THE STAFF
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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. MARCIA DAVENPORT
ASSOCIATE RECTOR EMERITUS
CLICK HERE TO EMAIL REVEREND MARCIA
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We are blessed to have the Reverend Marcia Davenport back at Christ Episcopal Church. Marcia served here during the tenure of former Rector Jim Shields. She then moved away from Columbia and served churches in several countries around the world, most recently residing "across the pond" in beautiful Ireland. Marcia now serves as our Associate Rector and leads Christ Church's Education for Ministry programs, which you can learn more about at www.christchurchcolumbia.org/efm
LARISSA SANDERS
DIRECTOR of MUSIC
CLICK HERE TO EMAIL LARISSA​
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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.
YETTI LIPEDE
PARISH ADMINISTRATOR & 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
DIYA JACKSON
OFFICE & YOUTH MINISTRY ASSISTANT
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Diya grew up going to Christ Episcopal Church and has been involved in many of the programs offered at our parish, including the Christ Church Youth Group, our Acolyte Ministry, and the Confirmation program. She is a recent college graduate with a bachelor's degree in Pre-Veterinary Medicine from the University of Delaware. Diya is excited to help out with the office work at Christ Episcopal Church and looks forward to getting more involved in the Youth Ministry during the upcoming program year.
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