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; to teach, help organize our parish life around it; and to lean into that message every day through prayer, compassion, worship, fellowship, and care and advocacy for others. Saint Andrew’s is an open and inclusive church, and has the rainbow symbol on our signage and lawn to make a public statement of warm welcome to all.
Our parish’s major outreach is the housing and running the Putnam County Non-Food Pantry which distributes hygiene and cleaning items that are not covered by SNAP. We also participate in the Greencastle Summer Enrichment Program, in providing for our local homeless shelter, and provide a comfortable community space for visitations and meetings. Members of Saint Andrew’s are involved in a wide range of boards, charities, and foundations, and their work in the community is a witness to spreading the Gospel in diverse ways through our community and county.
At Saint Andrew’s, we find many ways to deepen our understanding and witness of the Gospel. Saint Andrew’s offers Christian education and formation for all age groups; for those new to our tradition, and those who are cradle Episcopalians. Christian Formation at Saint Andrew’s includes intergenerational offerings and opportunities gauged for specific age groups:
- I have worked extensively with children in Christian formation and Sunday School, engaged for decades in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a program that 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 wonder, engagement, and exploration.
- Children are full participants in worship and are invited to special roles in worship. Tweens and teens serve in worship, especially as acolytes, and explore the faith and fellowship through parish conversations, their roles as acolytes, Confirmation Class, and in preparing worship services like Advent Lessons & Carols and Instructed Eucharist.
- Adult formation at Saint Andrew’s ranges widely including our vibrant and thoughtful Book and Bible group that meets Tuesdays, the Sacred Poetry group that meets two or three times a month, Confirmation classes and Episcopal 101 courses; and Sunday Adult Forum offerings.
- We also like to 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. We are gathering ideas for our next pilgrimage.
Much of our programming, including the pilgrimage, is intergenerational and invites people from outside our church to join in. We gather for 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.
I have enjoyed building on Saint Andrew’s traditions and engaging this interesting and active community. When off duty, 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, heading to the pool for a lap swim, 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+
I am excited to join the community of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church as a ministry Intern for program year 2025-2026. Currently a second year M.Div. student at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, I serve as the Chapel Assistant for CTS and was elected the Student Council President. I am a member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Indianapolis and worked for six years as a Parish Administrator at St. Francis In-The-Fields Episcopal Church. My undergraduate studies at Indiana University were in Japanese and Religious Studies and my husband Andy and I served in the Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) at the Asian Rural Institute in Tochigi, Japan.
Andy and I have two teenage daughters and two unruly rescue dogs. We love camping, board games and puzzles, as well as our 13-year tenure in Girl Scouts, and our weekly volunteer gig at the FACE Low-Cost Animal Clinic. Avid readers, we have a little free library and never miss a book sale at our local library.
My ministry at St. Andrew’s is one of adventure and hope, focusing on preaching God’s Good News and liturgical formation.
After earning a Performance Diploma in Organ Improvisation in 2025, Saint Andrew’s Director of Music and organist Nicholas J. Voermans is pursuing a doctorate in music (DM) at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, with a major in Organ and Sacred Music. He is studying organ with Jeffrey Smith and voice with Thomas Cooley while pursuing doctoral minors in Music Theory and Choral Conducting.
In addition to his work at Saint Andrew’s, Nicholas serves as the organist for select events at DePauw University. Prior to his time in Indiana, Nicholas served parishes in New Jersey, Rhode Island, and North Carolina. Nicholas has also served at St. George’s School Newport, as Director of Music at Newport Children’s Theater, and has taught at several after-school music programs.
Nicholas earned a Master’s Degree in Sacred Music from Westminster Choir College in 2011 where he studied organ with Alan Morrison and choral conducting with Joe Miller, James Jordan, and Amanda Quist. He also held a choral conducting internship at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City under Bruce Neswick. Nicholas has participated in organ masterclasses with Tom Trenney and Janette Fishell and choral conducting masterclasses with Brett Scott, Bruce Chamberlain, and Joseph Flummerfelt; he was also part of a week-long intensive course with Grammy Award winning conductor Charles Bruffy in 2013.
In his free time, Nick enjoys cooking, antiquing, football, and spending time with his two rescue cats.
