CLERGY

The Reverend Alan M. Gates has been Rector of
St. Paul’s since 2004, overseeing the full range of ministries and staffing at the parish.  In the diocese and wider church his interests include the mentoring of candidates for parish ministry, and US-Russian church relations.  A graduate of Middlebury College and Episcopal Divinity School, Alan has previously served parishes in the dioceses of Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts, and Chicago.  Prior to ordination, he was a linguist and Soviet analyst with the federal government.

Contact Alan at agates@stpauls-church.org.

The  Reverend Lisa E. Hackney serves as Associate Rector with particular responsibility for Apostleship (outreach) and Liturgical ministries. Lisa is passionate about building up the Body of Christ within the congregation and building St. Paul's' identity as a leader in Greater Cleveland; she serves on the boards of  InterAct Cleveland  and Episcopal Community Services (ECS), and is a member of the Diocesan Commission to End Racism.  As a member of the clergy team, she shares in offering sacramental ministry, preaching, teaching, and pastoral care. Ordained in the Diocese of Chicago, Lisa served parishes there in both lay and ordained capacities. She is a graduate of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and in her first career, played harp professionally while raising her four children.

Contact Lisa at lhackney@stpauls-church.org.

The Rev. Richard C. Israel is an ordained Lutheran minister (ELCA) called by the Northeastern Ohio Synod, ELCA to serve as Associate Rector at St. Paul's Episcopal Church.  This call is made possible by the joint fellowship agreement between the ELCA and the Episcopal Church known as Called to Common Mission.  Rich's responsibilities include coordinating the staff's work in pastoral care along with sharing in ministries of worship, education, and outreach.  Rich is a graduate of Valparaiso University, Yale Divinity School and Christ Seminary Seminex.

Contact Rich at risrael@stpauls-church.org.

Deacon Kirby Colwell has served as St. Paul’s Volunteer Coordinator for about ten years.  His personal and clerical mission is to facilitate parishioners’ involvement in hands-on ministry concerning peace and justice issues in the local community and the world.  A native Texan, he has also lived and worked in Colorado and New Mexico and now lives in Orange with his wife Gail. His hobbies include cycling and gardening.

Contact Kirby at kcolwell@stpauls-church.org.

Philip A. (Denny) Anderson has served as a Deacon at St. Paul's for over 10 years.  His is also a primary care internist and Clinical Associate Professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.  Denny holds degrees from Harvard College, Episcopal Divinity School, and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.  He serves the National Church as a faculty member for two 8-day CREDO conferences per year for Episcopal clergy from across the country.

Contact Denny at paa@case.edu.

Kate Gillooly serves as Minister for Christian Formation and Program, and has been on staff at St. Paul’s since 1996. She coordinates educational offerings for people of all ages, and seeks to strengthen the links between education and liturgy and outreach. Over the past 25 years, she has worked in small, medium and large parishes, as well as diocesan staff and individual consulting. She is a past President of NAECED (National Association for Episcopal Christian Education Directors – now called “forma”). Kate has a BA in Religion from Case Western Reserve University and a MA in Ministry from Ursuline College, and is a licensed pastoral care specialist with the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. She and her husband, Greg, live in Cleveland Heights, Ohio with their son, Jami and daughter, Madeleine.

Contact Kate at kgillooly@stpauls-church.org.

Pam O’Halloran has been on the St. Paul’s staff since January, 2010.  In her role as Director of Congregational Development, Pam oversees the stewardship activities of the parish and integrates them with the ministries of Membership and Fellowship.  Prior to joining the staff, Pam served as co-chair of the St. Paul’s Capital Campaign: The Campaign for St. Paul’s Future. Pam was an active member of the Vestry as Senior Warden from 2007-2009 and Junior Warden from 2005-2007. She also had leadership roles in the parish’s Long Range Planning, Rector Search and Stewardship Committees.  Pam received a B. A. in Economics from Smith College. She and her husband live in Shaker Heights and have three children, Nate, Meg and Jack.

Contact Pam at pohalloran@stpauls-church.org.

Barbara Pelowski has served as Director of New Member Ministries at St. Paul’s since 2001. Facilitating a ministry of hospitality, she works with parish volunteers to welcome visitors and provide opportunities for newcomers to learn about St. Paul’s and the Episcopal Church. A graduate of Lake Erie College, Syracuse University, and Michigan State University, she brings to St. Paul’s 35 years experience as an educator working in college and school administration both nationally and abroad.

Contact Barbara at bpelowski@stpauls-church.org.

Paul Winter was hired as the full-time Youth Minister of
St. Paul’s in July 2011. He has been involved with youth ministry in the parish and diocesan levels since 2000. Paul grew up in the Episcopal Church at St. Thomas, Berea, where his father served as rector. Paul also attended Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea. He feels a passionate calling to youth ministry and is excited to be involved in developing the youth and young adult program at St. Paul’s. His hobbies include watching movies, jazz music and checking out new restaurants in the Cleveland area.

Contact Paul at pwinter@stpauls-church.org.

Kim Fry directs all print and online communications in collaboration with the clergy, staff and numerous volunteers. Before joining the staff at St. Paul’s in July 2007, she served for four years as Communications Coordinator for the California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in Pasadena, CA. Kim holds a B.S. in Communications from Ohio University. She is passionate about the local food movement and looks forward to visiting her CSA farm each week throughout the growing season to pick up her bag of organic city-grown vegetables.

Contact Kim at kfry@stpauls-church.org.

Karel Paukert has been Organist-Choirmaster at St. Paul's Church nearly thirty years. He is the Curator Emeritus of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Before coming to Cleveland, Karel was associate professor of Organ and Church Music at Northwestern University and directed music at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Evanston. He continues to concertize and teach internationally. He especially likes to return to his native Czech Republic.

Contact Karel at kpaukert@stpauls-church.org.

Steven Plank has been an Anglican church musician for close to forty years, serving parishes in Louisville, St. Louis, Oberlin, and Cleveland.  He is a Professor of Musicology at Oberlin College where he teaches courses in pre-modern music and directs the Collegium Musicum Oberliniense.  His research focuses on performance practice, English music, and the relationships between liturgy, spirituality, and musical style.  His hobbies are antiques and Louisville Cardinal basketball.

Contact Steven at steven.plank@oberlin.edu.

Rick and Beth Nelson have been Directors of Music for Children and Youth since 1998.  Before coming to St. Paul's, they served Lutheran and Episcopalian congregations in Georgia and New York.  They enjoy traveling to hear the great choirs of the world sing Choral Evensong.
Beth Nelson holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and the Eastman School of Music.  An avid player of the modern and Baroque flute, she has taught music on virtually every level during the last thirty years.  Presently, she teaches music theory fundamentals to non-music majors at Case Western Reserve University.   At St. Paul's she works with all of the choirs for children and youth.  She is known affectionately by the choristers as "Dr. Beth."
     At St. Paul's, Rick Nelson serves as the organist for the 9:00 service, and he also works with all of the choirs for children and youth.  At the Cleveland Institute of Music, he is Professor and Head of Music Theory.  A graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, the Conservatoire Américain, and the Eastman School of Music, he enjoys mixing the musical worlds of the church and the academy.

Contact Rick at richard.nelson@case.edu.

Contact Beth at beth.nelson@case.edu.

David Osburn's parents were married by St. Paul's Rector Ted Evans in 1941. He was baptized here in 1943. His mother Ruth was Parish Secretary at St. Christopher's in Gates Mills and ran the nursery school for 30 years. David played the 8 bell chime there before it became a 23 bell carillon. He studied organ at St. Paul's with Walter Blodgett, later with Marilyn Mason at University of Michigan where he also studied carillon with Percival Price. David has been carillonneur at St. Paul's since 1990 and by day he is a private piano teacher. He is a member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA).

Contact David at drdhojr@mindspring.com.

Lois Davis has been a church musician for nearly forty years, directing and performing in both vocal and bell choirs. She recently retired from teaching music for
25 years in the Willoughby-Eastlake Schools. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from Bucknell University and a Master of Music Education degree from Kent State University. Other interests include ballroom dancing, activities with her daughter and travel, especially to visit her son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren in Chicago.

Contact Lois at loismusic@hotmail.com.

Carol Wipper graduated from Case Western Reserve with a degree in Art History, but continued piano studies and eventually began organ and harpsichord studies. For several years she was Assistant Organist at Christ Church, Shaker Heights.  Since joining St. Paul's 10 years ago, Carol has been in the Senior Choir, played for various services and, for the last 4 years, accompanied the youth drama group’s annual musical. She also plays services at Judson Park and accompanies several small chamber groups.  Interests other than music include travel, photography, tennis, skiing, and her grandchildren.

Contact Carol at carolyn@wipper.com.

Mark Finkenbine is the Parish Manager, which means he oversees building maintenance and tries to ride herd on the calendar of events and room assignments.  He also spends a fair amount of his time excoriating balky computers.  He has been at St. Paul’s, with a variety of titles, for over 25 years.

Contact Mark at mfinkenbine@stpauls-church.org.

Brenda's primary responsibility is to oversee all of the financial operations at St. Paul's.  Brenda has served as Controller since January 2002.  She is a non-practicing Certified Public Accountant and holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting from Miami of Ohio University.  Brenda also earned her MBA from Case Western Reserve University.   Prior to joining St. Paul's, Brenda worked 18 years in the private business sector in the area of finance.  She works part-time and is able to use her spare time improving her tennis game. 

Contact Brenda at bburton@stpauls-church.org.

Gail Emmet joined St. Paul’s in August of 2003 after a 17 year long career as a travel agent.  As Parish Secretary her duties respond to the varied needs of the parishioners and staff. Every day is different in the Parish Office and there is never a dull moment.  Gail provides administrative support to the clergy, church school and youth programs, parish groups and activities, and she oversees the details of the church database.  These duties, in addition to being the voice on the phone when you call St. Paul’s, make for full and fulfilling workdays.

Contact Gail at gemmet@stpauls-church.org.

Abra Said returned to St. Paul’s as Assistant to Christian Formation in August 2012 after having served as the Intern for Children’s Ministries from 2005-2008 and being a Youth Group member throughout her high school years. She holds a B.A. in Family and Child Development and a certificate in Parent Education from The University of Akron and is currently working toward a M.S. in Leadership Development. When Abra is not at St. Paul’s or studying, you can often find her at one of her little brothers’ many sporting events, on her yoga mat, or taking pictures. She also serves on the advisory board for the Alpha Phi chapter at Case Western Reserve University.

Contact Abra at asaid@stpauls-church.org.

Cynthia Black attends the Cleveland Institute of Music studying viola with Robert Vernon. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Cynthia grew up in a musical family playing piano, organ, and viola. She assists the Nelsons with the children and youth choirs at St. Paul's. Cynthia enjoys cooking, working out, and playing with her string quartet at school.

Contact Cynthia at cynthia_keiko@yahoo.com