Guest Clergy
PASTOR ken ironside
Visitation Date: Sunday, April 21, 2024
The Rev. Ken Ironside is a member of Baltimore Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (USA), having retired as Pastor of Chestnut Grove Presbyterian Church in Phoenix, Maryland in 2012. Since that time he and his wife Valerie have been members of the Memorial Church. Valerie continues to work part-time as a Nurse Practitioner in oncology at John’s Hopkins Hospital. Together they have raised seven children and have eleven grandchildren.
Miles weeks
Visitation Date: Sunday, April 24, 2024
Miles Weeks (he/him) grew up in Catonsville and graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2019. He has been part of the Memorial community since he was four, attending Youth Group events and participating in Memorial Players. In 2021, he accepted the job as Youth Minister and is proud to be fulfilling a role that taught him so much when he was younger.
The Rev. Randy Kyle Callender
Visitation Date: Sunday, March 17, 2024
The Rev. Randy Kyle Callender, born in Philadelphia to a close-knit Barbadian family, has been deeply rooted in the Episcopal Church from a young age. Inspired by his experiences in diocesan events and organizations like the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE), he has been an active leader in youth and young adult ministries. Randy earned his Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Cheyney University before pursuing his Masters of Divinity at The Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) in 2010.
Ordained as a transitional deacon in 2010 and later becoming the first African American male priest ordained in the Diocese of Pennsylvania in twenty-five years, Randy’s journey led him to serve as Rector at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Annapolis, MD, starting in 2012. In 2024, he began serving as the Canon for Mission in the Diocese of Maryland.
Throughout his ministry, Randy has been deeply involved in various committees and initiatives focused on youth, racial reconciliation, and bridge-building within and beyond the church. He has also lent his expertise to the One America Movement’s Faith Over Division program, addressing societal divides in congregations and communities. and passion for building relationships and fostering inclusivity in God’s Beloved Community guides his teaching and preaching.
Randy is married to Katya and is a proud father to Jaivyn and Soraya.
the reverend joanna white
Visitation Date: Sunday, January 14, 2024
Joanna serves the Diocese of Maryland as Canon for Pastoral Care. This position allows her to tap into her skill set and simply enjoy walking with the people of the diocese through the common ventures of life. Joanna has three grown children, four granddaughters and a grandson-in-law. She lives in Baltimore with two ungrateful cats.
derrick weston
Visitation Date: Sunday, February 4, 2024
Derrick Weston is a writer, filmmaker, podcaster, speaker, and educator whose most recent work has focused on the intersection of food and faith. He is the co-host of the Food and Faith podcast and producer of Spoon, Spade, and Soul, a podcast highlighting food and land-based ministries in the Episcopal church. Additionally, he is the producer of the short film series "A Wilderness Like Eden" highlighting the work of churches engaged in food justice work.
The Rev. nEIL o’FARRELL
Visitation Date: Sunday, July 23, 2023
The Rev. Dr. Neil O'Farrell serves as the priest in charge of St. John's
Episcopal Church in Mt. Washington. He has served the congregation for
almost 10 years. The primary ministry field of the congregation is to lead
worship and provide pastoral care at Springwell Senior Living. St. John's
also is the home congregation for members from the Mt. Washington area who were members before the congregation sold its building and migrated to the Springwell campus. Concurrently with this call, Neil has also served as a priest in charge of St. John's Waverly, also here in Baltimore.
Neil holds a doctorate in pastoral care from the United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia. His master of divinity degree is from Harvard Divinity School. He has been ordained as a Lutheran pastor for twenty years. His passion is gardening. He and his husband Stephen live in Mt. Washington. They have had a long succession of beautiful and unruly dogs. He is originally from West Virgina.
The Rev. Ryan Missel
Visitation Date: Sunday, July 16, 2023
The Rev. Ryan Missel is a deacon in the Episcopal Church and a senior at Virginia Theological Seminary. By the grace of God and the consent of God's people, Ryan will be ordained a priest later this year. Ryan is passionate about our baptismal call to serve and is excited to begin a new call as a Chaplain Resident with Johns Hopkins Medicine in August. Additionally, Ryan loves weight training, playing the oboe, and spending time with his family, including his husband, John, and their two fur babies, Holly and Cooper.
the rev. Kristofer LindH-Payne
Visitation Date: Sunday, June 25, 2023
The Rev. Dr. Kristofer Lindh-Payne (he/him/his) serves on diocesan staff as Canon for Congregational Vitality, as well as Co-Rector of St. Francis Episcopal Parish & Community Center in Timonium. He has a doctorate in congregational development from Bexley-Seabury, a master’s in pastoral care from Loyola, and a Master of Divinity from Seabury-Western. Kristofer is a friar in the Anglican Order of St. Francis (OSF) and is deeply formed in the Francis-Clarian tradition. A native of Baltimore, he was ordained in the Diocese of Maryland as a deacon in June 2009 and as a priest in January 2010.
sarah batley
Visitation Date: Sunday, June 18, 2023
Sarah has served as an advocate for survivors of trauma, including human trafficking, for the past ten years. She is a local and nationwide presenter, equipping the Church and Community to engage in healing communities for survivors.
In addition to an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master’s in theology, Sarah has more than 20 years’ experience in local church leadership. She is passionate about connecting the local church with the understanding of, and healing power potential for, the sexually exploited individual.
Sarah is thrilled to be working at The Well and Hon’s Honey where she has found a place that allows her to bring all of who she is and a place where her life is continually transformed by the women she is privileged to walk and work alongside.
The Rev. Carole Robinson Douglas
Visitation Date: Sunday, June 4, 2023
The Reverend Carole Robinson Douglas is an Episcopal priest who serves the community and church in the Diocese of Maryland. She began her career as a Registered Nurse and worked in numerous medical specialties for over 35 years. Rev. Douglas answered her call to ordained ministry and graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1997. Since then she has served in various leadership positions in the church and currently offers her talents as a supply priest for churches that are without permanent clergy. In addition, Rev. Douglas is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and enjoys her work counseling children and adults to learn ways to renew hope and joy in their lives.
CAROLYN ARMSTRONG
Visitation Date: Sunday, March 12, 2023
Carolyn Armstrong is a Candidate for ordination to the Diaconate, in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland. She is a member of Memorial Episcopal Church, Bolton Hill, via Holy Covenant Episcopal Church. Carolyn has been in the Deacon Formation program since May of 2020. After retiring from the Social Security Administration, Carolyn pursued and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religion. As part of her formation requirements, she recently received her Clinical Pastoral Education training at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. Carolyn completed her Congregational Internship at Trinity, Towson. Looking to expand her experiences be open to the Holy Spirit, Carolyn did her Social Justice Internship with Expand Now/National Alliance of Public Defenders where she received training and increased her knowledge in Social Justice Reform through mitigation. Carolyn loves spending time with family and friends, especially her annual multi generation family vacation. In addition to formation Carolyn is the primary for her aging mother. As a result of her interest and compassion in bereavement Carolyn received training from Roberta House which she uses to assist many people in their time of need. Carolyn is looking forward to having new experiences while building and enhancing skills necessary for ordained ministry. It is her hope to add value to the worshipping and outer community.
The reverend carol burnside
Visitation Date: Sunday, November 6, 2022
The Reverend Carol Burnside, priest, hometown Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Currently, serving as a supply priest at the Church of St. Katherine of Alexandria in Baltimore. She has served there off and on since 2004, currently for the past year.
She attended seminary at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA, with The (then) Reverend Mary Glasspool as my field education supervisor and mentor.
She was ordained deacon and priest in the Diocese of Newark with The (then) Rev. Robert Ihloff as my sponsoring rector.
Celebrating 30-year anniversaries of both ordinations this year and served in the Diocese of Maryland for 23 years.
Carol is a quilter, a member of the African American Quilters of Baltimore, the guild she has belonged to since 2008.
She is the proud grandmother to Jaxon who is almost two.
PASTOR ken ironside
Visitation Date: Sunday, November 6, 2022
The Rev. Ken Ironside is a member of Baltimore Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (USA), having retired as Pastor of Chestnut Grove Presbyterian Church in Phoenix, Maryland in 2012. Since that time he and his wife Valerie have been members of the Memorial Church. Valerie continues to work part-time as a Nurse Practitioner in oncology at John’s Hopkins Hospital. Together they have raised seven children and have eleven grandchildren.
The Reverend Carole Robinson Douglas
Visitation Date: Sunday, October 23, 2022
The Reverend Carole Robinson Douglas is an Episcopal priest who serves the community and church in the Diocese of Maryland. She began her career as a Registered Nurse and worked in numerous medical specialties for over 35 years. Rev. Douglas answered her called to ordained ministry and graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1997. Since then she has served in various leadership positions in the church and currently offers her talents as supply priest for churches who are without permanent clergy. In addition, Rev. Douglas is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and enjoys her work counseling children and adults to learn ways to renew hope and joy in their lives.
the reverend manoj zacharia
Visitation Date: Sunday, October 16, 2022
The Rev. Canon Dr. Manoj Mathew Zacharia serves as the Rector of the historic St. Anne’s Parish in Annapolis, MD. He is a graduate of Vassar College, General Theological Seminary, Serampore, and the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto.
He stands in the lineage of many clergy leaders in the Syrian Christian tradition and is a descendant of the ancient Pakalomattam family of St. Thomas Christians in Kerala, India. Rev. Manoj has served The Church in the United States, Canada, and India.
Among his theological interests are: Syriac Christianity, New Comparative Theology, patristic theology and the evangelical tradition within the Anglican Communion. Rev. Manoj completed a Fellowship at the prestigious Hartman Institute through the Christian Leadership Initiative sponsored conjointly by Hartman and the American Jewish Committee. His is married to Joelle, an English teacher, and parent to Abigail and Johan.
the reverend jim holmes
Visitation Date: Sunday, October 9, 2022
Jim Holmes is a native of Louisiana, a graduate of Vanderbilt and The Episcopal Theological School. He has been a priest for fifty years. He served parishes in Massachusetts before moving to Washington where he was the Associate Rector of St. John’s, Lafayette Square, and Rector of St. Thomas’, Dupont Circle. He retired and moved to Baltimore in 2003. He has served as a supply priest at a number of parishes in the Diocese of Maryland, and also served as Interim Rector of Emmanuel, Baltimore. He lives in Towson with his spouse Tim Sabin and their two cats.
the reverend M. Dion thompson
Visitation Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022
The Rev. M. Dion Thompson serves as Associate Priest for Pastoral Care. He brings great gifts and passion for pastoral care as well as experience and interest in other areas of priestly ministry in the parish. The Rev. Thompson is passionate about studying God’s word, proclaiming the Christian message and caring for God’s people. So, it’s no surprise to him that the Holy Spirit has brought him to serve in the pastoral ministry of St. Anne’s.
Dion received his M.Div. from the General Theological Seminary in New York City in 2007 and was ordained to the diaconate in June 2007. He was ordained to the priesthood on Jan. 26, 2008, the feast day of Timothy and Titus, companions of St. Paul. Before taking up the priest’s collar, he enjoyed a 20-year career in journalism, working for The Baltimore Sun, The Miami Herald and The Hartford Courant. He started his career in Hartford as a night police reporter and went on to cover a wide variety of news beats, including the state prison system in Connecticut, the neighborhoods of Little Haiti and Liberty City in Miami, and the state legislature in Maryland. Born in Los Angeles, California, he holds a B.A. in English from California State University, Long Beach, and an M.F.A. in Professional Writing and Publishing from the University of Southern California. His novel, Walk Like A Natural Man, was published in 2003. During the past year he has written several articles for the Episcopal News Service and the Episcopal Journal.
He and his wife, Jean, also a former journalist, have been blessed with 36 years of marriage and have one son, Tevin. Hobbies include playing guitar, bike riding, losing himself in the Greek New Testament and listening to music, everything from Blind Willie Johnson to Mozart and John Coltrane. Having been baptized in the waters of the U.S.C. Trojans and the Los Angeles Lakers, he asks that you refrain from extolling the alleged virtues of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Boston Celtics.
the reverend thelma a. smuellen
Visitation Date: Sunday, September 18, 2022
The Rev. Thelma A. Smuellen was born and raised in the Hamilton neighborhood of Northeast Baltimore City. However, she traveled downtown on city buses for Junior High, which was on Cathedral Street near Preston – not far from Memorial Church. She graduated from Eastern High School and then from Washington College in Chestertown.
She graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1984 and has been a priest for thirty-eight years, serving as rector of Holy Apostles in Arbutus and as interim rector of seven congregations in the dioceses of Maryland, Washington, and Easton. For the past seventeen years, she has been an associate cleric at St. Bartholomew’s Church on Edmondson Ave.
She and her husband, John have been married for fifty-seven years and have two sons, two daughters-in-law, and four granddaughters, all of which live out of state. While she has spent her entire life living in Maryland, she and her husband have traveled the world.
Over the years, she had been known and worked with members of Memorial on diocesan committees and in other forums. However, the last time she worshipped at Memorial Church was for the burial service for Barney Farnham, a wonderful colleague. She still remembers ending with a great jazz rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
the reverend stuart wright
Visitation Date: Sunday, September 11, 2022
The Rev. Canon Stuart Wright is the “canon for administration and transition ministry” and has served on the staff of the Diocese of Maryland for 14 years. His responsibilities include human resources for the whole diocese; helping congregations find new priests, and serving as chief of staff.
Stuart and his husband, Mel Wright, have been together 33 years and dote on Ella, their Standard Poodle.