I came to be rector of St. Mary’s in May 2007. My last parish position was as church planter/vicar of Church of the Good Shepherd, Colorado Springs, Colorado. I see myself as a church planter and developer. I enjoy starting new things in congregations! A major part of my calling to St. Mary’s is to help the parish get to its next step: to grow in numbers, to develop our children’s and youth ministries, and to build the first phase of our new church building. We are in for an exciting and challenging time!

I have long experience as an ordained Episcopal priest, having served seven congregations over the past thirty-something years. I attended Stanford University for my undergraduate degree (1969) and then went to Church Divinity School of the Pacific for my Master of Divinity degree (1972). I was not brought up in any church. I was converted to Jesus Christ while at college and then chose to join the Episcopal Church as an adult.

During the 1990s, I went back to school part-time to study in church growth, evangelism, and church planting. I received the Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Seminary, Pasadena in 2000. I am currently taking a two-year course in congregational development from the Congregational Development Institute. I want to provide leadership in congregational development at both the local and diocesan levels.

I am passionate about helping churches grow and become healthy communities. I hope that St. Mary’s will make a real difference in people’s lives in the Elk Grove and South Sacramento area. On the personal level, I am married to Deborah and have three grown children, and now a grandson!