CHURCH LEADERSHIP | stlukesbethesda

CHURCH LEADERSHIP

Staff and Vestry

The Reverend Jessica K. Hitchcock, Rector

As Rector, Jessica’s primary responsibility is to equip God’s people for ministry in the world. To that end, she prepares for and presides at worship services, offers pastoral care and education opportunities, and spends time praying, researching, studying, and talking with others to allow ample opportunities for God to inspire a vision for what God is dreaming of for St. Luke’s. Jessica also serves as a sort of director for the small nonprofit organization that St. Luke’s is, leading the staff and volunteers as we seek to live into God’s dream for our community. On Sundays, Jessica is focused on welcoming folks who are new to St. Luke’s and preparing for worship. She is happy to talk with you about pastoral issues - both celebrations and concerns - on Sunday morning but if you need to schedule an appointment or do substantial business, email is your best bet. Please text, call, or email Jessica if you or someone in the parish needs pastoral care.

Jessica grew up in Southwest Georgia, graduated from Virginia Theological and was ordained in 2006. She has served in various churches in Montgomery County and DC. She lives in the Forest Glen neighborhood of Silver Spring with her beloved middle schooler, woodworker/computer software engineer spouse and as many cats as he will allow her to take in.

Email Jessica

The Reverend Lesley Krauland, Deacon

Lesley was ordained to the diaconate in September 2018. Her role as a deacon is to bridge the needs of the world to the church and to support engaging the laity in their baptismal vows to seek and serve Christ in all persons, to strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being.

Email Deacon Lesley

Sarah Horick, Minister of Music, Liturgy, and Communications

Sarah Horick, Minister of Music, Liturgy, and Communications: Sarah joined the St. Luke’s staff in Lent of 2016 as the Minister of Music, and then became the Minister of Music & Liturgy in Spring of 2018. Now Sarah is adding communications to her portfolio of work at St. Luke’s! Sarah partners with Jessica in creating the worship liturgies at St. Luke’s, and is lead on bulletin creation. She also oversees all of the musical programming at St. Luke’s including the adult choir and the instrumentalists. In addition to week-to-week preparation, she also works toward a long-term programming development. Sarah will now be creating the weekly enews & hot news publications, managing our website & social media, and exploring how we can create a 20 or so minute weekly podcast with highlights from Sunday worship.If you have an announcement for the parish, please have those to sarah@stlukesbethesda.org by Tuesday 5 pm the week before you want them shared. Earlier is even better!

Sarah lives with her husband, daughter, son, and her son’s model trains in Silver Spring.

Email Sarah

James Rostron, Parish Administrator

We welcome James Rostron as our new Parish Administration. After 24 years teaching high school mathematics, his second career has been in service to the Episcopal Church, of which he has been a member for almost 30 years. James recently moved to Montgomery County from the District of Columbia and has been searching for a new workplace closer to home. He is happy to have found it here at St. Luke’s and very much looks forward to supporting this parish in fulfillment of its Christian mission and to getting to know you in the coming months.

Email James

Officers

Deb Marks, Senior Warden

Cliff Johnson, Junior Warden

Sandy Swab, Chair of Finance

Susie Casson, Assistant Treasurer

Veronica Walgamotte, Financial Contributions Officer

Vestry

2023

Linda Freeman

Steve Lowe

Claudia Henemyre