St. John's 2026 Annual Parish Meeting (APM) is on Sunday, April 19, starting at 11:15 pm, following a combined MAIN service at 10:00 am. The meeting agenda includes the election of new leadership for the parish.
The Vestry's new Leadership Development Committee (LDC)—established last year to promote, educate, and train potential leaders in St. John's to be candidates for the Vestry, committees, and ministries—has recruited the following candidates for leadership of the parish:
Candidates for Warden
(One-Year Terms)
- Senior Warden: Janet Hall
- Junior Warden: Paul Beatty
Candidates for Vestry
(Three-Year Terms)
Candidates for Delegate to the Diocesan Convention
(Three-Year Terms)
Additional nominations
The LDC has sought additional candidates to run for Vestry in accordance with the Bylaws, but no other parishioners have been willing to run this year for a variety of personal reasons. If you would consider running for Vestry, please contact a member of the LDC (see below) for more information. Nominating petitions must be signed by at least five St. John’s members and submitted to a member of the LDC (see below) no later than Sunday, March 29.
April 12 Candidate Forum
In addition to reading the bios below, please plan to meet and hear from the candidates at our annual Candidate Forum on Sunday, April 12 at 10 am, either in-person in the Parish Hall or virtually via Zoom (link: bit.ly/STJNmain).
The Leadership Development Committee (LDC)
(LDC) Immense thanks to this year's LDC members—the Rev. Anne Derse, Janet Hall, Clara Lovett, Debra Parker, Geoff Sharp, and the Rev. Sari Ateek—and co-chairs Alan Snyder and Jim Winkler for all their efforts. Please reach out to them with any questions and/or any additional nominations (see above).
Candidates for Warden
Janet Hall
I have had the privilege of serving on St. John's Vestry for the past four years, and I am honored to stand for my last year as Senior Warden. I value the role of the Church in supporting parishioners through life’s upheavals and in our spiritual development. For me, the Church provides the grounding in faith that inspires us to treat each other, our families, and our broader community in the spirit of Christ.
I have found Vestry service at St. John’s to be tremendously rewarding. Over the past four years, each of the Vestries I have served on has grappled conscientiously with the business and governance issues of St. John’s. As we’ve deliberated, mused, and debated, the atmosphere has remained collegial, hopeful, respectful, and creative. The thread that runs through all these Vestries is a profound dedication to the Church, making it a remarkable opportunity for service at St. John’s. I also serve on the Altar Guild, and I assist our Exploring Spirituality Ministry in offering our Wednesday evening Compline and Evening Prayer services at different times of the year.
Outside of St. John’s, I work with multiple organizations as a mentor to founders of tech and life-science start-up companies. My career took me from ten years as an intelligence analyst, including a three-year posting in Munich, Germany, to the private sector and a series of software companies, including both large firms and startup organizations. I am currently working on a book that chronicles the origin story of AOL Instant Messenger and its enduring impact on our digital communications.
Paul Beatty
I have been a parishioner at St. John’s for 25 years, when my wife Lindsay and I were married here and subsequently raised two sons in the community: Preston (23) and Campbell (20). For me, the draw of St. John’s over the years has been its openness and ability to meet people wherever they are in their spiritual journey. In addition to service on the Vestry (2018-2021), I have been passionate about continuing education, having participated in the Adult Forum committee, evening Bible study, and Vision Teams, in addition to regular involvement in Men’s Ministry events. I am also a fourth-year student of the Education for Ministry (EfM) program.
In secular life, I am an 11-year member of the U.S. Senior Executive Service, currently directing behavioral science research at the Census Bureau. Throughout my 33-year federal career, I’ve been very active in volunteer professional service; I recently served as president of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and have held various other elected roles in AAPOR and the American Statistical Association. I would be honored to serve as Junior Warden at St. John’s in the upcoming year.
Candidates for Vestry
Garry baker
My life with St. John’s began when Susan and I were looking for a youth group for our son Brian, when he was at that age to participate in the “Journey to Adulthood” (J2A) experience. Our neighborhood friends Bob and Margaret Uhar had already introduced us to St. John’s, and it was a bonus that they were leading the J2A group. So we started (mostly) attending regularly on Sundays, and found that we liked St. John’s very much! Now about 20 years later, we continue to enjoy the worship service, the spiritual growth, the congregation, and the programs and activities accomplished by the St. John’s spiritual family. This is a wonderful place with much going on!
Over the years I’ve participated in small ways: for several years, I was a member of the group planning the Sunday forum; I’m a member of the Men’s Ministry and the Book Club; and I’m one of many that participates to deliver a meal to Shepherd’s Table in Silver Spring (temporarily on hiatus until kitchen renovations are complete!). I have always been impressed with the talented members of the clergy and staff, and with the deep pool of talent and resources in the congregation. It’s remarkable what St. John’s is able to accomplish by working together—both within the parish and in the wider community.
My background is local: I’m from a large, Catholic family and grew up nearby in the Tenleytown neighborhood of NW DC. High school took me out of the neighborhood to downtown, where I attended the Jesuit high school (Gonzaga College High School). I then went to the University of Virginia, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree and a major in biology. Then I came back to DC, working a variety of jobs, including at EPA, consulting, and a long career with a trade association based in DC. There I worked on regulatory issues, energy, transport safety, trade, and international government relations.
Through my work experience and management training I’ve developed skills in committee management, consensus building, writing, and planning & budgeting. I’m honored to be considered for the vestry, and would enjoy the opportunity to participate more fully in this great church.
Bonnie Duffy
My family and I joined St. John’s in 2012. Along with my husband, Charles, I was looking for a church home with strong programs for our two boys, meaningful involvement in the community, and beautiful music. We found all that and more. I enjoyed teaching Church School when our boys were younger, and I recently joined the Refugee Ministry. Sunday mornings at St. John’s are a highlight for me—especially the music. I have found St. John’s to be a supportive community where I can continue to grow spiritually, keep learning, and deepen my faith.
Serving on the Vestry feels like a natural next step and a meaningful way to give back to a church that has given so much to my family. It would be an honor to serve.
Professionally, I work at a government relations firm specializing in health policy and advocacy. Outside of work, I love spending time with our boys—cheering them on at games, traveling together, and simply being with family. I enjoy cooking for family and friends, swimming with the Montgomery Ancient Mariners Masters team, and hiking in Rock Creek Park. I have been an active volunteer with my boys’ sports teams and previously served on the board of the Tuberous Sclerosis Foundation.
Originally from North Carolina and raised in the Methodist Church, I feel fortunate to have found my way to St. John’s and to be part of this community.
Becky Neal
I have been a member of Saint John’s from the first Sunday evening “Come as You Are” service I attended over 15 years ago. There used to be a stand-up board on the sidewalk out front of the church that said: “Come as You Are.” There was something so simple and generous about that invitation that dismissed all arguments: there was no excuse NOT to show up. I took that invitation to heart.
It is hard to convey in words how invested I am in St. John’s. I can point to several ways that I have been involved over these past years, but do not think it is the full measure: I rang with the bell choir for many years, including attending the bell choir convention in Ocean City for several years (Yes! There is a bell choir convention); served on the Vestry; traveled to the Holy Land with the first pilgrimage; served on the Vision Team; participated in the women’s ministry retreats; and most recently attended Sarah’s Monday evening bible study, which became my touchpoint of authentic connection and conversation at St. John’s.
St. John’s is my spiritual home and community. Through small groups, personal friendships, communal worship, and the talented leadership at St. John’s over the years, I have found healing and acceptance. After the visioning process, I have been so proud of the many ways that St. John’s has cared for and attended to our local and broader communities, and I continue to look for and find ways that it can nourish my faith and grounding amidst the vicissitudes of daily life.
On a personal note: I was born in D.C. (not usual even in D.C.!) and call this place home. I am passionate about justice, transparency, and accountable leadership. My day job as an attorney has been prosecuting unethical attorneys, and before that, representing indigent criminal defendants. My daily joy is walking on the C&O canal and taking pictures of the great beauty and abundance of still-wild nature so close to home. If chosen, serving again on the Vestry of St. John’s would be another great joy.
David Teague
My wife Rebecca and I joined St. John’s in 2007. Both of our children (Emily and Chapin) were baptized here, participated in the choir and Christmas pageant, and served as acolytes. Emily now attends the University of Wisconsin, and the other, Chapin, attends Wootton High School. We love St. John’s and have always felt an obligation to ensure that other families experience the same welcoming, loving, and spiritually enriching environment that we have. I served a partial term on the Vestry in 2022 and 2023, and continue to serve on the Parish’s governance coordination and finance committees. I also enjoy helping our refugee families by providing transportation, as I can, and serve on several committees for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. I am, by profession, a management consultant. My career has focused primarily on helping government and commercial organizations use data and objective analysis to better understand their challenges and develop solutions that help them operate more efficiently and effectively. I would welcome an opportunity to serve again on the Vestry if my fellow parishioners feel it would be valuable.
Candidates for Delegate to Diocesan Convention
Cindy Anderson
Having found St. John’s about five years ago – when the sanctuary re-opened at the tail-end of the worst of the COVID-19 crisis – I’ve been fortunate to quickly engage with several ministries, including early on Zooming through the Sacred Ground program, and food delivery with Nourishing Bethesda. Together with other dedicated volunteers, we launched a mini-ministry, Furnishing Newcomers, which was initially focused on new neighbors from the southern borders. Through that effort, I learned much about local as well as national initiatives to assist families and others settling into our communities.
During Holy Week 2023, my husband Howard and I joined thirty other parishioners in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land led by our rector. Those seven days were illuminating in ways I could not have anticipated—primary among them was making many new and steadfast church friends. The appeal of New Story Leadership, developed and nourished by St. John’s members, springs from that experience.
Participating in the Flower Guild feeds me in a different way, as does the quiet meditative service of Compline.
More recently, I’ve begun to volunteer as a Lay Eucharistic Minister and Welcome Team member, and I have been pleased to attend some of the Women’s Retreats.
Tom Hebert
My wife Susan and I have been attending since 2007, and we are grateful to make St. John’s our church home. Over the last 20 years, we have been part of the parish’s growth and many of the wonderful and difficult experiences that are part of any committed community’s life. My volunteer work has included leadership of the Stewardship Committee for several seasons and serving on the Vestry. I am a leader in our parish’s ministries involving Healing Prayer, Exploring Spirituality, and our lay-led Wednesday evening prayer services. I am very active in elements of our Men’s Ministry, and I have been honored to be able to serve as an usher for our parish’s memorial and funeral services. Lastly, I have helped lead our efforts to explore and establish in our parish the Being With program that Bishop Marianne introduced to the diocese a few years ago. St. John’s is a place of sacred worship, experience, study, as well as fun and loving support in good and tough times; qualities that I value strongly and that I want to define us always.
Clara Lovett
Clara M. Lovett has worshiped at St. John's Norwood for fourteen years. She has served our parish as a LEM, a Diocesan Convention Delegate, Vestry member, and an active member of the Gun Violence Prevention Ministry (she survived gun violence in her teens and then again in her twenties). She has also assisted with the Refugee Ministry, the church archives, and other projects as needed.
Born and raised in Italy, Clara was confirmed in the Waldensian Church, a Protestant (Calvinist) denomination in a predominantly Roman Catholic country. Her religious background still drives her passion for beliefs and practices solidly grounded in theology and church history.
After studying in Italy and the UK, Clara joined the Christian Faith and Life Community in Austin, Texas, where she continued her education. The interdenominational CFLC was the first co-educational and racially integrated student community at the University of Texas. The clergy in charge and the students were deeply engaged with the civil rights movement.
A historian by academic training, Clara has held senior leadership positions in higher education: Dean of Arts & Sciences at George Washington University, Provost at George Mason University, and President of Northern Arizona University, one of three public universities in that state. She is also a founding trustee of Western Governors University, the first accredited online university in the United States. She has served on several non-profit boards in the areas of education, the arts, and social services.
In the 1980s, Clara sang in the choir and served on the vestry of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Northwest D.C. In the aughts she served on the chapter of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Phoenix, Arizona. Two Episcopal churches; two different worlds. At Trinity Cathedral, she helped with the Diocesan Border Ministry, providing first aid to migrants in the Sonoran Desert, and with the formation within the Cathedral itself of a mission to welcome Spanish-speaking families from an adjacent low-income neighborhood.
After the death of her husband in 2011, Clara returned to the D.C. area, settling in Chevy Chase (Friendship Heights Village). She is engaged with county and state officials on issues of gun violence prevention, affordable housing, and the economic and social integration of immigrant communities.
Debra Parker
Debra was raised Roman Catholic in Brooklyn, New York. Her engagement with Jesuit doctrine created a healthy curiosity about world religions and a commitment to Social Justice and service. All her life, she has worked, volunteered, and loved music. Debra was introduced to the Episcopal Church through marriage. She and her husband raised three children in the Episcopal church in Connecticut and Bellevue, Washington.
After almost 30 years in the Seattle, Washington, area she returned home to the East Coast. Newly single, Debra moved to Bethesda in 2016 and began attending St. John’s Norwood soon after arriving. The first service she attended was transformative: she was struck by the deep spirituality of Sari’s sermon, the excellence of the music, and Ann Derse’s warm welcome and offer of a flower. She knew right away that she had found her place, her people, and spiritual home. She is a loyal hybrid attendee, loves the community of adult forums, and volunteers to help with social gatherings. She enjoys all opportunities for spiritual growth, such as the annual women’s retreat and Women’s Book Group.
Debra has worked for the past 10-plus years as a Director of Resident Concierge Services for a mid-Atlantic Property Management Company.
Questions?
Complete this form to connect with parishioners Alan Snyder and Jim Winkler, LDC Co-Chairs.