Gary Hall
Rector
The Reverend Canon Gary R. Hall, Ph.D., became the seventh Rector of Christ Church Cranbrook in January, 2010. Prior to coming to Bloomfield Hills, Dr. Hall served as Dean and President of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston Illinois, Rector of the Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania , Senior Associate at All Saints Church, Pasadena, California, Vicar of St. Aidan’s Church in Malibu, California, and Associate Rector and Chaplain at Christ Church Cranbrook and the Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He has also taught at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, the Episcopal Theological School at Claremont, UCLA, and Oakwood School. In the 1990s he served the Diocese of Los Angeles as the Clergy Sexual Misconduct Officer. A native Californian, Dean Hall received his A.B. at the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his M.Div. with distinction at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in English at UCLA. He is an honorary canon of the Cathedral Center of St. Paul in Los Angeles. He and his wife Kathy have one son, Oliver, a musician and writer living in Los Angeles. Kathy and Gary live in the Christ Church Cranbrook rectory. Visit Gary’s blog Figbag.blogspot.com
Joyce Matthews
Associate Rector
The Reverend Joyce M. Matthews has always enjoyed helping others. Her previous career was in Respiratory Therapy. She worked in hospitals, homecare and higher education. She believes her healthcare experience helped prepare her for priesthood.
Beth Taylor
Associate Priest for Outreach and Youth
The Reverend Beth Taylor comes to Christ Church Cranbrook from Evanston, IL where she graduated recently from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. Beth has a passion for preaching, vibrant worship, and welcoming all people (especially young people) to God’s table. Her previous career was in non-profit management in New York City, Denver and Chicago where she worked to unveil and address the unnecessary but painful reality of hunger in our neighborhoods. Beth and her husband Mark have two children, Gianni and Sofia. She is also a jazz and bluegrass singer, and an avid reader.
Jonathan Sams
Associate Priest for Spiritual Formation
Jonathan Sams was born in Charleston, S.C., and grew up in Chicago. He attended the University of Chicago Laboratory School and Oberlin College, and obtained an M. Div. Degree from Nashotah House Seminary. He was ordained a priest in 1966 and served was an Assistant at the Church of the Ascension in Chicago until 1967, when he began an eleven year tenure as Chaplain of Lawrence Hall Youth Services in Chicago. In 1973 he moved to a farm in Northern Indiana and served as a retreat leader and consultant for youth programs across the United States and Canada. In 1981 he became Rector of St. Timothy’s Church in Griffith, Indiana, and served there until 1991, when he became Rector of St. Stephen’s in Troy, MI, where he served until retirement in September, 2011.
Father Sams has been married to Nancy Irey-Sams since 1999. They live in Troy and are the parents of six children: Jason, 32, works at Kohl’s, lives in Rochester Hills, MI, and is the father of Jayden, 8, and Teagan, 6; Caitlin Lester Sams, 26, and her husband, Michael, live in New York City, where she is pursuing an acting career; James, 24, lives at home and is employed at Kroger’s; David, 21, lives in Detroit and attends Wayne State University; Zachary, 21, attends Kettering University in Flint; Katie, 19, attends Michigan State University.
Jonathan is an associate of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist monastic community in Cambridge, MA, and participates frequently with a Lutheran monastery, St. Augustine’s House, in Oxford, MI. He fishes, hunts, plays the guitar, and writes about his experiences on his blog, http://www.theramblingrector.blogspot.com
Peggy Dahlberg
Director of Communications
Peggy has been a member of CCC since 1984 when she and Lyle were married here. They have two sons, Mike and Jimmy who are also members at CCC. Peggy was a member of the Vestry from 2006 to 2009 and for the last year was Junior Warden. She worked as a volunteer training and scheduling the acolytes for many years in addition to other volunteer activities before coming on board as a member of the staff.
Kathy Doyle
Parish Administrator
Prior to joining Christ Church Cranbrook, Kathy held various management, accounting, and finance positions. As Parish Administrator, she oversees all business aspects of the church. Kathy lives in Rochester with her husband, Dan, and has one child, Nick, who lives and works in Petoskey.
Pat Hirvonen
Administrative Assistant to the Rector
Pat has been at Christ Church Cranbrook since January 1995. She enjoys the variety of opportunities that her job provides, especially interacting with the clergy, staff, and parishioners. This experience has been a great blessing in her life.
David Kueber
Lead Sexton
Dave has been employed at Christ Church Cranbrook since January 2006 beginning as a Sexton and eventually taking the position of Lead Sexton in 2008. He skillfully cares for the maintenance of the church and the church housing.
Linda Luther
Bookkeeper
Linda joined the staff of CCC in May, 2010. She assists Kathy with various financial tasks. Prior to working at CCC, she spent 18 years working in financial positions for Presbyterian churches in the area. She is married and has 2 grown sons. One is married and lives in Grand Rapids with his wife and daughter. The other lives in Glendale, California and works in the film industry.
Jessica Neeper
Director for Children’s Ministries
Christ Church Cranbrook has been home to Jessica for many years. She served as an acolyte in her teens. Jessica received a degree in Interior Design from Michigan State University. She and her husband were married at CCC and both children, Aiden and Ellie, were baptized here. Her daughter Ellie was baby Jesus in the Festival of gifts in 2004. She has been a Sunday school teacher for 9 years in the 3rd and 4th grade. She has led Bible studies for women. It is with great joy that Jessica serves the children and their families at Christ Church Cranbrook.
John Repulski
Director of Music and Organist
John Repulski, director of music, has been at Christ Church Cranbrook since 2003. At CCC, he oversees the entire music program, directs the Christ Church Cranbrook Choir, the Cranbrook Ringers Handbell Ensemble, C3 Contemporary Music Ensemble, and the Boys & Girls Choir, Artistic Director of the Music At Christ Church Cranbrook concert series, as well as serves as principal organist at all services.John is secretary for the Standing Comission for Liturgy and Music of the ECUSA. He has also served as Dean of the Detroit Chapter of the America Guild of Organists, and as a regional coordinator for the Leadership Program for Musicians Serving Small Parishes. He is an active member of the Association of Anglican Musicians.
Prior to coming to CCC, John served at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Ann Arbor, MI. He also was organist at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral and Historic St. Paul Lutheran Church, both in Denver. He holds music degrees from Indiana University, Butler University, and Illinois Wesleyan.
Christopher Reynolds
Associate Director of Music and OrganistCommunications Assistant
Dr. Christopher Reynolds, Associate Director of Music and Organist, has been at Christ Church Cranbrook since December 2009. At CCC, he accompanies the Parish Choir, provides service music for all services, and other duties in the Music Department. Dr. Reynolds also serves as Communications Assistant, where he is responsible for preparing the weekly service and announcement leaflets.Prior to coming to Michgian, Christopher was the Organist & Choirmaster at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Boonsboro, MD. He also served as Music Director for the Shenandoah University Collegiate chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and also served as President for the Shenandoah University Collegiate chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.
Christopher just completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Organ Performance and Church Music at the University of Michigan, studying with world renowned organist, Dr. Marilyn Mason. He also completed both a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, with a Performance Certificate in Organ, and a Master of Music in Organ Performance at Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. Former teachers include: David Kelley, Dr. Steven Cooksey and Dr. W. Dudley Oakes (organ); Dr. Byron Jones (voice); and Dr. Karen Keating (choral conducting).
Professional affiliations include: American Choral Directors Association, American Guild of Organists, Association of Anglican Musicians, Organ Historical Society, Royal School of Church Music and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (Life Loyal member).
Richard Waldbott Jr
Sexton
Richard started at Christ Church Cranbrook on February 25, 1985, after an illustrious ten year career at Montgomery Ward.
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