Rector Search Process
Rector Search Process
1. Wardens identify search committee chair, approved by Vestry
2. Wardens and chair select search committee, approved by Vestry and commissioned
3. Parish listening sessions and survey
4. Themes from the parish survey communicated
5. Parish profile written
6. Parish profile approved by Vestry and advertised
7. Website reviewed and updated
8. Applications reviewed by the committee
9. Discernment conversations with selected priests by committee
10. Final candidates visit St. Stephen’s
11. Diocese reviews final candidates
12. Search committee identifies the preferred candidate
13. Discernment conversation with preferred candidate by Vestry
14. Vestry asks Bishop for permission to call
15. New rector is announced
Michael Brewer, Chair
Michael was born at Durham Regional Hospital and grew up in Raleigh. Fifteen years ago he and his lovely wife, Jen, moved to Durham. After attending services for some time at St. Stephen’s, he joined St. Stephen’s in 2014. Prior to that, he was a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Raleigh. At St. Stephen’s, Michael has been a faithful member of our Vestry, has served as our Junior Warden and a valued member of the Property Committee. Michael is currently employed as Vice President of Provider Relations for AQUALIS. In his free time, Michael, enjoys playing golf with his sons, Walter (7 ½) and Mick (5), traveling, and working on his old Jeep. He also enjoys gardening; this summer he’s proud to see his new sunflowers flourish.
Phil Allard, Vestry Representative
Phil and his wife, Sue, joined St. Stephen’s about four years ago when they moved from the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. Phil had recently retired form a 37-year career with the Bureau of Land Management of the Department of the Interior. He had many assignments over the years ranging from fire-fighting through geologist, and finishing as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Director, leading a reorganization of the agency. As a geologist he specialized in industrial commodities.
Phil was born in Charlotte but raised mostly in Connecticut. His family was Roman Catholic but joined the Episcopal Church when he was young. In the early 2000’s he began seriously pursuing an interest in musical instruments and worked part-time as a piano tuner and rebuilder. He has served on two different church organ selection committees and has built a harp and a harpsichord.
Phil has had various Church leadership positions over the years. He was on the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Utah, served on the Vestry and as the Junior Warden of St. Paul’s, Salt Lake City, and served on the Vestry, and as the Junior Warden and the Senior Warden of Church of the Holy Comforter in Vienna, Virginia. At St. Stephen’s he has been active in the Choir and the property committee and is on the board of St. Stephen’s Concert Series. He has also volunteered at the Preschool. Also, Phil has represented St. Stephen’s at the Diocesan Convention. His grandchildren, Penny and Desmond Trout, were baptized here and had the opportunity to be embraced by this community.
Maya Almasy
Maya was born in Oxford, England and grew up on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. She met her future husband Alex while participating in an exchange program from Middlesex Polytechnic in England to William Paterson College in New Jersey as part of her degree in Performance Arts. She and Alex moved to Durham in 1995 and Maya joined St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in 1997. She has served the church in many capacities including; musician, reader, Sunday School teacher, and member of the Vestry. She has two daughters who both grew up attending St. Stephen's. Maya began her nursing career as a student nurse in the UK at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, and recently received her Master’s in Nursing at UNC Chapel Hill. She works at Campus Health at UNC Chapel Hill. Maya was a member of the London Symphony Chorus for a year while at college, and she continues to enjoy attending live concerts and shows as well as singing in the choir at St. Stephen's.
David Culp
David was born in Newport News, Virginia and moved to Durham, North Carolina in 2008. He has a Doctor of Philosophy in Tumor Biology from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Currently, he is the Director of Research at Powered Research, a contract research organization located in Research Triangle Park, specializing in ophthalmology research. David has been a member of St. Stephen’s for nearly 13 years, and was confirmed in this sanctuary. He has two wonderful children, Will (14) and Kajsa (12), that attended the preschool at St. Stephens, and are currently acolytes. They have been raised in the church since they were infants. He and his lovely wife, Sydney, are very devoted to church activities including teaching Sunday school and serving on a number of church committees. David has previously served on the Strategic Planning Committee, and Sydney has been a member of the Vestry and continues serving as chair of the Preschool Board and as a member of the Christian Education Committee. He enjoys golfing, music, gardening, fishing, and travelling. His family also has a ginormous Old English Sheepdog named Winston. David loves the music, the comradery and fellowship of St. Stephen’s, and looks forward to participating in this very important mission of the search committee.
Cindi Easterling
Cindi was born in Houston, Texas while her father was in the Navy, and did the majority of her growing-up in Portsmouth, VA, until she moved to Durham in 1966. She has enjoyed living here while graduating from Greensboro College with a B.S. degree, graduating from NC State with a Master’s degree in Adult Education, and, working 43 years at the Duke Medical Center. Until she retired on December 31, 2015, the majority of her work at Duke dealt with Radiologic Technology and Continuing Medical Education.
Cindi is a life-long Episcopalian and has attended all the Durham Episcopal churches. However, only until she attended St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church (SSEC) in March of 2014 did she want to join a church. Since joining our church, she has been a constant volunteer. This includes being a member of the Altar Guild, 3 years of the pledge campaigns, special fund campaigns including Fall Fund Raisers, yard sales, and special receptions. Cindi contributes extra time, talent and donations for/to projects involving the outside campus and inside the buildings and is committed to this church and its maintenance and growth.
Allen Fuller, Vestry Representative
Allen is a retired general surgeon. After obtaining a BA degree at Washington & Lee and completing medical school and surgical training at MCV (Now VCU), he served two years in the Navy at the Naval Hospital at Camp LeJeune before returning to his home town, South Boston, Virginia, to practice with his father, also a general surgeon, at what is now the Sentera Halifax Regional Hospital. After his retirement, Allen and his wife, Wendy, moved to Chapel Hill to enjoy the many things life here offers. They immediately felt welcomed and at home at St. Stephen’s and are especially drawn to the music. They joined the church in 2017 and have been very happy here. Allen serves on the New Members and Concert Committees and as a Greeter. He is also a member of the vestry.
Martina Gardner Woods
Martina, who was born in Wilmington, DE and who retired from college administration, has called Durham home for the last 15 years. Not long after arriving in Durham she and her husband, Norm, found St. Stephen’s and fell in love with the church, parishioners and staff. Throughout her time at St. Stephen’s, she has remained very active, participating on the vestry, multiple committees, and has served two terms as the Junior Warden. In retirement, she loves to spend time in her garden and with her six grandchildren.
Susan Griffin
St. Stephen's is Susan’s spiritual home. She was married in 1973 to the son of a founding member. The officiant was the late John W.S. Davis, our first rector at SSEC. She moved to Durham in 1976 and SSEC became her house of worship. Through Rev. McKenzie she was welcomed into the Episcopal church. Her Catholic upbringing had already baptized and confirmed her. Thereafter, she has been blessed at SSEC with the baptismal sacraments of her two children and one grandchild. Rev. Mason officiated the confirmation of her two children. Rev. Kaynor officiated the wedding ceremony of her daughter and the baptism of her grandson. All joyful occasions.
Susan also had the support of the parish in times of loss and uncertainty. The celebration of the lives of her father and mother in-law and her mother. And, when her son-in-law was deployed to Afghanistan, it was the parish who again rallied to her family with their unyielding love for her daughter and granddaughter in a period of great doubt and uncertainty. In her words, “This is the St. Stephen's that I know and have witnessed these past 44 years.”
Susan is an active member of St. Stephen’s and serves on the Altar Guild and Property Committee.
Kara Keedy
A native of Missouri, Kara moved to the area with her husband, Christian Keedy, in 2005. She is a mother to three young boys: Christian, Collier and Colton. Kara began attending Episcopal churches following her marriage to Christian, a life-long Episcopalian and son of an Episcopal priest, and was confirmed at the Easter parking lot service this year. The Keedys joined St. Stephen’s in 2017 and have been active members of the church. Kara especially appreciates the children and adult Christian formation opportunities that St. Stephen’s has to offer. She has served on the Membership & Stewardship Committee, Renewal Works Committee and participated in several planning committees for various events including the recent 60th anniversary of the church and the Oktoberfest. Her husband currently serves on the vestry and the Finance and Communications Committees. Kara received a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and works at a local biotech company as Head of Anti-Infective Programs. In her free time, Kara enjoys being outdoors as much as possible, be it gardening, hiking or camping with her family.
Carolyn London
Carolyn, her husband, Will, and their two sons moved to Durham in 1961. They joined St. Stephens in 2005. She has a BS in Nursing from UNC Chapel Hill. She has served on the vestry and is a member of St. Stephen’s Durham Endowment and the Altar Guild. She enjoys gardening, reading and playing Mah Jongg.