Although my husband, Bill, and I were not raised Episcopalian, we have spent our lives seeking God, and once we began visiting our first Episcopal Church in Arizona almost seven years ago, we quickly realized that our beliefs and values are tightly in line with the Episcopal teachings. It has been and continues to be a journey in faith as we seek to learn the Episcopal ways.

A late bloomer graduating from college at age 40 with a Bachelor of Social Work, I went on to fulfill my purpose for even returning to college by becoming the student coordinator for The Initiative to Educate Afghan Women. From there, I returned to college again to earn my MSEd TESOL so that I could teach English to people who wanted to enroll in U.S. colleges. Education and women’s ministries have always been my deepest interests.

In my early years of church service, I served on and facilitated many committees that focused on women’s ministry. In recent years, during Migrant Protection Protocols, I started a survival English program at a shelter in Mexico for people who were waiting to apply for asylum. Members of several Episcopal parishes in Arizona joined together to help create this program.

The one constant thread of service throughout my life and in every facet of my life has been hospitality. I thrive on making people feel included and welcomed and on serving up good food, good conversations, and deep compassion to connect us together.

After visiting and attending several Episcopal churches in Durham, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, the Holy Spirit led me to St. Stephen’s in November, 2023. Arriving here felt like home.

My history within the Episcopal church began with my seeking a closer relationship with God - finding it in the liturgy, sacraments and scriptures. I was confirmed in 1980. The church has always been an integral part of my life. Here at St. Stephen’s I am a volunteer at the Reception Desk and at St. Joseph’s breakfast ministry. I also serve as a Greeter and Eucharistic Minister and I am on the Mission and Outreach Committee. I attend both Sunday’s Christian Formation and Thursday’s Women’s Bible Study and Holy Eucharistic and Healing Service.

I was a Registered Nurse in critical care and hospice care. Caring for the dying became my calling. I devoted my career to advocating for patients and families. I developed hospice and palliative care programs for adults and children in major faith based health care systems in Texas. My skills in communication, especially listening and organization have been assets as an innovator and change agent.

It would be an honor and privilege to serve on the vestry. I strongly support the mission of St. Stephen’s which is to welcome all and spread the love of God through worship, education and acts of service. If elected, I will commit to being a thoughtful and prayful member and to use my skills and talents to further out ministry.

I was born and raised in Northern New Jersey and lived in Putnam County, NY, for more than 30 years before moving to Durham in 2022. The first Episcopal church in Durham that I checked out after my move—I was going to visit at least three—was St. Stephen’s and I liked it so much that I never got around to looking at any others.

I was raised as a Roman Catholic but joined the Episcopal Church in 1999. During my years in the Diocese of New York, I served as a member of the vestry and as a warden at St. Andrew’s Church in Brewster, NY. I also served as a member of the vestry at the Church of the Holy Communion in Mahopac, NY.

It should be noted that while I served as a warden at St. Andrew’s I led the vote to shutter its historic church building because we had run out of money despite many efforts to grow the parish.

I am in my second year of study in Education for Ministry (EfM), an Episcopal course of study on theology and church history that really doesn’t have much to do with ministry. It’s been said that you go into EfM with serious questions, but you come out with much better questions. Since this is a bio for a vestry candidate, I should say something about how my faith is strong and deep. It isn’t, or at least it has never been both strong and deep at the same time. I leave it at that since worrying about the strength of my faith has never been productive for me.

I am a semi-retired freelance writer and editor, and I specialize in writing about health and medicine for both consumers and health professionals such as doctors and pharmacists. I am a graduate of Fairfield University in Connecticut, where I majored in biology but somehow never took a class in botany.

At St. Stephen’s I am a member of the choir, singing alto. I sing for the glory of God, but also because it is fun for me and only mildly annoying to others.

In my spare time, I read, cook, knit and crochet, and watch old movies and anime.

I am so honored to be considered as a nominee for vestry at St. Stephen's! My husband, John, and I have been congregants since 2019. St. Stephen's has been a spiritual haven for us in this busy season of life--since joining, we got married and welcomed our son Thomas. We live out in Hillsborough where I work as a Project Manager and general coordinator of chaos for our household.

I've been involved in several areas of St. Stephen's over the years, from Capital Campaign initiatives to Christian Education to the Layoff Support Group. I'm eager to use my workplace skills to improve our church organization, making it easier for congregants to understand what's going on and easier for ministry and committee volunteers to report on their activities.

It's my hope that I can contribute my time and skills to St. Stephen's in a way that helps our community grow, engaging with our existing congregants and reaching out to our Durham neighbors in meaningful ways. I am excited to dive into the work and ask for your prayers and support. Thank you again for your consideration!

I moved to Durham from Florida in 1995 and retired in 2017. I was a lifelong Presbyterian, although my participation in church life was hit-or-miss at times, and I feel young in my faith journey. I became a member of St. Stephen's in 2023. My connection to my faith has always been through music, and I had the opportunity to share the joy of music with young school children in Haiti on mission trips in 2018 and 2019. I consider it a privilege to be a member of St. Stephen's choir and to be able to offer my musical talents to the glory of God. I'm very new to the Episcopal Church, but I already feel at home with the rites and customs of the church and welcomed by the St. Stephen's community.

Many thanks for considering my nomination to the Vestry.

It was my good fortune to grow up here in St. Stephen’s, starting in the 1960’s when my father launched Durham’s first oral surgery practice. As a young church member, I stayed involved as a scout, occasional acolyte and regular at the parking lot basketball court. Work took me after graduation from UNC to Virginia. There I spent more than three decades in media and corporate communications. I returned to Durham from Richmond in 2010 to be closer to my aging mother and to pursue a remote-work business consulting opportunity.

Now retired, I enjoy reading, continuing education, travel, a good game of chess, volunteering and civic engagement, as well as cycling and other outdoor activities. I also make a killer Vodka martini. It would be my pleasure, if selected, to offer my best thinking and service to our capable clergy, Vestry and staff as they manage the opportunities, challenges and daily operations of church today.

My name is Beth O'Brien, and my husband Dan and I have been attending St. Stephen's for three years. I was baptized Episcopalian and just before marrying Dan in 1996, converted to Catholicism. Prior to attending SSEC, we attended St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Chapel Hill. Many years ago, our daughter Isabel, 25, attended preschool at St. Stephen's and her experience left us with wonderful SSEC memories. These good vibes made transitioning to St. Stephen's an easy choice and I'm so glad we did. The welcoming and friendly nature of the SSEC community along with the approachable and thoughtful team of clergy, seminarians and staff have made involvement easy - even for someone more socially reserved. Enjoying a Sit Down with Sandy, singing with a Christmas caroling caravan, assisting Wanda and her team with event set-ups, sharing a Lenten devotion, digging in at campus clean-ups, and for the past year, helping with the St. Joe's breakfast ministry and serving on the Property Committee have all been deeply fulfilling. St. Stephen's has buoyed my faith through outreach, music and community, and strengthened it through scripture resources, meditations and shared worship. I feel so blessed to call St. Stephen's our church home and look forward to what's ahead.