The Living Church Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization, is a corporation governed by men and women representing a wide cross-section of bishops, priests, and laity from across the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion. The members meet annually to discuss and review the affairs of the foundation and its publications, to nominate and elect new members, and to worship and remember friends of the foundation who have died during the past year. Foundation and board members serve three-year terms, and board membership is term-limited.
Foundation members nominate and elect from their number a Board of Directors, which has direct responsibility for managing the affairs and finances of the foundation. The directors meet twice yearly, once with the larger foundation and once separately. Their responsibilities include appointing an Executive Director and overseeing the proper management of the foundation’s resources. The Board of Directors must consist of at least four officers — President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer — but have no more than twelve members. Directors must be nominated and elected by the foundation: in this way, the Board of Directors remains accountable to the larger foundation membership.
Board of Directors
- Kathleen Alexander
- The Rt. Rev. Dr. John C. Bauerschmidt, President
- Richard Clements, Vice President
- The Rt. Rev. Christopher Cocksworth
- The Rev. S. Thomas Kincaid III, Treasurer
- The Rev. Dr. Walter L. “Chip” Prehn
- The Rev. Kino Germaine Lockheart Vitet
- The Rev. Clint Wilson, Secretary
The Living Church Foundation, Inc.
Kathleen Alexander, Potomac, Md.
The Rev. Colin Ambrose, Nashville, Tenn.
The Rt. Rev. Jenny Andison, Toronto, Ont.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Stephen Andrews, Toronto, Ont.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. John C. Bauerschmidt, Nashville, Tenn.
The Rev. Dr. Kristine Blaess, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
The Rev. Dr. Stewart Clem, St. Louis, Mo.
Richard Clements, Oklahoma City, Okla.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Christopher Cocksworth, Coventry, England
The Most Rev. Gerald James Ian Ernest, Rome, Italy
Neva Rae Fox, Somerville, N.J.
The Rt. Rev. Daniel Gutiérrez, Norristown, Pa.
Canon Carrie Boren Headington, Dallas, Texas
The Rev. Dr. Wesley Hill, Ambridge, Pa.
The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin S. Holcomb, Orlando, Fla.
The Rev. Canon Jody Howard, Nashville, Tennessee
The Rev. Nathan Humphrey, Toronto, Ont.
The Rev. Dr. Jordan Hylden, Dallas, Texas
Catherine Whittinghill Illingworth, Los Angeles, Calif.
The Rev. Ajit Samuel John, Toronto, Ont.
Richard Kennelly, Nashville, Tennessee
Heidi J. Kim, Minneapolis, Minn.
Dr. Elisabeth Rain Kincaid, Dallas, Texas
The Rev. S. Thomas Kincaid III, Dallas, Texas
The Very Rev. Ian Markham, Alexandria, Va.
The Rt. Rev. Daniel H. Martins, Springfield, Ill.
Anna McLean, Houston, Texas
Daniel Muth, Leland, N.C.
The Rev. Dr. Matthew S.C. Olver, Nashotah, Wis.
Canon David R. Pitts, Tampa, Fla. and Richmond, Va.
The Rev. Dr. Walter L. “Chip” Prehn, Sisterdale, Texas
The Rt. Rev. Poulson Reed, Oklahoma City, Okla.
The Rt. Rev. Joseph (Joey) Royal, Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
The Rev. Lt. Jamal Scarlett, New Orleans, La.
Dr. Grace Sears, Richmond, Ky.
The Rt. Rev. Samy Shehata, Cairo, Egypt
The Rev. Jacob A. Smith, New York, N.Y.
The Rev. Marguerite (Rita) A.H. Steadman, Bangor, Maine
The Rt. Rev. Dr. George Sumner, Dallas, Texas
Dr. Muthuraj Swamy, Cambridge, England
The Rev. Kino Germaine Lockheart Vitet, Brooklyn, N.Y.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Wandera, Mumias, Kenya
Dr. Christopher Wells, Dallas, Texas
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Jo Bailey Wells, Guildford, England
The Rt. Rev. and Rt. Hon. Dr. Rowan Williams, Cardiff, Wales
The Rev. Clint Wilson, Louisville, Ky.
The Rev. Christopher Yoder, Oklahoma City, Okla.
The Very Rev. Dr. Paul F.M. Zahl, Winter Park, Fla.
Biographies
Kathleen Alexander
Kathleen Alexander is an independent consultant with extensive executive-level management and human resource experience in all aspects of the business life cycle and in industries as diverse as hospitality, IT, e-business, and satellite communications. Most recently, she served as the chair of the Board of Trustees for the Washington International School in Washington, D.C., and has chaired and served on a number of university, advisory, and not-for-profit boards. Kathleen is an accomplished public speaker and lecturer, most recently for the International Space University in Strasbourg, France. She is a graduate of the College of Notre Dame and the Johns Hopkins University, both in Baltimore, and a member of St. Francis Episcopal Church, Potomac, Maryland.
The Rev. Colin Ambrose
Colin Ambrose serves as vice rector at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Nashville, Tennessee. He previously served for a decade at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. His passion is applying organizational excellence to the churches at which he works, building teams, and inspiring leaders to equip the church and its members to share in Christ’s mission to the world.
Colin received his M.Div. from Nashotah House Theological Seminary. Before entering the ordained ministry, he worked with Lehman Brothers in New York and as a Managing Partner and CFO of a company in the construction and remodeling industry that he co-founded in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
The Rt. Rev. Jenny Andison
Jenny Andison is the rector at St. Paul’s Bloor Street, Toronto, Ontario, and former area bishop of York-Credit Valley in the Diocese of Toronto. She was born in England and has lived in Pakistan, India, Singapore, and Japan. She earned a B.A. (Hons.) from Queen’s University in 1994 and received her M.Div. from the University of Toronto in 1997. In 2017, Wycliffe College honored her as a Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa).
Bp. Jenny was ordained to the priesthood in 1998 and has served in the Diocese of Toronto as incumbent of St. Clement, Eglinton (2013-2016), the Archbishop’s Officer for Mission (2010-2013), and associate priest for church development at St. Paul’s, Bloor Street (2006-2013). She has also served in parishes in the Diocese of London (UK), the Diocese of Tokyo, and the Diocese of Ontario. She was elected bishop in September 2016 and consecrated in January 2017. Bishop Jenny lives in Toronto with her husband and their three daughters.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Stephen Andrews
Stephen Andrews is the principal of Wycliffe College, Toronto, Ontario. Prior to this appointment, he served as bishop of the Diocese of Algoma from 2009 to 2016. He has also served as president and vice chancellor of Thorneloe University, Sudbury, Ontario, 2001-09. Bp. Andrews studied classics at the University of Colorado and theology at Regent College and Wycliffe College, where he received his M.Div. He was ordained in the Diocese of Nova Scotia in 1986 and went on to obtain a D.Phil. in the Faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University in 1995. He continues to teach sessionally at Thorneloe.
Bp. Andrews has been active in the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada since 1997, serving as prolocutor and member of the Council of General Synod, and as member of the Anglican Consultative Council. He was chair of the Faith Worship and Ministry Committee, and is a former National Chaplain to the Royal Canadian College of Organists. He was a member of the Primate’s Theological Commission. Bp. Andrews is married to Fawna, and they have two daughters, Clare and Ellen.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. John C. Bauerschmidt
John Bauerschmidt is XI Bishop of Tennessee. He was consecrated in January 2007 and is president of the Living Church Foundation. He was raised in Columbia, South Carolina. At the time of his election he was rector of Christ Church, Covington, in the Diocese of Louisiana. Ordained in 1984, he served parishes in the dioceses of Western Massachusetts and North Carolina, as well as on the staff of Pusey House, Oxford. Educated at Kenyon College and the General Theological Seminary, Bp. Bauerschmidt holds a D.Phil. degree in theology from Oxford University. He is married to Caroline Pearce Bauerschmidt, and they have three children.
Bp. Bauerschmidt has an abiding interest in Church history, in particular Early Church, English Reformation, and the Oxford Movement, with a growing focus on the history of ideas.
The Rev. Dr. Kristine Blaess
Kristine Blaess is rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Ordained in 2002, Kristine served a small church in Rigby, Idaho, for 10 years and as senior associate rector at St. George’s Church, Nashville, Tennessee. In her doctoral work, Kristine considered how to form Christian leaders as theologians of the cross who can lead profound change in their parishes and judicatories. She has spent the past decade developing models for discipling Christian leaders in small groups and missional communities.
The Rev. Dr. Stewart Clem
Stewart Clem is assistant professor of moral theology and director of the Ashley-O’Rourke Center for Health Ministry Leadership at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. A native of Oklahoma, Stewart received B.A. and M.A. degrees in philosophy from Oklahoma State University. He and his wife, Molly, were confirmed at All Souls’ Episcopal Church in Oklahoma City in 2009. After discerning a call to the priesthood, he attended Duke Divinity School, where he earned an M.Div. and Certificate in Anglican Studies. He was ordained to the priesthood in his home parish by the Rt. Rev. Edward Konieczny in 2013 and received his Ph.D. in theology from the University of Notre Dame in 2019. He serves as priest associate at the Church of St. Michael and St. George in St. Louis, Missouri.
Richard Clements
Richard Clements is the CEO and co-owner of 405 Plastics & Distribution, a blow molding manufacturing company, located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is also a shareholder in Clements Food Company, a privately-held food manufacturing company, and a partner in A-OK, LLC, the Krispy Kreme franchise in Oklahoma. Richard is currently the chairman of the Episcopal Church Foundation and has served on their board since 2009. He is a member of All Souls’ Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, where he served as a member of the vestry, junior warden, and senior warden, and is a current member of the Finance Committee and Investment Committee of the Diocese of Oklahoma. He is a graduate of Southern Methodist University (B.B.A.) and Northwestern (M.B.A.). He and his wife, Dr. Melissa K. Clements, have three children.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Christopher Cocksworth
Christopher Cocksworth has served as Bishop of Coventry since 2008. He read theology at the University of Manchester (UK), and after teaching in secondary education, he trained for ordination and pursued doctoral studies. Bp. Cocksworth has served in parochial and chaplaincy ministry and in theological education, latterly as Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge. He entered the House of Lords in 2013. Bp. Cocksworth has written a number of books and articles in the area of Christian theology and worship.
The Most Rev. Gerald James Ian Ernest
Ian Ernest is the Archbishop of Canterbury's Personal Representative to the Holy See and director of the Anglican Centre in Rome. He graduated from Madras University, India, with a B.A. in commerce in 1979, followed by a three-years course in theology at St. Paul’s Theological College, Mauritius, then pastoral studies at Westhill College, University of Birmingham. Bp. Ian was ordained priest in June 1985 at St. James Cathedral, Port Louis, Mauritius. After serving as a rector and a missionary priest, he was consecrated as XV Bishop of Mauritius on June 24, 2001, and elected Archbishop of the Province of the Indian Ocean in 2006.
Bp. Ian has served as chairperson for the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, 2007-2012; received the G.O.S.K, the second highest distinction awarded by the Republic of Mauritius; was a member of the Design Group of the Lambeth Conference for 2008; and was awarded the Cross of St. Augustine for services to the Anglican Communion. He was elected secretary of the Global South Primates Steering Committee of the Anglican Communion in August 2012. Bp. Ian is married to Kamla, and they have one son, Julian.
Neva Rae Fox
Neva Rae Fox is the principal of The Fox Group, a communications company offering multifaceted communications and media consulting. Previously she was the public affairs officer for the Episcopal Church, guiding the church’s media opportunities and public face for 12 years, from the installation of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to the sermon at the royal wedding by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.
The recipient of numerous national and professional awards, Neva Rae started her professional life as a newspaper reporter and editor, followed by a career in healthcare communications. She is active in her church, the Diocese of New Jersey, and various personal and philanthropic endeavors. She has been elected to various offices on all levels of the Episcopal Church and was named a Woman of Honor by the Diocese of New Jersey in 2015.
The Rt. Rev. Daniel Gutiérrez
Daniel Gutiérrez serves as the XVI Bishop of Pennsylvania. A native of New Mexico, Bishop Gutiérrez comes from a family that settled there in the 1500s. Previously, he served as canon to the ordinary and chief of staff in the Diocese of the Rio Grande. Prior to ordination, he worked for two decades in public service. Bishop Gutiérrez is a graduate of the University of New Mexico, where he earned a B.A. in history and political science and an M.A. in public administration. He earned a certificate in Anglican studies through Trinity School for Ministry, and an M.T.S. from St. Norbert College. His theological interests center on the Eucharist, monasticism, and the spiritual reality of Jesus Christ.
Bishop Gutiérrez is married to Suzanne Fletcher Gutiérrez, and they have one son, Jude. They share their household with dogs, turtles, pheasants, owls, and other animals that wander through their lives.
Canon Carrie Boren Headington
Carrie Boren Headington serves as missioner for evangelism for the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas and is founder of The Good News Initiative. She is a graduate of Yale University (B.A., history), Harvard University (M.A., education, urban poverty policy) and Oxford University (C.T.H., DIPTHE, Theology, Evangelism, and Apologetics).
Carrie is an evangelist and apologist who speaks in various settings, including churches and seminaries, universities, coffee shops, and pubs. In 2010, Carrie was a delegate at the Third Annual Lausanne Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, and was the lead evangelist in a Lausanne mission in Zimbabwe where 1,000 people made first-time commitments to follow Jesus. Carrie teaches workshops in personal and parish evangelism.
The Rev. Dr. Wesley Hill
Wesley Hill is associate professor of New Testament at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, an author and speaker, and an Episcopal priest. He received his Ph.D. and M.A. from Durham University and is the author of Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality (Zondervan, second ed. 2016), Paul and the Trinity: Persons, Relations, and the Pauline Letters (Eerdmans, 2015), Spiritual Friendship: Finding Love in the Church as a Celibate Gay Christian (Brazos, 2015), and The Lord’s Prayer: A Guide to Praying to Our Father (Lexham, 2019). A contributing editor for Comment magazine, Wes writes regularly for Christianity Today, The Living Church, and other publications.
The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin S. Holcomb
Justin Holcomb serves as Canon for Vocations in the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida and teaches theology and apologetics for Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Reformed Theological Seminary. He has written or edited numerous books on sexual assault, domestic violence, historical theology, biblical studies, and more. Justin earned his Ph.D. from Emory University and taught for seven years at the University of Virginia in the religious studies and sociology departments. He serves on the boards of GRACE and Leaders Collective. Justin and his wife, Lindsey, live in Orlando, Florida, with their two daughters.
The Rev. Canon Jody Howard
The Rev. Nathan Humphrey
Nathan Humphrey is the eighth rector of St. Thomas's Church, Toronto. He is a graduate of Yale Divinity School and has served parishes in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Rhode Island. He is married to Anne Stone, a communications consultant, and they have two children.
The Rev. Dr. Jordan Hylden
Jordan Hylden is associate rector for congregational development at Episcopal Church of the Ascension, Lafayette, Louisiana. He studied at Harvard University (A.B.) and Duke University (M.Div., Th.D.) and served as canon theologian for the diocese of Dallas and priest associate at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Dallas, Texas. He’s written for The Living Church, Christianity Today, The Christian Century, and First Things., and has taught courses in theology and ethics at Lutheran Southern Theological Seminary (Columbia, S.C.) and Saint Louis University. Fr. Jordan and his wife, Emily, have two sons, Charles and Donnie. He loves good conversation, books, basketball, disc golf, craft brews, and getting outdoors.
Catherine Whittinghill Illingworth
Catherine Illingworth is a doctoral student in comparative literature at UCLA and adjunct professor of the humanities at Pepperdine University. Her academic work focuses on Dante, theology, and women. She holds an M.A. in religion and literature from Yale Divinity School and a B.A. in English from Pepperdine University. Catherine has held fellowships in the offices of two university presidents, has taught at Yale, Baylor, and UCLA, and served for three years as the director of business development and communications at Whittinghill Aerospace, her family’s experimental rocket company. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband.
The Rev. Ajit Samuel John
Ajit John is both a priest and lawyer. Born in India to Christian parents, he studied history at the University of Toronto (B.A. and M.A.) and then law at the University of Western Ontario (L.L.B.). He served as a lawyer for those on the margins, then worked at Covenant House, New York. Ajit completed theological studies at both Wycliffe College and Nashotah House (S.T.M.) while working as counsel for the Law Society of Ontario. After ordination in 2003, he served in various Toronto parishes, then studied canon law (L.L.M.) at Cardiff University from 2011-2013. Ajit has pastored a Church of England chaplaincy in Versailles, served as a Trustee of Wycliffe College, and been weekly squash partner for the Rt. Rev. George Sumner. Recently, he has been working with the archbishop and other clergy of Toronto to preserve a place where Anglicans of opposing views can live in love, preach freely, and seek together what is true for the whole Church of God. He is married to Margaret, and they have a teen-aged daughter, Gabrielle.
Richard Kennelly
Kennelly is chief teambuilding officer at Team Concepts Inc., a leadership development and executive team coaching company. He was a founder of BigBelly Solar, a cleantech startup, practiced environmental law in Boston, and is an Olympic silver medalist in rowing. He has served on numerous vestries and church committees and is a member of St. George’s Episcopal Church in Nashville, which his wife, the Rev. Margery Kennelly, serves as an associate rector.
Heidi J. Kim
Heidi Kim is an educator and Episcopalian living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and currently serves as the director of the Melrose Family Center for Servant Leadership at the Breck School. She previously served for five years as Staff Officer for Racial Reconciliation for the Episcopal Church, listening and learning with Episcopalians and Anglicans throughout the church. Heidi’s experience in ministry as well as in higher and secondary education has focused on the stories of the survivors and disrupters of oppression and marginalization, as well as the struggles of faithful people to speak across difference while remaining in community. Her passion is working with curious, diligent, and loving people to maintain stronger and more faithful communities.
Dr. Elisabeth Rain Kincaid
The Rev. S. Thomas Kincaid III
Thomas Kincaid has been vice rector at Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, Texas, since June 2015. Between his first stint at Incarnation and his current role, Thomas served as priest-in-charge of two parishes in the Diocese of Northern Indiana. He attended Duke Divinity School (M.Div.), where he was a member of the Anglican Episcopal House of Studies. Prior to Duke, he spent a year in Washington, D.C., after attending Southern Methodist University, where he earned a B.B.A. in finance and a B.A. in American history. Thomas also serves as the treasurer of the Living Church Foundation. He is married to Dr. Elisabeth Rain Kincaid, and they have two children.
The Very Rev. Ian Markham
Ian Markham was appointed dean and president of Virginia Theological Seminary in August 2007. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Exeter, where he focused on Christian ethics. He previously earned an M.Litt. in philosophy and ethics from the University of Cambridge and a B.D. in theology from the University of London. Dean Markham is the author and editor of numerous books, including Against Atheism: Why Dawkins, Hitchens, and Harris Are Fundamentally Wrong; Do Morals Matter?: A Guide to Contemporary Religious Ethics; Liturgical Life Principles: How Episcopal Worship Can Lead to Healthy and Authentic Living. He serves as priest associate at St. Paul’s Church in Alexandria, Virginia. He is married to Lesley Markham, and they have a son, Luke.
The Rt. Rev. Daniel H. Martins
Daniel Martins served as the XI Bishop of Springfield from 2011 to 2021. A native of Brazil, he was raised in the suburbs of Chicago, educated at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, and the University of California at Santa Barbara, then worked for a decade in insurance and retail. He received his M.Div. from Nashotah House Theological Seminary in 1989.
Bp. Martins has served as curate and school chaplain at St. Luke’s, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; vicar of St. Margaret’s, Baton Rouge; rector of St. John’s Church in Stockton, California; and rector of St. Anne’s, Warsaw, Indiana. He and his wife, Brenda, have been married since 1972. They have three grown children and three grandchildren.
Anna McLean
Anna McLean serves in lay leadership at her beloved St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. She grew up in Church of Our Savior Episcopal Church in North Platte, Nebraska, where she learned to love the liturgy and know the presence of Christ. She has been active in other Episcopal churches in Houston, Dallas, and El Paso. Together with her husband of 42 years, Scott McLean, she has served on the vestry and stewardship and capital campaign committees at St. Martin's, and currently co-leads the Christian Life women’s bible study. She and Scott have three children, two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren.
Daniel Muth
Dan Muth has entered semi-retirement as a consultant, providing assistance to electric utilities in the area of nuclear fuel fabrication oversight, after 36 years in the nuclear industry. Most recently, he was a manager in the Nuclear Fuel department of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He is a graduate of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is completing a master's degree in theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Mr. Muth served on the Board of Directors of the Living Church Foundation 2005-2017 and has been writing for the magazine for over a quarter century. A lifelong Episcopalian and son of an Episcopal priest, he is married and has two grown daughters. He and his wife live near Wilmington, North Carolina, where he attends St. James Episcopal Church.
The Rev. Dr. Matthew S.C. Olver
Matthew Olver is assistant professor of liturgics and pastoral theology at Nashotah House Theological Seminary, where he has taught since 2014. In 2018, he completed his doctoral work at Marquette University on the influence of Hebrews on the Roman Canon. Before moving to Wisconsin, he was for seven years the assistant rector of Church of the Incarnation, Dallas, and undertook his previous studies at Wheaton College and Duke Divinity School. Fr. Olver is married to Kristen and they have two children. He assists at Zion Episcopal Church, Oconomowoc, and was a member of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation in the U.S. (ARC-USA) from 2006 to 2014. He is a regular contributor to TLC's Covenant blog, and has published in The Journal of Ecumenical Studies, The Anglican Theological Review, Nova et Vetera, and Antiphon.
Canon David R. Pitts
David Pitts has served as chairman and CEO of Pitts Management Associates, a national hospital and healthcare consulting firm, for 36 years. He is also president of Health Insights, one of the nation’s leading healthcare think tanks, and an executive partner in two private equity firms.
Canon Pitts has received a number of awards and decorations for his service in the U.S. Air Force Medical Service, including the Distinguished Service Medal and Bronze Star. He is also a recipient of the Dean’s Cross of Virginia Theological Seminary, and has received doctorates from Nashotah House Theological Seminary and Sewanee, the University of the South.
The Rev. Dr. Walter L. “Chip” Prehn
Chip Prehn has served as an Episcopal priest since 1985, and is now working on two novels and is a published poet. After his ordaination, he served in the parish for 12 years, with a vigorous teaching ministry, including work as instructor in historical theology at the Bishop’s School for Ministry in San Antonio (1993-96). Dr. Prehn felt led to the University of Virginia, where he earned a Ph.D. in history and became an authority on the educator William Augustus Muhlenberg (1796-1877). Dr. Prehn has a deep commitment to the classical Anglican vision (especially that of Richard Hooker) and is an avid student of the Oxford Movement and Church Revival on both sides of the Atlantic. While at Trinity School, his Headmaster’s Journal was widely read by other school leaders.
The Rt. Rev. Poulson Reed
Poulson Reed was consecrated the VI Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma on May 30, 2020. Before his election, Poulson served as rector of All Saints’ Episcopal Church and Day School in Phoenix, Arizona (2009-20), and as a curate, canon, and sub-dean at Saint John’s Cathedral, Denver (2002-09). He received his M.Div. from Yale Divinity School, and a B.A. from the University of Virginia. He is a member of the Order of the Ascension, a dispersed Benedictine community with a focus on congregational development.
Poulson’s wife, Megan Reed, is a classically trained tuba player, and a music teacher for students of all ages. They have three boys: David, Thomas, and Matthew.
The Rt. Rev. Joseph (Joey) Royal
Joey Royal is a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of the Arctic, which encompasses 1.5 million square miles of northern Canada. He oversees theological education for the diocese, including its theological college, the Arthur Turner Training School. Bp. Joey lives in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada, with his wife Jennifer and son Benjamin.
The Rev. Lt. Jamal Scarlett
Jamal Scarlett is a military chaplain, endorsed by the Armed Forces and Federal Ministries of the Episcopal Church. He grew up in San Diego and joined the U.S. Navy Reserves in 2014. He currently serves as the Western Rivers Chaplain and is responsible for providing ministry support to 62 units across 22 states.
Lt. Scarlett holds a B.A. in communications from California State University, San Marcos, and an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary. He is currently pursuing a S.T.M. from Nashotah House Theological Seminary. Personal decorations include the Navy Achievement Medal, CG Team Commendation Medal, and a Humanitarian Service Medal. He is married to the former Janice Jane Abria of San Diego, and they have four children: Sydney, Nathan, Eleanor, and Ezra.
Dr. Grace Sears
Grace Sears is vice president of the board of the Living Church Foundation and past president of the Order of the Daughters of the King, as well as editor of its magazine, The Royal Cross. She has represented the Order in Malawi, England, Brazil, and Haiti, as well as visiting DOK assemblies across the United States. A graduate of Calvin College, Grace completed her Ph.D. in Renaissance literature at the University of Kentucky. She has taught at several colleges, served as publications manager for the Department of Surgery at UK, and retired in 2010 from a position at Berea College as special collections and archives assistant. Active at the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in Richmond, Kentucky, she has served on the executive council and the standing committee of the Diocese of Lexington.
The Rt. Rev. Samy Shehata
Samy Shehata became Bishop Co-Adjutor of the Diocese of Egypt in April 2020. Ordained a deacon in 1990 and a priest in 1991, Bp. Samy served as a curate in Alexandria before becoming the bishop’s chaplain. He has since served as rector of a parish, dean of St. Mark’s Pro-Cathedral, principal of the Alexandria School of Theology, and area bishop of North Africa in the Diocese of Egypt. Bp. Samy earned a B.Sc. in electrical engineering from Cairo University (1985), a diploma in theology from University of Wales (1991), and an M.A. and Th.D. in theology from the University of Birmingham (1998 and 2002).
Bp. Samy is married to Madlaine, who is a science teacher and partner in ministry. They have two sons, Rafik and Ramy.
The Rev. Jacob A. Smith
Jacob Smith serves as rector of Calvary-St. George’s, New York City. Born on the Navajo Reservation and raised in Yuma, Arizona, Jacob graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.A. in history. He received his M.Div. from Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in 2006, and was ordained a presbyter at Calvary Church that same year by the Rt. Rev. E. Don Taylor.
Jacob has served as dean of the lower Manhattan clericus and as a trustee of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. He is currently the vice president of the Bible and Common Prayer Book Society. Jacob is married to Melina Smith, and they have two children, Sophia and Henry.
The Rev. Marguerite (Rita) A.H. Steadman
Rita Steadman is a priest of the Diocese of Maine, where she has served as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Bangor, for over 12 years. Before coming to Maine, Rita served at Christ Church, Georgetown, for 10 years, as both priest and deacon. She is a graduate of the General Theological Seminary (’97). Before seminary, she was sponsored by the Joint Working Committee of the Episcopal and Russian Orthodox Churches to live and work in Russian Orthodox parishes in Russia immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union. She supported the development of parish outreach (previously illegal), including starting Moscow’s first volunteer-supported soup kitchen. She is a graduate of Brown University (’91) where she studied history and Russian language and literature. Rita is wife to Eric Steadman, and together they are raising two teenagers, Sophia and Cuthbert.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. George Sumner
George Sumner is the VII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas. He has served in cross-cultural ministry in Navajoland and has a doctorate in theology from Yale. He was principal of Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, from 1999-2015. His books include The First and the Last (2004); Unwearied Praises (2004), co-written with Jeff Greenman; Being Salt (2007); and a commentary on the book of Daniel for Brazos Press (2013). He is currently working on a book about sin. Bp. Sumner is married to Stephanie Hodgkins and is father to Marta and Sam.
Dr. Muthuraj Swamy
Muthuraj Swamy is director of the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide (UK) and Project Manager of Theological Education for Mission in the Anglican Communion. Dr. Swamy earned a Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh in religious studies and formerly served as dean of theology and dean of postgraduate studies at Union Biblical Seminary, Pune, India. He is a member of the Church of South India and worked with interreligious organizations in India for several years, promoting conflict resolution and peace-building. He is a visiting fellow at St. John’s College, Durham, and author of The Problem with Interreligious Dialogue: Plurality, Conflict and Elitism in Hindu-Christian-Muslim Relationships (Bloomsbury, 2016) and Reconciliation: The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book 2019 (SPCK, 2018). He co-edited Christian Engagement for Social Change: The Role of Theological Education (Christian World Imprints, 2018), and is co-editor of three volumes based on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s three priorities for the Lambeth Conference 2022: Walking Together, Witnessing Together, and Listening Together.
The Rev. Kino Germaine Lockheart Vitet
Kino Vitet was born in Saint Lucia, West Indies. He grew up in Saint Lucia and Brooklyn, New York. He received a B.S. in Civil Engineering (1999) from Lehigh University; a M.Sc. in city design and social science from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2000); and a M.A. in economics from Fordham University (2002). Fr. Vitet worked for many years at the Port Authority of NY&NJ before receiving an M.Div. from Yale University and a Diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School (2011). He was ordained to the priesthood on February 2, 2012, and served as a deacon and associate at St. Mark’s Church (2011-12) and as priest-in-charge at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Queens Village (2012-15). Fr. Vitet is currently the rector of the Church of St. Mark in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Wandera
Joseph Wandera is Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Mumias, Kenya. His Ph.D. in religious studies is from the University of Cape Town. Prior to his election, Bp. Joseph taught for several years at St. Paul’s University, Limuru, Kenya, a leading ecumenical university, where he taught courses in Religious Studies and Mission and co-founded and coordinated the Centre for Christian Muslim Relations in Eastleigh (CCMRE). Bp. Joseph has been involved in various committees of the Anglican Communion, including Theological Education in the Anglican Communion (TEAC).
Dr. Christopher Wells
Christopher Wells is executive director and publisher of the Living Church Foundation. He completed his Ph.D. in historical theology at the University of Notre Dame and served as a lay leader in the Diocese of Northern Indiana before coming to the Living Church in 2009. He earned a B.A. at St. Olaf College and M.A.R. at Yale Divinity School.
Christopher is affiliate professor of theology at the General Theological Seminary and Nashotah House Theological Seminary. He has published articles on Aquinas and ecclesiology in various journals, and since 2011 has served as theological consultant to the Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation in the U.S. (ARC-USA). Christopher is a member of Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, Texas.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Jo Bailey Wells
Jo Bailey Wells has been Bishop of Dorking in the Diocese of Guildford, England, since 2016. She is an Old Testament scholar who has previously held posts at Cambridge and Duke Universities, teaching at the interface between church and academy and seeking to nurture young leaders as priest-scholars. Jo was the (founding) director of the Anglican Episcopal House of Studies at Duke Divinity School (2005-12), working across some of the boundaries of the North American Anglican world as well as teaching regularly in the Episcopal Church of Sudan. On returning to the United Kingdom, she served as chaplain to Archbishop Justin Welby.
The Rt. Rev. and Rt. Hon. Dr. Rowan Williams
Rowan Williams retired in 2020 to Wales, after stepping down as Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, having served for 10 years as Archbishop of Canterbury, and before that as Bishop of Monmouth and Archbishop of Wales. Bp. Rowan has written many books on theology and its encounters with spirituality, literature, and philosophy, as well as some commentaries on current affairs, and is also chair of the international development agency, Christian Aid.
The Rev. Clint Wilson
Clint Wilson is rector of St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church in Louisville, KY. Before his present role, Clint served Episcopal parishes in Nashville, Tennessee, and Denton, Texas, alongside various diocesan and ecumenical roles. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the American Friends of the Anglican Centre in Rome. Clint is married to his college sweetheart, Theresa, and together they have a son and a dog. They are passionate about Church unity, leadership development, making disciples, and the reconciling power of the good news of Jesus Christ.
The Rev. Christopher Yoder
Christopher Yoder serves as rector of All Souls’ Episcopal Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He grew up in a Mennonite church and on a dairy farm in the hills of western Pennsylvania. He took his first steps on the Canterbury trail as an undergraduate at Wheaton College. He discerned a vocation to the priesthood while at Duke Divinity School. He was ordained priest in the Diocese of Dallas in 2015. Christopher is married to Audra, and they have three children.
The Very Rev. Dr. Paul F.M. Zahl
Paul Zahl is a retired Episcopal priest living in Central Florida. He has been rector of parishes in Westchester County, New York; Charleston, Sotuh Carolina; Birmingham, Alabama, where he was dean of the Cathedral; and Chevy Chase, Maryland. He was also dean and president of Trinity (Episcopal) School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. His academic degrees are from Harvard College, the University of Nottingham, and the University of Tübingen. He has written 11 books. Paul and his wife, Mary, have three grown sons, all of whom are in full-time Christian ministry.