David and his wife Sandy have been members of the parish for eight years, drawn at least partially to St. Michael’s, by their daughter Lindsay and her family. David is a lifelong Episcopalian, and while taking many detours along the way, David and Sandy found a very good church home here at St. Michael’s. David and Sandy are both retired from the pharmaceutical industry and reside in Huntley. Both are ushers and LEMs and are jointly responsible for scheduling LEMs and readers for the church. When Fr. Jesse announced his departure, David felt the responsibility and calling to put his name in to help with this search. He is excited and honored to be able to assist in the leadership of this process with Renee, and has confidence that, with the help of the Holy Spirit and the rest of the committee, that the best rector for St. Michael’s will be selected to continue to grow and support this church community.
Renee has been a member of St. Michael’s since 2010. She lives in Barrington and has a daughter, Annabel, who lives and works in Chicago. She is a member of St. Michael’s Altar Guild and enjoys contributing to the church through that ministry. Renee is a practicing family law attorney and an avid tennis player. She is excited to be part of this process, realizing the importance of this position and the hard, but rewarding, work to come. The St. Michael’s community has provided support and guidance to her in difficult times and she is grateful she can provide the same to the congregation in return.
I am honored to be part of the Rector Search Committee. My wife, Ellen, and I have been members of St. Michael’s Church for 35 years, so we have seen five different rectors in that time. We raised our three children at St. Michael’s and have loved the spiritual and social activities offered for all of us. I enjoyed all the roles I have had. I taught fourth grade Sunday School and sponsored 4*5*6 Club for many years. I served on the Youth Board, as member and chair and led the Confirmation program for over 10 years. As Confirmation leader, I created a History of Christianity/Anglican Communion /Episcopal Church slide show, which was used for the confirmation classes as well as shown to our congregation as an Adult Forum offering.
My two terms on the Vestry were with Father Johnson and Father Jesse. Each had interesting challenges, including finances, staff, and Covid. Together with my wife Ellen, we have coordinated Vacation Bible School, led Adult Forums, led the Peace & Justice Committee, co-sponsored a refugee family from Syria, co-chaired three South Sudan Soirees, and traveled on multiple mission trips, including several Katrina Care trips and a recent trip to Guatemala to build a home.
On a more secular note, I was a high school Social Studies teacher for 36 years. During that time I was the department chair at Hoffman Estates High School and district chair for High School District 211. I also sponsored Student Council for 25 years and coached the high school soccer team for 15 years.
These activities have provided me with important insights into selecting a new rector. My experience has focused on youth engagement; an essential qualification for any incoming rector should be competence in working with young people.
Additionally, I am a great believer in the major tenants of the Episcopal Church and the “3-legged stool” analogy that guides our church; we look to scripture, tradition, and reason, when seeking religious guidance. All three legs must be recognized and studied for appropriate decisions to be made in the church. With hope and faith, I look forward to collaborating with my fellow committee members on this significant and meaningful task. Thank you.
Before joining St. Michael’s, we were active at St. Lawrence Libertyville where I served as a Warden of the Vestry, Stewardship chair, Welcoming Ministry, youth group leader, & Sunday school teacher.
BJ & I have lived in Lake Barrington since 2004 and raised three wonderful children in this community. They have now spread their wings and have moved out of the area. Two are married and our third will be married in October. Three years = three weddings!
Outside of church, I am a manufacturer’s representative for a custom cabinetry maker, a volunteer at Barrington’s White House, am on The Woman’s Board at Rush University Medical Center and enjoy camping, gardening and cooking.
My family began attending St. Michael's in 1985 upon moving to Palatine from New Orleans. We were greeted warmly during our first visit and never looked back; my husband Rick and I have been very involved, and our 2 children Andrew and Kathryn benefited mightily from our outstanding catechesis and youth group programs. I served as president of the Episcopal Church Women (ECW), am a great fan of our music programming, and a long time member of the Altar Guild, but my passion has always been our gospel-affirming Outreach programs.
Working with dozens and dozens of St. Michael's friends on the Katrina Cares mission trips and fundraising events was life changing. I was aware of the generous hearts of our parishioners, but I was astounded and transformed by our congregation's response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Being a part of a church that is always looking to serve others is constantly inspiring to me.
My background in elementary education served me well as a stay at home mom, Sunday School helper, and Youth Group leader. Having spent many years volunteering in diocesan activities, I relished my positions as administrator at St. James Cathedral and Development Director at Bishop Anderson House when I re-entered the paid work force.
I am honored to be a part of this search committee because being a part of St. Michaels has played such a significant role in my life. I yearn to see St. Michaels as a vibrant and thriving church, caring deeply for each other, welcoming all, and always seeking to help people in need.
I am interested in serving on the pastoral search committee because I deeply care about the spiritual direction, health, and unity of St Michael's. I believe that selecting the right pastor is a vital decision that will shape the future of our congregation, and I feel called to contribute prayerfully and thoughtfully to that process.
I bring a spirit of discernment, a commitment to confidentiality, and a desire to listen to the needs and hopes of our church family. I also value collaboration and diversity of thought and am ready to work with others to seek God's guidance in this important task.
I've been actively involved in our church through teaching Sunday school, serving on the youth group committee board, and currently being part of the altar guild. These roles have given me a broad perspective of the needs of our congregation.
Ultimately, I want to help ensure that we find a pastor who is not only a strong spiritual leader but also someone who aligns with St Michael's mission, values, and vision for the future.
Dayna grew up going to St Marks in Barrington Hills, IL, and was married to Scott there in 1993. In 1995 they joined St Michaels and raised their two sons, Drake (25) and Dawson(24) here. Over the years she has served on the search committees for Father Patrick and Father Jesse, as well as the Diocesan Council. She also been the Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Vestry Member, Clerk, and Lay Reader. Given her church leadership experience and HR expertise, she felt called to serve on the search committee.
I've been a member of St. Michael's since 1989. I was married here in 1990, and my two now-adult children were baptized here and grew up attending Sunday school and youth choir. I've served in various meaningful ministries with St. Michael’s; two that really stand out for me are teaching Catechesis of the Good Shepherd to 3 – 6 year-olds and 1st – 3rd graders, and going on adult & family work trips in Wyoming and the Gulf Coast. I am currently co-chair of grants on the Outreach Team and a vestry member. Professionally, I am the Community Engagement Librarian at the Barrington Area Library, working alongside and for the benefit of local nonprofit leaders. In both my personal and professional life, I see the impact of bias on people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and those of differing socioeconomic status. I am really grateful that the Episcopal Church in general, and St. Michael’s in particular, works to encourage us to see and celebrate the inherent value and dignity of all other human beings. I am a strong believer in joyful service.
Gwynne and Susan were welcomed into the St. Michael’s family in November 1976 when Fr. McLean was Rector. We spent 9 years back in Australia during 1982 to 1991, rejoining St. Michael’s shortly after Fr. Al Johnson had been appointed.
Over the years, we have contributed to the Welcoming and Newcomer committees (courtesy of gentle persuasion from Joanne Bailey), Sunday School (Susan), Habitat for Humanity (Susan), Vestry on 2 occasions and Clerk of the Vestry (Gwynne), Outreach, Choir for many years, and Meals on Wheels (which Susan continues to do).
Four of our five children were baptized at St. Michaels and all participated in the Youth programs, including acolytes and junior choir, and all attended Barrington Grade and High Schools. Felicity, our eldest daughter, was married in St. Michael’s 20 years ago.
I am a metallurgical engineer by training, “retired” from corporate life in 2015 and currently operate my own consulting company, which specializes in electrical steel (which goes into motors, including electric vehicles, and transformers). We love to garden, fortunately, given the size of our place, and both of us try to stay actively fit, including gym and running.
St. Michael’s is our spiritual home and both of us are committed to ensuring that the church, its values, and contribution to our broader society, remain, in perpetuity.
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