Leaders

Lisa was born in Southern California and went to high school in Belgium, and has lived in various other places in the U.S. But she has now been in Minnesota over twenty years and has fallen in love with it—the people, the Twin Cities, and the incredible beauty of the northern boreal forests, Boundary Waters, and the North Shore. She served as Assistant Rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Edina before joining the St. John’s community in 2018. She has also served at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Minneapolis and St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in St. Paul, where she led an innovative Sunday evening service of night prayer + Eucharist. She was a founder of Circle of the Beloved, the Minnesota chapter of the Episcopal Service Corps, and has served on its Board. In her previous career, she was a corporate lawyer, and became a spiritual director as well. She got her J.D. from Columbia University in New York, her M.Div. from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, and her B.A. from Earlham College in Indiana. She was certified as a spiritual director through Sacred Ground Center for Spirituality in St. Paul. She is married to Jeff, an addiction counselor, and they have a teenaged daughter. Lisa enjoys running, travel, long conversation, and games.

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Rex is a cradle Episcopalian native of Southern California, growing up in Orange County. After several years of relocations, while working for B Dalton Bookseller, he was transferred to Minnesota in 1981, and truly considers Minnesota his home. Rex is married, for nearly 50 years, to Linda whom he met in youth group at Saint Michaels Riverside in 1966; they have two adult children, three grandsons, a granddaughter, and two great granddaughters, all of whom live in Saint Louis Park. Rex and his wife Linda were active members of St. John’s for years, until Rex discerned a call to become a vocational deacon. He has served as a deacon at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in St. Paul for many years. Rex serves on the council for ECMN, is the senior safe church trainer for ECMN, completed weeklong training with ISAIAH, and is the former president of Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul. He is a 54+ year member of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship having served on the Executive Council, a conscientious objector, and non violence trainer. Rex loves reading, films, study of all things theological, liberation theology, progressive politics, fishing, being an early adapter and geek, and self identifies as a feminist contrary to your ordinary aging hippie.

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John is a native of Detroit, Michigan, having attended University of Detroit Jesuit High School, Haverford College, and Harvard Divinity School.  Ordained in Breck’s Chapel of the Holy Spirit in 1990, John served as Chaplain until his retirement in 2021. John loves riding his recumbent bicycle everywhere, cooking for big crowds, fixing things, quilting, and photography. John is married to Minneapolis native Lynnell Mickelsen. They have three grown sons, Will, Jackson, and Carter.

Heidi is a native of many different places, having lived in Minnesota, Maryland, Michigan and Pennsylvania, before moving here in 1996. She graduated from the U of Maryland, the U of Michigan Medical School, and Yale Divinity School. She was initially ordained in the United Methodist Church, then became an Episcopal priest in 1993.  She and her partner, Ivy, have been together 33 years and were joyfully married at St. John’s in December 2013. Their daughter, Megan, and her family, live in Tucson, AZ. Heidi is currently flunking retirement, and so still works as a psychiatrist one day a week, as well as serving as priest associate of St. John’s. Heidi and Ivy live with their dog, Shayna. They all enjoy going for walks and camping in the summers. Heidi also likes woodworking, practicing Spanish, and reading almost anything from history to murder mysteries to cereal boxes.

Rena was born and raised in the Twin Cities and is a cradle episcopalian. She serves as a deacon empowering and equipping others for service, advocacy, and social justice ministries. She has served at St. Stephen’s, Gethsemane and St. Mark’s Cathedral. Rena currently serves as one of three archdeacons in ECMN, as an ECMN Deputy to General Convention and as the Vice Chair of the ECMN Cuban Ministry Commission. She has also served as a trustee of the Sheltering Arms Foundation.

Rena has been employed by local corporations, ad agencies, nonprofits, and churches. Rena has a Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was formed for the diaconate in ECMN’s School for Formation. She holds a certificate in Congregational Development, is trained as a Daring Way Facilitator, and in asset-based community development and various ministry innovation processes.

Rena loves travel, kayaking, fishing, tennis, cooking, thrifting, and spending time with her dog.  She has two adult children.

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Chad is the Minister of Music at St. John’s. Chad’s love of music began at age six and has grown exponentially since then. He studied music with Frances Renzi and Paul Schoenfield at the University of Toledo (Ohio). There, he explored Musical Theatre, directing productions in college and later on the professional stage. During his years in the Toledo area Chad maintained a busy professional music career – filling his schedule with teaching, performing and recording. In 1994 he became the Music Director at Toledo’s Holy Trinity Lutheran Church until the fall of 2007, when he accepted a call to St. John’s. Chad has a unique ability to bring out the musician in everyone. Whether he’s working with world-class musicians or people who only sing in the shower, Chad inspires and energizes those around him. He creates opportunities for everyone to be involved – whether singing, playing an instrument or just humming along. He loves finding ways to reach people through music and is grateful for the strong support he feels at St. John’s.

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Heather Miller joined St. John’s in 2020 after serving ten years as the Director of Families with Children at Good Samaritan Methodist Church in Edina, MN. Prior to that, Heather taught in elementary schools in Minnesota and New Mexico and served as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho for three years. Heather holds a dual Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Anthropology/Sociology from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Master’s degree in Experiential Education from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Heather grew up in Philadelphia but now calls South Minneapolis home with her husband Chris, daughter Acacia, son Evan, and dog Pippa. When she can, Heather loves to travel and also enjoys leading others on international journeys. She has been leading educational trips to Lesotho (Southern Africa) for ten years and has also led college student trips to South Africa, Lesotho, and Tanzania. When at home, Heather loves to walk around the lakes or go on more adventurous hikes on the Superior Hiking Trail.

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Sophie Callahan is passionate about nurturing community through practices of spirituality and social justice. After growing up here, she went to college in San Diego (home of the best burritos) and graduate school at Emory University in Atlanta, GA (home of the best biscuits). Most recently, she lived and worked at an intentional Christian community on a farm in California’s Bay Area (home of the best boba tea). She is currently working on her Ph.D. in Practical Theology at the Graduate Theological Union (in Berkeley, CA). Sophie lives in Linden Hills with her husband (Jared), two kids (Jet & Milo), and their overly affectionate cat (Murphy). Sophie is thrilled to be back in Minnesota, living and working dangerously close to the best ice cream in the world.

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Hillary Clayburgh has a background in finance working for a derivatives firm for several years. After taking a professional break she found herself doing volunteer work for a variety of entities including the Pasadena Jr. League and the Highlands Elementary School PTO. In these roles she was often doing booking or treasury positions. This experience has given her a background in bookkeeping which she now uses at St. John’s.

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John has 15 years of commercial construction and project management experience. He is a full-time student at MCTC getting a degree in Business Management, entrepreneurship, and accounting, and so working part time with St. John’s during this transitional period is a godsend for him and for St. John’s. He and his family live in St. Louis Park and have been involved at St. John’s since 1982. He looks forward to helping to rejuvenate the building.

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Angie was born and raised in Minneapolis and graduated from Southwest High School. Plays, concerts, movies, and sharing time and a good meal with family or friends all give her joy. She especially loves spending time with her children and two grandsons. She also enjoys all the outdoor beauty of Minneapolis and Minnesota.

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