Canons to the Ordinary
The Rev. Dr. Richard M. Simpson
Transitions. Transitions. Transitions. Which is just a fancy polite way to talk about change. I do NOT do deployment – we don’t deploy clergy in the Episcopal Church! It’s about the journey and about discernment. We are living through a time of big changes in the world and in the Church. I used to think my work was focused on identifying and recruiting clergy leaders when parishes were open. I’m learning that the far deeper and more important work is to prepare congregations for the next chapter. Even in congregations moving from full-time clergy to full- time clergy, that shift will still be about navigating change. So the work is about coaching, prodding, supporting, loving, trusting and encouraging God’s people.
Ext. #117 or (413) 417-2415
The Rev. Pamela J. Mott
Congregational Vitality resources: Can bring trainings to parishes: Coaching; Vital teams; Natural Church Development; Going Deeper, Moving Forward; Renewal Works, Small Church Summit, etc
Pastoral Networking: Caring for Clergy and leaders in times of need
Ext. #119 or (413) 417-2341
Steven P. Abdow
Canon for Mission Resources
Human To Human, Diocesan Finances, Real Estate, Fundraising, Coordinate the non-parish based ministries of the Diocese, Staff Liaison for Standing Committee and Chancellor
Ext. #121 or(413) 417-2414
Lainey Hurlbut
Bishop’s Executive Assistant
Clergy and Lay Licensing, Bishop’s Calendar,Ordination Officer, clergy Personal Reports, COM liaison, clergy Days, Renewal of Vows and conferences, Bishop’s Reports and Reports for CPG, Canonical changes of clergy
Ext. #123 or (413) 417-2401
Karen Warren
Administrative Assistant to the Canons to the Ordinary & the Executive Director of the Trustees
In support of Clergy: Process Sabbatical Grants, Clergy Children Education Grants, Continuing Education grants
Transition Ministry: Process clergy background checks; support Fresh Start ministry
Congregational Support: Process and administer Ministry Development grants and Bement-Waterfield grants Support Safe Church Officer: Communicate workshop information; workshop registrations, record keeping
Support of the Trustees for the Diocese: process deposits/withdrawals for congregational funds; administer quarterly distribution; archive Trustees fund records
Support of Archives: Collect, classify and preserve materials of historic value related to the Diocese; research and respond to inquiries.
Ext. #118 or (413) 417-2342
Norman “Mick” Kalber
Executive Director of the Trustees
Communicate with parish treasurers and meet with vestries and finance committees to respond to questions regarding their invested funds; Process expenses from vendors and execute initiated deposit and withdrawal requests from shareholders; Interact on a regular basis with Mercer, our investment consultant, and serve as a liaison between Mercer and the finance committee; Oversee the activities of all the Trustees committees; Produce the quarterly valuation of the Fund and calculate and distribute the quarterly disbursement;Plan and organize the quarterly Trustees meetings
Ext. #114 or (413) 417-2339
Susan Olbon
Office Manager & HR
Contact for clergy payroll and benefits questions;Consult/assist congregations/clergy with clergy compensation and clergy tax questions; HR related matters; Ensure compliance with changing tax laws and employer requirements such as Affordable Care Act reporting, etc.; Property Insurance Matters
Ext. #120 or (413) 417-2429
Melanie Cortis
Assistant for Office Administration
Hospitality, assisting all Administrative staff with office duties, updating the Google calendar,Ordering, and answering the phone
Ext. #110 or (413) 417-2346
Alison Gamache
Assistant for Communications & Payroll Administration
Diocesan Cycle of Prayer; day-to-day updates to website; format Mission Matters; edit copy for ABUNDANT TImes; layout editor; manage databases
Alison is the contact for submitting payroll hours. She is also the contact if you are hiring a new lay employee or for any termination or other changes to the payroll for lay employees.
Ext. #125 or (413) 417-8682
Kim Foster
Financial Controller
Manage day-to-day financial operations; Assure accuracy of financial data and reports for multiple entities; Manage the performance of annual audit activity; Ensure compliance with procedures, controls, and accounting policies; Identify & implement process improvements
Ext. #116 or (413) 417-2337
Esther Barker
Accounting Manager
Process Accounts Payable payments, Accounts Receivable invoicing and payments, Cash Receipts payments for donations etc.; Monitor Line of Credit and Cash Flow daily; Monthly General Ledger recurring journal entries and adjustments; Reconciling General Ledger accounts as necessary; Coordinating Month-end and Year-end Close; Providing Controller with reports on a timely basis; Providing data, reports and records for the Diocesan Annual Audit; Reconciling Payroll on a Bi-monthly and Annual basis; Providing 1099’s and 1096’s to vendors at year-end
Ext. #115 or(413) 417-2338
The Rev. Vicki Ix
Communications Director | Missioner
Managing Editor of ABUNDANT Times magazine & Mission Matters; social media; consult/assist congregations with communications issues; provide a website audit; consult/assist website builds; internal announcements & external press
Ext. #124 or(413) 417-2413
Missioners
Missioner for Creation Care
The Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas
Margaret represents the diocese at environmental conferences and other gatherings so the Church has a seat at the table for one of the most crucial issues of our time. She speaks and preaches on our call to protect God’s Creation, leads retreats on spiritual resilience and resistance, and provides resources for the diocese to learn, pray, act and advocate on behalf of God’s Creation. She reports on climate action opportunities and builds ecumenical, interfaith and secular partnerships. She also serves as Missioner for Creation Care in the Mass. Conference, United Church of Christ. She says, “I hope to inspire and support the Diocese of Western Massachusetts as we seek to honor the sacredness of Creation and to make a robust, faithful and coordinated response to climate change. I am very interested in the ways that religious faith can move us beyond fear, hopelessness or despair as we face the reality of climate change. I also believe that religious communities and leaders have an important role to play in shaping this country’s growing climate movement.” The Rev. Dr. Bullitt-Jonas was a parish priest for 25 years, including nine years as Priest Associate at Grace Church, Amherst, MA. She received a B.A. in 1974 from Stanford University, a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature in 1984 from Harvard University, and a Masters of Divinity in 1988 from Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. Visit her website: RevivingCreation.org.
Email Margaret Call Margaret: (413) 341-3566
Missioner for Servant Leadership
The Rev. Jennifer Gregg
Jennifer has been the Director of the Berkshire Servant Leadership Center since its beginning in 2007 and founding Vice President of BIO, Berkshires Interfaith Organizing, in 2014. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Elmira College, and a Masters in Divinity from Berkley Divinity School at Yale University. She currently lives in Pittsfield Massachusetts with her husband, and two daughters.
Missioner for Spirituality & Leadership
The Rt. Rev. Mark M. Beckwith
Mark served as bishop diocesan of the Church in Newark, NJ from 2007 – 2019. Prior to that he served as rector of All Saints, Worcester from 1993 – 2006.
As Missioner for Spirituality and Leadership, Mark is working on a part-time basis with congregational leadership two Sundays each month and offering spiritual direction to clergy
Contact Mark through the Bishop’s Office
Missioner to the African Community of Worcester
The Rev. John Edgar Freeman
Appointed Missioner to the Worcester African Community in October 2016, Edgar also serves as Assistant Priest at St. Matthew’s Parish, Worcester. Baptized into the Episcopal Church of Liberia, after graduating from St. John’s Episcopal High School he worked for the Liberian Government. During the Liberian Civil War, Edgar lived in Waterloo Refugee Camp in Freetown, Sierra Leone, for seven years with his family and became a lay pastor to approximately 150 Episcopalians in the refugee camp. A Canadian social worker noted his efforts and commitment; and arranged for him to attend the Anglican Seminary in Freetown, from which he graduated, under the auspices of the Anglican Church of Canada. St. John the Evangelist, Port Hope, Ontario, supported his family, while Edgar attended seminary and he and his family continued to live in the refugee camp. Upon returning to Liberia, Edgar worked as Dean of Students at the B. W. Harris Episcopal School and was ordained deacon in 1999 and priest in the ECL in 2004. Edgar served a number of urban and rural parishes and churches throughout Liberia. He immigrated to the US in 2013, becoming a US citizen on 2017.
Missioner for Latino/Hispanic Ministries
The Rev. José Reyes
The Rev. José Reyes grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts and received a BA from Williams College with a major in Psychology and a concentration in Latina/o Studies in 2007. Following his undergraduate studies, he worked as an Elder Protective Services Case Manager and later as a Case Manager for the Mental Health Association during which he decided to pursue ordination to the priesthood. He went to Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia receiving his M. Div. degree in 2015. He has served as the Head Pastor of San Marcos Episcopal Church in Alexandria, Virginia and Associate Rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Worcester, MA. José loves the outdoors, is an avid runner and enjoys playing the guitar, piano and drums.
Urban Missioner for Worcester
The Rev. Meredyth Ward
Meredyth was appointed in 2014 and began “Walking Together: A Ministry of Presence in South Main” with the help of a grant from The Episcopal Church. The storefront ministry is a non-judgmental place of welcome, a warming site, a place for mothers and children and a hub for 12-Step groups. “Walking Together” is a sponsor of Laundry Love – a monthly free laundry ministry at Suds Up Laundromat.
Officers & Directors
Diocesan Intake Officer
The Rev. Dr. Molly Scherm
Molly serves and the Diocesan Intake Officer for both concerns relating to suspected misconduct under our Safe Church Policy, and for any matter involving clergy misconduct. It is her responsibility in receiving reports of concern to listen respectfully, offer pastoral care and response, and ensure that appropriate processes for accountability are followed. Molly served as rector of Christ Church in Rochdale, priest-in-charge at St. Andrew’s, Turners Falls. Currently, Molly serves as associate rector at Saints James and Andrew, and lives in Greenfield. Before entering parochial ministry she spent over thirty years in independent school teaching and administration. Ordained in 1978 in the Diocese of New York, she holds both M.Div. and D.Min. degrees from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Safe Church Officer
The Rev. Tanya R. Wallace
Tanya trains and certifies diocesan staff, clergy and volunteers in the Safe Church program. She serves as rector of All Saints’, South Hadley and as Director of the Lawrence House Service Corps.
Cathedral Music Director, Organist & Director of the Bishop’s Choir School
Mr. Todd Beckham
Mr. Beckham has a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance from Youngstown
State University and a Master of Music in Organ and Harpsichord Performance
from Converse College. He has also done postgraduate studies in Choral
Conducting and Sacred Music at Boston University. While serving as the Hawai’ian Cathedral’s Music Director and Organist, he was also an organist for the Bishop Memorial Chapel at Kamehameha School, Palama, chapel organist and choir accompanist for St. Andrew’s Priory and Preparatory School, and choral accompanist with Hawaii Pacific University.
Director of the Building Bridges Veterans Initiative
The Rev. Christopher Carlisle
Chris is Special Assistant to the Bishop for Special Projects and Director of the veterans ministry initiative, “Building Bridges.” Having spent twenty-five years in campus ministry, Chris is now dedicated to veterans ministry initiatives, outdoor Christian communities, and the innovation of new expressions of “church” in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts.
E-mail: info@buildingbridgeswma.com
Associate Director, Building Bridges
Mr. Chad Wright
Chad Wright serves as the assistant director of Building Bridges and the site director for the luncheon in Greenfield. Chad is currently finishing up a bachelors in social work from Elms College. Chad is a veteran with a passion for community service.