement’s Development Director, and also writes and edits Daily Devo: Devotions for Families. She was a children’s librarian and school media specialist for 20 years before joining Forward Movement’s staff. She loves to evangelize about her love of outdoor fitness, even in extreme temperatures — as there is no bad weather, just incorrect clothing choices.
The Rev. Betsey Monnot is Co-Rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Sacramento, California, along with her husband, Michael. They have three boys, ages 6, 9, and 11, an elderly cat, and a flock of chickens. Betsey is originally from Massachusetts, came west for seminary at Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, and is continually surprised at how long she has lived in California. She enjoys cooking, writing, and reading middle-grades fiction.
Ellis Reyes Montes is a multifaceted and dynamic musician and writer. He is a cradle born Episcopalian from Houston, Texas, and pursues his passions in music and writing with the loving support of his mother, Sandra Montes, and extended family. He maintains Openly Episcopalian, a blog where he seeks to investigate the love of God for all of God’s creation. Whenever he is not writing or practicing/performing, he can be found studying languages, playing bridge, or reading.
Sandra T. Montes is a mother, teacher, student, and lay musician who loves to write about, observe, photograph and celebrate life. She was born in Perú and grew up in Guatemala and the valley of Texas. When she’s not writing her dissertation, she is spending time with family, on social media, watching Netflix, or sleeping.
Hugo Olaiz is associate editor for Latino/Hispanic resources at Forward Movement. Hugo grew up in La Plata, Argentina, moving to the U.S. to do graduate studies in Spanish, linguistics, and translation. Hugo now lives in Oxford, Ohio, with his husband John-Charles Duffy and an aging beagle mix named Patches. In his spare time, he loves to entertain friends, edit Wikipedia entries, and watch opera clips on YouTube.
Dr. Derek Olsen is a layman within the Episcopal Church with a Ph.D. in New Testament. He is the liturgical editor of the St. Augustine’s Prayer Book, and the author of Inwardly Digest: The Prayer Book as Guide to a Spiritual Life. Derek currently serves on the Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission for Liturgy & Music. An IT professional by day, Derek is also the mastermind behind St Bede Productions which is responsible for the St Bede’s Breviary, Forward Movement’s Daily Prayer site, and the St Bede Blog (formerly haligweorc). He lives in Baltimore with his wife, an Episcopal priest, and their two late-elementary/middle school aged daughters. He spends most of his spare time driving his girls to and from ballet.
Jamie Osborne is a priest serving at St John’s Episcopal Church in Montgomery, Alabama. In addition to nurturing those already in the Episcopal Church, Jamie has a desire to guide young adults and those who are unchurched/dechurched into a life of faith in the Episcopal tradition. He also spends quite a bit of time wondering what God might be calling the church to be and do in the midst of the cultural, technological, and religious shifts that are happening in the landscape of the United States and the world.
The Rev. Nurya Love Parish is an Episcopal priest, blogger, speaker, and ministry developer. She is the co-founder of Plainsong Farm and the curator of the guide to the Christian food movement. When she is not in front of a computer or at a meeting, she can often be found in the kitchen.
Kate Rademacher grew up outside of Boston and now lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with her family. In her debut memoir, Following the Red Bird, Kate describes how she came to embrace a relationship with God after maintaining a pick-and-choose approach to spirituality for many years. Raised in a staunchly secular, liberal community, Christianity was never a path she had seriously considered. Married to a devout Buddhist, Kate was sitting on a cushion at her husband’s meditation center one day when Jesus appeared unexpectedly in her consciousness and called her to follow him. She was baptized a year later to the day.
The Rev. Dr. Hillary D. Raining is the rector of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania. In addition to her parish ministry, she has served on several diocesan and church-wide ministries as well as in ecumenical and interfaith efforts. She is a yoga instructor and musician and has many varied hobbies, including skiing, hiking, gardening, and beekeeping. She is married to Ken Raining, a librarian, and they have a daughter, Delia.
Kasey Ray-Stokes holds a MFA in Creative Writing from Converse College. She is a homeschooling mom by day and a writer when the kids finally go to bed. She has two children, Ben and Stella, with her middle-school crush and husband of almost ten years, Mark, and they all live in Savannah, Georgia with their rescue dog, Millie.
Matt Rhodes is a rising senior in the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria and a postulant for holy orders through the Diocese of Virginia. Prior to his entrance into seminary, he spent nearly two decades working in political, corporate, and trade association communications. Matt received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of South Alabama in Mobile. He and his wife Amy are the proud parents of two daughters and reside in Northern Virginia.
Maria Nolletti Ross is a member of Church of the Servant Episcopal Church in Wilmington, North Carolina, where she serves on the Youth Ministry, Communion Bread Baking and Blessed Bakers for Midnight Basketball Teams. She’s a mostly retired stay-at-home mom with almost too many cats. She writes for Lent Madness as their Resident Foodie, and she’s a Fabulous Contributor at 50 Days of Fabulous. Maria invites you to journey with her as she studies the saints and their recipes for faithful living at Saints and Recipes.
The Rev. Deborah Royals, Pascua Yaqui – Tucson, AZ, is an Episcopal priest, author, retreat leader and educator. She received her undergraduate degrees from the U of AZ College of Nursing, a specialized degree in Native American Theology from Prescott College, and her M.Div. and MA from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific and the Graduate Theological Union. Debbie serves as the Director of Native American Ministry in the Diocese of Arizona, is a consultant for the Indigenous Theological Training Institute and is contracted as a Physical Health Faculty member for the CPG: Education and Wellness.
Emily Rutledge is the Children, Youth, & Family Minister at Church of Our Saviour in Charlottesville, Virginia. She is passionate about creating communities of belonging rooted in God’s infinite and inclusive love, consent, and clearance sales. She has absolutely none of life figured out and finds that her Type A personality doesn’t mix well with the surprising nature of existence. She is daily working to live authentically while raising two small humans, caring for her mother with dementia, holding space for her congregation, and attempting to be (mostly) happily married. You can read about how that is almost working out on her blog It’s a Hot Holy Mess.
Colleen Scheid is a freelance writer (colleenscheid.com). She is also an actor in Friends of the Groom Theater Company and a program coordinator at her church. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and an M.A. in Counseling.
The Rev. Tim Schenck is rector of St. John the Evangelist in Hingham, Massachusetts. The author of four books including, most recently, Father Tim’s Church Survival Guide, he blogs at Clergy Confidential, writes the syndicated monthly column In Good Faith, and is the creator of the wildly popular online Lenten devotion Lent Madness. Follow him on Twitter @FatherTim.
Anne Marie Warner is a mother, writer, photographer and parishioner at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her photos are currently exhibited at Flyway: Journal of Writing & Environment and Art Prize 10 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Rev. Melody Wilson Shobe is an Episcopal priest who has served churches in Rhode Island and Texas. A graduate of Tufts University and Virginia Theological Seminary, Melody had authored and co-authored a number of books and curricula for Forward Movement, including Faithful Questions, Meet the Saints: A Family Storybook, The Path: A Family Storybook, and Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs & Practices (due out Summer 2017). Melody, her husband, and their two daughters live in Dallas, Texas, where she spends her spare time reading stories, building forts, conquering playgrounds, baking cookies, and exploring nature.
A lifelong Episcopalian, Christian Simmers is a wife, mother, and nurse practitioner in the mountain foothills of Central Virginia. After a decade at the hospital bedside, she noticed striking similarities between teaching nursing students how to care for the sick and teaching her daughters to care for the world around them. She blogs about their adventures and her lessons in humility at www.fourgirlseightnames.com.
Heather Sleightholm is an artist, wife and mother living in northeastern Oklahoma. She sells her paintings through her folk art business and recently illustrated the book Mary Holds My Hand by Michele Chronister. You can read more about her art and exploration of faith through her paintbrush at http://sleightholmfolk. blogspot.com/
Roger Speer is a lifelong servant of the Episcopal Church. He has served with mission, congregational, diocesan, national, and international formation initiatives during an exciting tenure as a youth minister. At heart, Roger is an artist and craftsman. He holds degrees in art education and graphic design, as well as various training certifications that he uses to produce new ways to express the gospel with as much innovation as possible. He is husband to Fran and father to Fynn.
The Rev. Nadia Stefko is a recovering vegetable farmer and Episcopal priest. She serves as Associate Rector at Christ Church Winnetka. She lives with her husband and their two young daughters in Skokie, Illinois–in the Lake Michigan watershed.
Richelle Thompson is a mom of two, a wife of a priest, and the deputy director and managing editor of Forward Movement. With all the balls spinning, sometimes her personal mantra is to keep moving forward, day by day! She lives in Northern Kentucky with her family, a dog, a rabbit, a horse, and an adopted stray cat that just gave birth to four kittens. (Anyone looking for a new pet?)
Ryan Casey Waller studied philosophy and religion at the University of Southern California before earning a Juris Doctorate and Masters of Theological Studies from SMU. After a brief career in the law Ryan felt called by God to teach and preach. He spent three years at All Saints’ Episcopal School before being led to the Church of the Incarnation. He is married to Caroline Waller and has two sons, Ford Casey and Charles Henry.
The Rev. Regina Walton is Pastor and Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Newton, MA. A former Episcopal Church Foundation Fellow, she holds a PhD in religion and literature from Boston University and has published academic articles on the Anglican priest and poet George Herbert and theological aesthetics. Before her ordination, Regina served for three years as Children’s Minister in an Episcopal parish, and has never lost her passion for Christian formation across the lifespan. She and her husband have two young children. She enjoys playing music and quilting.
Emily Watkins has a Masters in Applied Theology from Regent College in Vancouver. She loves spending long summer days with her husband and four young boys. They live in Milwaukee, WI where Emily chronicles their journey through the church year on her blog.
The Rev. Melissa Wilcox lives in a charming walking-town outside of Philadelphia. She lives with her husband, who serves as a rector at Christ Episcopal Church. They make their home in a Victorian “condo” literally attached to the church, with their three lively children–Elias, Adelaide, and Josiah. She serves the church as an assistant rector at Church of the Redeemer, Bryn Mawr, PA. Melissa blogs about the intersection of faith and family and sundry other things at www.kradelkids.blogspot.com.
The Rev. Mary Lee Wile is a deacon in the Diocese of Maine. She is the author of the theological novel Ancient Rage, three program books: I will with God’s help, Christ’s Own Forever, This Bread & This Cup, and two children’s books: Star of Wonder and Season of Angels, both through Forward Movement. She has written for Forward Day by Day and Daily Devo, and she maintains an intermittent blog at Bread & Stories: Tending Family Faith in Cyberspace. Having served for eight years as a pediatric hospice chaplain, Mary Lee now engages in prison ministry, offers spiritual direction, serves as Chaplain to the Maine Chapter of the Society of Companions of the Holy Cross, and tends grandchildren two days a week.
Carrie Willard lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, two sons, and two dogs. She received a bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin, and a law degree from the College of William and Mary. Her work has appeared on Mockingbird and Episcopal Cafe. Carrie and her family attend Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church in Houston.
The Rev. Marek Zabriskie has served as Rector of St. Thomas Church in Whitemarsh, Pennyslvania since 1995. Marek studied philosophy at Emory University and trained for the priesthood at Yale Divinity School. In 2011, he started The Bible Challenge to help people read the entire Bible in a year. He created the Center for Biblical Studies to promote The Bible Challenge nationally and globally. More than 500,000 people in over 2,500 churches and 50 countries are now participating in The Bible Challenge. Marek and his wife, Mims, have three daughters, Emily, Marguerite and Isabelle and an adorable Welsh Pembroke Corgi named Winston.
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