I have been Rector—that is, the pastor—at Saint Andrew’s since Palm Sunday, 2022. Before coming to Greencastle, I served part time as the Priest-In-Charge at Christ Church, Xenia, Ohio and as a full time professor of religion (the Asian kind) at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. My divinity degrees and training come from the University of Chicago, Bexley-Seabury Seminary, and General Theological Seminary. In 2021 I wrapped up a 26 year career of university teaching and moved to Greencastle looking forward to the opportunities and call of a full time parish priest.
My great joy is the Gospel, Jesus’ message and life of inclusive love to God and neighbor. My work at Saint Andrew’s is to proclaim this love, teach it, help organize our parish’s work around it, and to lean into that message every day through prayer, compassion, worship, fellowship, and care and advocacy for others.
We are always learning about the Gospel, and we are always learning how to live the Gospel. Saint Andrew’s has Christian education and formation for all age groups, and for those new to our tradition, and those who are cradle Episcopalians. Before I was ordained I worked extensively with children in Christian formation and Sunday School. I trained in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which fits right into Saint Andrew’s Godly Play classroom and formation for our children. These Christian formation offerings are Montessori based, telling Bible stories and parables in a way that encourage children to wonder, to engage, and come to own the story of grace and salvation themselves.
Adult formation at Saint Andrew’s ranges from our vibrant and thoughtful Book and Bible group that meets Tuesdays to Confirmation (a rite of adult affirmation of Christian faith) and Episcopal 101 (introducing our particular Episcopal form of Christian worship and understanding) to Sunday Adult Forum offerings. Adult forum offers insight on topics from Jesus’ beard to the History of Hell to the theological basis for our church’s affirmation of LGBTQ to planning how to be a church that includes all in worship, fellowship, and outreach. We also think big: in 2024 Saint Andrew’s led a band of teen and adult pilgrims to England to learn and experience the connections between slavery, abolitionism, Anglicanism, and Christian responsibility. This was just one example of our many multigenerational connections. Saint Andrew’s and friends from the wider community come together on Game Nights, Mardi Gras pancake races and talent show, parish crafts during coffee hour in Advent and Lent, Pub Nights, and even to celebrate and cheer one of our parishioners when she appeared on Jeopardy!.
My husband Chris and I love to spend time with our family, often playing games, singing together, and going on adventures camping and travelling. When relaxing at home, you’ll find me digging in the dirt and planting flowers—or planning next year’s garden—and reading, cooking, and enjoying music and dinner with family and friends.
You can contact me at priest.standrewsgreencastle@gmail.com.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
In peace,
Jen+
Before his arrival to St. Andrew’s, Nicholas served congregations in Wisconsin, Iowa, New York City, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and New Jersey. In North Carolina, Nicholas rebuilt the music program at St Mary’s Episcopal Church in Kinston tripling the size of the choir while restoring and rebuilding the parish’s annual Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival. Nicholas was also active in charitable work linking the parish’s off-site soup kitchen to a community garden initiative. In Rhode Island, Nicholas stabilized programs in transition in Providence and Newport. In addition to his church work, he served as the Chapel Organist and Assistant Choral Conductor at St George’s School, Theory Instructor at the Choir School of Newport County, and as the Director of Music for Newport Children’s Theater prior to the Covid Lockdown. In New Jersey, Nicholas revived the music program at Christ Church Woodbury.
Nicholas holds a Master’s Degree in Sacred Music from Westminster Choir College (2011) having studied organ with Alan Morrison and choral conducting with Joe Miller, James Jordan, Amanda Quist, and Steve Pilkington. During the second year of his Master’s, Nicholas served as the Choral Conducting Scholar at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City under Bruce Neswick. Away from music, Nicholas loves to golf, cook, garden, and cheer on his Green Bay Packers with his cats Lillian and Inky.
