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The Rev. Jonathan Folts is a cradle Episcopalian and a second-generation Episcopal clergyman. A native of Victoria, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas in 1991 and received his Masters of Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1996. Jonathan is currently a doctoral candidate back at Virginia Theological Seminary with his project centering upon becoming a missional church. Jonathan came to St. John's from St. Francis Episcopal Church in Victoria, Texas, where he served from August 1999 to April 2004. Ironically, this was the same church in which he was born, baptized, and had a lengthy eleven month membership before the family moved to San Marcos, Texas. From July 1996 to December 1997, he was vicar of both the Church of the Holy Spirit in Dripping Springs, Texas and St. Elizabeth's Church in Buda, Texas. In January 1998, both missions had grown sufficiently to be able to sustain their own minister. At the bishop’s request, Jonathan remained in Buda for another year and a half before being called to his birth-home parish of St. Francis. Jonathan is married to his wife, Kimberly, who is also an Episcopal priest. Together they raise, chase, and fret over their three growing children: Cameron, Garrett and Chloe. Kim is also a graduate of Virginia Seminary and met Jonathan there in 1992. Kim has served as an at All Saints Episcopal Church in Hershey, PA, at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Washington, NC, and at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Wimberly, TX. When they moved to Victoria, Kim served as Director of Christian Education at St. Francis as well as a multitude of diocesan committees. In CT, she has supplied at area churches from time to time, teaches Sunday School at St. John's and serves on the World Mission Committee. Kim also volunteers at St. John's Catholic School in Old Saybrook where their children go to school, critiques Jonathan's sermons with a straight face, and maintains watch over her two horses. She is also one fabulous human being for whom Jonathan regularly gives God thanks for bringing into his life. Jonathan’s hobbies include offering burnt sacrifices on his deeply beloved gas grill and enjoying the “incense” of hickory smoke pouring out of his BBQ smoker. He has a fair collection of multiple cookbooks relative to the same, is a member of the New England BBQ Society and Kansas City BBQ Society, and supports the idea of seeing Bobby Flay canonized as a saint before he dies. Jonathan's passions include preaching, writing, and teaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. He enjoys helping a congregation discern and implement its God-given vision, reaching out to those in need both locally and globally (the picture is of him participating in a service in the Anglican Diocese of Lebombo, Mozambique), bringing people into a new or deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, and sharing fellowship with fellow parishioners His absolute and most purest joy is found in loving God and being supported by that love in his relationships with his family and with his parish.
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Associate Rector The Rev. Molly F. James serves part-time as Associate Rector at St. John's. She is in charge of the Sunday School and assists with worship and pastoral care. She received a BA in Clinical Psychology from Tufts University in 2002. She received her M.Div. from Yale Divinity School and Berkeley Divinity School in May of 2005. She was ordained to the priesthood at St. John's in December 2005. She served during 2005 and 2006 as a Chaplain at Yale-New Haven Hospital. In September 2006 she began a doctoral program in Theology and Ethics through a joint program between Hartford Seminary and the University of Exeter (UK). Molly is married to Reade James (Darlene's son) who is a mechanical engineer at Pratt & Whitney. They have a black lab named Lars, with whom they enjoy hiking in the woods. They also enjoy cooking, sailing, reading, movies and boat building. Molly can be reached via the Church Office (767-8095) or via email. |
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Parish Administrator Marlene Going began attending St. John's in the spring of 1976 prior to her marriage to parishioner Jeff Going later that year. The couple had two sons, Christopher and Sean, who later became acolytes in this parish. Marlene became a Sunday School teacher, later served on the Christian Ed. Committee and the Vestry, filled in as part-time church secretary, and officially joined the staff on February 1, 1993. The parish grew, responsibilities and time commitment increased, and Marlene became full time Parish Administrator. Her husband Jeff, who had served as both a youth and adult acolyte, became a chalicist and lector. Marlene has a B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany and an M.A. from Adelphi University. Prior to working at St. John's full time, she taught secondary school for 8 years, worked in the public relations department at AMAX in Greenwich, and ran her own public relations and marine advertising agency for 12 years. |
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Darlene has been an organist/music director in Episcopal churches for 34 years, 23 of those years at St. John's, which means she is the longest serving member of St. John's staff. She and her late husband, Roger James, joined St. John's in 1987 with their two sons, Denman and Reade. Both sons were acolytes, and married at St John's. (Reade is married to Associate Rector, Molly). She also fills in at churches in the Wallingford area. A member of the Hartford and New London AGO (American Guild of Organists) and the Hymn Society (Boston, MA). She began studying organ in New York with Dr. Grady Wilson, continued for many years with Duncan Phyfe and most recently studied with Dr. Mark Brombaugh. She also studied harpsichord with Linda Skernick and regularly brings her own harpsichord to St. John's to enrich the music program. She has attended music classes at Westminster Choir College, CCSU, and various summer seminar programs. Darlene has a BFA from Pratt Institute and also works in the Wallingford Public Library at the desk and does artwork and displays for their children's department. She is an accomplished painter and did the painting of the church that is used on the E-news, church directory and notecards.
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Mrs. Paula Marshall / Ms. Brittany Harrison- Grace Nursery Care Supervisors
Paula Marshall, a lifetime resident of Old Saybrook, has worked with children for about 19 years as a pre-school teacher and various other administrative roles in the pre-school setting. She loves living near the water, taking walks, gardening and enjoys a variety of craft projects. She is married and has one son, who is currently attending the University of Connecticut. Brittany Harrison-Grace also brings years of childcare experience and has served in various childcare facilities in the area. |
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