THE STAFF
AT
CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
THE REV. EMMANUEL ATO MERCER
RECTOR
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Emmanuel comes to Christ Church having previously served at All Saints Episcopal Church, Atlanta, GA. where he worked on Refugee Ministry and Trinity Cathedral, Columbia, SC where he was responsible for Youth Ministry and Pastoral Care. Emmanuel earned a Masters in Sacred Theology at Yale University, Masters in Divinity at Emory University and Licentiate in Theology from St. Nicholas Theological Seminary, Cape Coast, Ghana. Emmanuel has also completed the EfM theological education and is currently enrolled at the Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia for his Doctorate in Ministry.
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Emmanuel grew up in the West African country of Ghana and is married to Monique with whom he has four children – Havilynd, Frances, James, and Georgina.
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THE REV. DENISE SCHIAVONE
DEACON
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Deacon Denise concluded her ministry at Christ Church on September 8, 2024. We are sad to see her go, but she is moving on to become Archdeacon for the Diocese of Maryland. Her installation takes place on November 8-9, 2024 at the 240th Diocesan Convention. You can learn more at www.episcopalmaryland.org/diocesan-governance/diocesan-convention
THE REV. MARCIA DAVENPORT
ASSOCIATE PRIEST
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We are blessed to have the Reverend Marcia Davenport at Christ Episcopal Church. Marcia served here during the tenure of former Rector, Jim Shields. She has served at different places between her times here in Columbia, most recently residing "across the pond" in the beautiful country of Ireland. Marcia leads Christ Church's Education for Ministry program, which you can learn more about at www.christchurchcolumbia.org/efm
LARISSA SANDERS
DIRECTOR of MUSIC
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Larissa grew up in the Baltimore area where she began studying piano as a child and went on to pursue a piano performance degree at Towson University. She has taught piano lessons and early childhood music, served as a church musician for over 20 years, and is currently the music teacher at Hammond Elementary School. She and her husband moved to Columbia to raise their children in a diverse community where all are welcome and treated with kindness - something she says she sees mirrored in the community at Christ Church. Her belief in music’s ability to unite, challenge, and lift us spiritually inspires her greatly, and she looks forward to growing our music ministry in new and exciting ways.
KIONA LOOKINGBILL
DIRECTOR of YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRIES
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Kiona Lookingbill (M.Div., BCC) was born to Korean immigrant parents in Chicago, IL, and went to elementary school in South Korea, middle school in (then) West Germany, High School of Music & Arts in Classical Piano in Seoul, Korea; and has a B.A. in Business Administration from Ewha Woman's University, the largest women's university of the world started by missionaries.
Kiona sought a theological education at Fuller Theological Seminary, where she graduated with a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Family Pastoral Care & Counseling. She has served at St. John's Episcopal Church, Ellicott City as the day school chaplain and director of Children's Faith Formation, and is a hospice chaplain. She's a candidate for Holy Orders, having completed her internship at St. John's, Ellicott City, and her Diploma in Anglican Studies through the Stevenson School of Ministry, Lancaster Theological Seminary.
Kiona resides in Columbia with her husband, Josiah, an HCPS educator, and their son, Marcus.
YETTI LIPEDE
MINISTRY COORDINATOR
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Yetti joined Christ Church back in 2008, when her sister invited her, her son, and her mother to the church. She immediately fell in love with it, as it was a very welcoming community that encouraged new members to participate in different ministries. Her first opportunity to volunteer at Christ Church was around 2009, when she helped Father Richard Ginnever in the office with the weekly newsletters and volunteered as an usher and a Sunday school teacher. She moved into the role of Youth Group Coordinator around 2018, when the opportunity was presented to her. Now, as Parish Ministry Coordinator under Father Manny, she aims to continue to help every parishioner find their own calling in one or more of the ministries here at Christ Episcopal Church.
Feel free to stop her any time with suggestions, questions, or to say "hello," and she’ll undoubtedly respond with a smile. You can also email her at ministry@christchurchcolumbia.org
AISHA WHITE
PARISH ADMINISTRATOR
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Aisha has worked for various churches over the last decade-plus, including St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in nearby Ellicott City, where she was able to assist in the volunteer effort during the flood of 2018. Her last position was with The Leadership Conference of Women Religious where her report detailing the border crisis in 2019 was featured in Time Magazine. Originally from Michigan, Aisha has lived in Maryland for over 18 years, and currently resides in Windsor Mill with her son, Devon.
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As Parish Administrator, Aisha's goal is to continue to help each parishioner - newcomers and long-standing members of the parish family - find their calling here at Christ Episcopal Church, and to make their visit to our campus as safe and comfortable as possible. Feel free to reach out to her any time with any questions, or just to simply say, "Hello!"
IF YOU HAVE ANY WEBSITE-RELATED CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT OUR COMMUNICATIONS ADMINISTRATOR, CHRIS.