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The Reverend Beth Maynard
Rector Beth Maynard grew up unchurched in Nashville, Tennessee. After a conversion to Christ in her late teens, she worked first in classical music publishing and then as director of the Salem Mission, a shelter for homeless women and men. Ordained in 1994, she has served the Episcopal Church as a parish priest and a university chaplain in West Virginia and Massachusetts. Before becoming the 11th Rector of Emmanuel in 2014, she founded and led Mill Street House, an ecumenical neo-monastic community north of Boston, while serving as an adjunct instructor in liturgy and spirituality at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She has been married to her husband Mark Dirksen, Business Manager for John Paul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders in Champaign, since 1986. Along with sermons and articles on themes of social justice, spiritual formation and stewardship, Mother Beth has also published three books and edited a selection of public-domain works in spiritual theology for Kindle. She holds a B.A. with concentrations in Music and French from Amherst College, an M.Div. from Boston University School of Theology, and a Certificate of Advanced Theological Study from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. If you'd like to contact Mother Beth, she can be reached by phone at 217.352.9827, extension 1 or via email at bmaynard@gmail.com. |
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The Reverend Caleb Roberts
Curate Caleb Roberts was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and grew up in a devout family in the Church of the Nazarene. As a teenager, he experienced a spiritual and intellectual awakening when he began reading through some of the "great books" of Western civilization. This set him on a path of exploration and study that eventually introduced him to the richness of the Anglican tradition. Drawn to the beauty of its liturgy, piety, and theology, it wasn't long after becoming an Episcopalian that he sensed a call to the priesthood and, after the initial period of discernment in the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma, he and his family moved to Austin, Texas where he earned his M.Div. from the Seminary of the Southwest in May 2017. He was ordained a deacon by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Ed Konieczny, Bishop of Oklahoma, in December 2016. Caleb is married to his wife, Julie, and they have two children, Alice and Charles, and a dog, Tom Collins. He did his undergraduate studies in Economics and Philosophy at Oklahoma State University, which still inform his interests at the intersection of theology, economics, and political theory. Aside from his intellectual pursuits, he enjoys playing music, listening to and collecting vinyl records, pipe-smoking, and cooking with his wife. Caleb can be reached via email at therev.calebroberts@gmail.com or by phone at 217.352.9827, extension 4. |
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The Reverend E. Eugene Hall
Priest Emeritus Eugene Hall, Priest Emeritus of Emmanuel, began his ministry in our parish in 1999, two years after his ordination in the Diocese of Southeast Florida. In Florida he served as Assisting Priest and teacher of religion at the school of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Palm Beach Gardens. Since coming to Emmanuel, he has been given a variety of responsibilities and titles: Assisting Priest, Associate Priest, Priest Associate, and Priest Emeritus. His education includes undergraduate and graduate degrees. He obtained his PhD from Louisiana State University. His volunteer service at Emmanuel followed a career in Christian higher education as professor and administrator in colleges and universities primarily in the South and Southwest. He served as Professor of Preaching at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Though he is now mostly retired, his ministry at Emmanuel has included preaching, working with Adult Forum, and celebrating at both Sunday and weekday services. Father Gene and his wife Reba have been married for 60 years.Their marriage has been blessed with three children, seven grandchildren, and one great granddaughter. |
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The Reverend Christine C. Hopkins
Deacon Ordained in June 2000, Christine Hopkins currently serves full time as Deacon assigned to Emmanuel. In that capacity she has a variety of responsibilities including outreach, preaching, and pastoral care. At the diocesan level she is the chair of the anti-racism commission and has served on the Commission on Ministry. She is also a member of the Prairie Center Citizen Advisory Board. Deacon Chris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in math education and a Master's degree in counseling from the University of Illinois.For thirty-plus years Deacon Chris worked for the Urbana School District. She held many roles including math teacher, guidance counselor, swim coach, a variety of activities sponsor and division chair. She has been married to her husband R. Michael for over 40 years. Together they have three children: the oldest Matthew, married to his wife Amanda, their middle child Carolyn, and their youngest daughter Grace and her husband Brady. They also enjoy their eight grandchildren. If you'd like to contact Deacon Chris, she can be reached at 217.352.9827, extension 2 or via email at christinechopkins@hotmail.com. |
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Mary Sievers
Parish Administrator Mary Sievers began her work as Parish Administrator for Emmanuel in August of 2015. Mary’s educational background includes Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Youth Ministry, and she has spent most of her career in the field of youth ministry and teaching. While she continues to work with youth at her home church, Mary has decided to put her administrative skills to work in her professional career. Mary is passionate about working in a ministry setting and is excited to be serving here at Emmanuel Memorial. She can be reached via phone at 217.352.9827 or via email at emec@ameritech.net. |
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Michael Fisher
Organist Mike Fisher, a Wisconsin native, earned his B.Mus, Magna Cum Laude, Highest Distinction in Performance, from Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin. The following year he studied with the late Anton Heiller in Vienna Austria, performing several times in Vienna and additionally studying some Italian organs and literature in Venice and Bologna. He earned a M. Mus. from Northwestern University. He has been the Parish Organist for Emmanuel for the past 16 years. |
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Geoffrey Williams
Choirmaster Geoffrey Williams hails from the Midwest and began his musical life as a treble in the American Boychoir. A devoted church musician, he is a graduate of Westminster Choir College and for the past decade was a Gentleman of the Choir of Men and Boys at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York City before joining the Emmanuel staff in January 2016. Acclaimed for his “deeply hued countertenor" (New York Times), Geoffrey is in growing demand as an early music specialist throughout the United States, particularly as founder and artistic director of the GRAMMY-nominated male classical vocal quartet New York Polyphony. Geoffrey serves on the faculty of the Amherst Early Music Festival each summer and is a DMA Candidate in Choral Conducting at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. You can contact Geoffrey at geoffreydwilliams@gmail.com. |
