Clergy
The Rev. Ed Bacon, Interim Rector
Ed Bacon is an Episcopal priest whose central passion is teaching that Jesus' life and teachings embodied a Love-based life as opposed to a fear-based ideology. Stemming from that taproot, Ed teaches the Oneness of all creation, leadership in anxious and divisive times, rethinking Christianity as non-bigoted, science-friendly, interfaith, and grace-based. Ed also promotes peace, justice, and inclusion for all regardless of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation.
After his 2016 retirement from 35 years of being rector of Episcopal churches, Ed continues his priesthood as speaker, retreat leader, consultant, and writer. His longest tenure was leading All Saints Church in Pasadena, California for 21 years. From January 2019 until July 2021, he flunked retirement and was Interim Rector of St. Luke’s Church, downtown Atlanta, where Ed had been ordained in 1983. He earlier served as Mercer University Campus Minister and Dean of Students; he held these positions after his first ordination in 1971 in the Southern Baptist denomination. After he was made priest in the Episcopal Church, he was rector of St. Mark’s, Dalton Georgia, followed by being the Dean of the Cathedral of St. Andrew, Jackson Mississippi.
Author of 8 Habits of Love, Ed has been a guest host on Oprah Winfrey’s Soul Series (Oprah & Friends Radio) and a guest panelist in the Spirituality 101 segment of The Oprah Winfrey Show’s “Living Your Best Life” series. Ms. Winfrey named Ed Bacon a “Soul Teacher” on her “SuperSoul 100” list, a collection of “100 awakened leaders who are using their voices to elevate humanity.”
He serves on the board of Pando Populus, a creation care organization promoting the values and preservation of the largest organism on the planet, “Pando,” the one-tree 106-acre quaking aspen forest in Southern Utah. He works to help save the Pando forest which he considers symbolic of the interconnectedness of all creation. He also serves on the board of the Center for Cristogenesis, Sr. Ilia Delio’s organization for the articulation of Teilhard de Chardin’s thinking for the 21st century. He also serves on the Los Angeles-based Muslim Public Affairs Council Advisory Board.
He can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, and he posts a weekly Sunday afternoon reflection and prayer offering on Facebook and YouTube. The Oprah Winfrey Network has recently chosen his interviews with Ms. Winfrey for the SuperSoul Conversations by Oprah on Apple Podcasts. He and his wife Hope Hendricks-Bacon live in Birmingham near their grandchildren. His website is Edbacon.co.
The Rev. C. Murdock Jones, Associate Rector
The Rev. Murdock Jones was born and grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is a graduate of The University of Arkansas at Little Rock, majoring in English, and attended seminary at The School of Theology at the University of the South. Before seminary, Murdock served as youth minister at Christ Episcopal Church Little Rock. Murdock was ordained a priest in December 2020 while serving as curate at The Church of the Good Shepherd in Cashiers, NC.
Murdock and Mary Catherine have been married since 2015. When not working, Murdock enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially if he can cook a meal to be enjoyed together, and rooting on the Arkansas Razorbacks.
The Rev. Elizabeth Farr, Associate Rector
The Rev. Beth Janney,
Deacon
STAFF
Christian crocker,
Director of music
Christian Crocker currently serves as the Director of Music and Organist at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Huntsville, AL. During his nine years at Nativity the choirs have seen tremendous growth in participation and engagement. In addition to his ministry at Nativity, Christian is the Artistic Director for Valley Consort, an auditioned twenty-voice choir singing diverse music from all time periods. As an active professional singer, Christian has performed with the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, Ensemble Altera, Yale Choral Artists, Bach Collegium San Diego, The Queen’s Six (UK), and Tenebrae (UK). He recently was a member of the faculty at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (2016-2022) as an Adjunct Professor of Voice. Before arriving at Nativity, Christian received his B.M. in Organ Performance from Florida State University and his M.M. in Choral Conducting from the Yale School of Music and a certificate from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. In his spare time, he enjoys entertaining and cooking for his friends and cycling through northern Alabama and southern Tennessee.
Carly Woodfin,
Parish administrator
As the Parish Administrator, Carly's focus is to build systems that continue to root St. Paul's Episcopal Church in tradition, but allows the parish to grow with an eye towards progress. Carly has worn many professional hats, but holds a degree in Public Relations and a Master's in Education. Before returning to St. Paul's, Carly taught 8th grade Intensive Reading and English Language Arts in Fernandina Beach, FL. She has also served several churches as a communications consultant. Even though she grew up in the Midwest, Carly is looking forward to returning to the place she calls home. In her leisure time she enjoys sharing a meal with friends and family, hiking, and traveling.
ERic Fitch, Bookkeeper
Janet Hale,
Pastoral Care Minister and Adult Handbell Director
Janelle wagoner, interim choir director
Mackenzie Teal, director of family ministries
MacKenzie grew up in Newnan, Georgia as the youngest of four children. She is a recent graduate of Young Harris College with a degree in English Studies. From a young age, MacKenzie has been active in the Episcopal Church as an acolyte, working in diocesan and parish leadership as a youth, and worked as a Youth and Young Adult Ministry Intern for the Diocese of Atlanta. Her leadership philosophy is grounded in helping youth claim their faith journey as their own. In her free time, MacKenzie loves tending her houseplants and spending time outside.
Meg Settle,
Director of communications
Meg Settle has spent the last 8 years working in digital media and communications. She has worked for both large institutions (like Lionsgate and Sewanee University) and many smaller, local projects. She earned a B.S. in Audio Engineering, and has since been developing skills in photography, videography and copywriting. Meg is a member at Grace Episcopal, where her partner Rev. Zac Settle is the curate and their 3 and 6 year old daughters run laps around the Nave. She’s excited to leverage her communication skillset to help enable St. Paul’s continued flourishing. Meg spends her free time reading fiction, hiking, gardening, petting her cat, Remi, and working on her very old house.
Patty Brigham,
Facilities Coordinator
Steven Richardson Severin, interim director of music
Steven Richardson Severin, raised on the island of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi, has been a church organist since 2016, when he started working for St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Honolulu. Notable pieces Steven performed at St. Mark’s include the Duruflé Requiem, Messiaen’s l’Ascension, and numerous works from the Anglican choral tradition. He is also a pianist, having earned a Master of Music in piano performance from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. Before that, he earned a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2011.
As a collaborative pianist and organist, he has worked with ensembles such as the Gay Men’s Chorus of Honolulu, the chamber choir Nā Wai, and the Hawaiʻi Youth Opera Chorus, where he also taught group piano classes. As an educator, he worked with the middle school choirs and instrumental ensembles at Kamehameha Schools Kapālama campus. He also teaches private piano lessons for youth and adults.
Steven enjoys singing in choirs as well, and is a member of the Sewanee School of Theology Choir. While in Honolulu, he sang in the chorus for the world premiere of Kinohi by Herb Mahelona, the first Hawaiian-language oratorio. As a member of the Oʻahu Choral Society, he performed works by Brahms, Orff, Howells, and others.
His wife, Erin, is a seminarian at the School of Theology, and they live on the mountain with their cat, Mahina. Steven’s non-musical hobbies include cooking, bicycling, and computer/ tabletop games.
Brian johnson, Calvin Yearby, Cassandra brigham,Harry brigham, - Sextons
VESTRY
The Vestry of St. Paul’s is the legal and financial “board of trustees” for the church. Members are elected for three-year terms and lead the parish in setting policies and goals, maintaining the buildings, and raising financial support for the mission of the parish. The Vestry is chaired by the Rector and consists of fifteen parishioners. The Wardens are the “Executive Officers” of the Vestry.
Typically five new members are elected to three year terms. The elections are held each year at our Parish Meeting in November. Any member of the parish is welcome to attend Vestry meetings and is encouraged to approach any member of the Vestry with any questions or concerns they may have with any spiritual or non-spiritual aspects of the church and its leadership and management.
Vestry Members:
Class of 2024
Amy Arrowsmith
Will Hopping
Nelson Irvine
Trip Smith
Julie Taylor
Class of 2025
Nelson Eiselstein
Eliza Williams
Carrie Stefaniak
David Spiller
Rhett Bentley
Class of 2026
John Beard
Katherine Betts
Greg Miller
Jeremy Weldon
Harriett Connor Whitaker