Jeff has served at Christ Church since 2002.  He loves parish ministry, and cannot imagine a more fulfilling vocation. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1989, and has served his entire ordained ministry in the Diocese of Massachusetts. Prior to coming to Christ Church, he was the Rector of Trinity Church of Topsfield and Boxford for twelve years. Before that he was the Assistant Rector at Grace Church in Lawrence, and for a brief time the Interim Rector at St. Andrew's in Methuen.

Jeff is originally from Muncie, Indiana – America’s Middletown – and is the son and grandson of Pentecostal ministers.  He is a graduate of Indiana University where he studied East Asian Languages and Literature and Religious Studies, and Harvard Divinity School, where he studied Church History and Theology, and prepared for parish ministry.  He also spent two years as a Fellow of the Episcopal Church Foundation working toward a PhD in international conflict resolution at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.  He brings a global perspective to ministry at Christ Church, and cares passionately about the ministry of reconciliation and peacebuilding.  His international travels have taken him to nearly 40 countries around the world in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Jeff cares deeply about parish ministry and feels privileged to preach, teach, lead worship, offer pastoral care, and lead the parish in its outreach ministries both locally and globally. He is also engaged in a variety of local organizations, is a founding board member of the Esperanza Academy, and serves on the Executive Board of the Center for the Study of Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations at Merrimack College.

Jeff’s wife, Carolyn, sings in the parish choir and is involved in a variety of ministries.  She has an active career as a lay professional in the church.  For the past ten years she has been the General Manager of the Society of Companions of the Holy Cross and their retreat center, Adelynrood.  Prior to that she worked for several years on the staff of the Diocese of Massachusetts and for the Episcopal City Mission.  She holds a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree in Congregational Development from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary.  Carolyn is a native of Sacramento, California, but has lived all over the United States and abroad.

Jeff and Carolyn have two grown children, Elizabeth and George, a son-in-law, Duncan Neilson, and their first grandchild, Sebastian.  Jeff and Carolyn love traveling (especially now to Oregon to see Sebastian and his parents), and spending time in Maine when they are not in Andover.  In his leisure time, Jeff loves bicycling, motorcycling, kayaking, sitting by the ocean and breathing in the salt air. 

You may contact Jeff by email or by phone at his office in the Glebe House (x11).  You can also peek in on his blog, Jeff's Journey, to which he posts primarily when he is traveling.  Feel free to "friend" him on Facebook as well!