Clergy, Staff & Vestry

The Reverend Rob Merola

Dear Friends,

Some years ago my parents brought home a Dalmatian puppy as the  newest member of our family. Named Sophia (SpotsOnPetsHelpInhibitArson), she was a bundle of often-mischievous energy. In fact, my parents began to wonder quite audibly if perhaps the name of the breed shouldn't be changed-just a little, mind you-by simply dropping the "l"; replacing it with an "n"; and then inverting that "n" with the "m" immediately following it.

Still, we all loved that dog. She could run like the very wind itself-especially when she had somehow managed to slip out the front door and the whole family (there were 7 of us) was trying to catch her. Sophia also loved to swim, diving into the pool with a belly smacker that would have made spring-breakers down in Daytona proud. She could catch Frisbee with the best of them, and had she been born just a few years later might well have been an Xtreme Canine participating in her own way in the extreme sports craze.

But perhaps what endeared us to her most was how affectionate she could be. This was especially evident in her greetings. Not only would she wag her tail furiously, but she also had a "smile" which she reserved solely for these occasions. OK, she did also use it when she knew she was in big trouble, which, come to think of it, was pretty frequently. Anyway, Sophie would curl up her lips, show all her teeth, bob her head, and snort in excitement. To the uninitiated I suppose it probably looked something like a snarl, but we knew it only as an expression of love and warmth. When you would walk in that front door, you'd know that on the other side was a dog who was so glad to see you that she was wearing a big goofy grin and dancing in the sheer pleasure of the moment. No matter how good or how bad my day had been, that greeting always made it better.

All this is to say that this is the kind of greeting that we at Saint Matthew's wish to extend to you. One full of warmth, excitement, and enthusiasm. We look forward to meeting you face to face.

Whether you are still trying to figure out the God-piece of life's puzzle, or a dedicated believer looking for a church, we hope you will feel welcome and at home in our midst.

Warmly,
Rob+

The Reverend Anne MacNabb

I am a recent addition to the St. Matthew's community. I came here not knowing what to expect, wondering if this would be "just another church." What I found has been overwhelming. The welcome my family and I have received has been phenomenal. This place is different, the people are real, they are kind and the welcome is genuine. If you visit St. Matthew's, you will not stand in coffee hour wondering how to start a conversation with someone - you will feel like you have been a part of this community for years. This is a vibrant community with tons of activities and opportunities for service, education, just plain fun for all ages.

Anne+

Staff

Minister of Music: Ray Mueller
Ray was born and raised in Long Island, NY. While in NY, he attended Ithaca College School of Music as well as Five Towns College for the Performing Arts. Ray studied both voice and piano in Classical, Jazz, and Contemporary settings. He has had the privilege of conducting community, college, high school, and elementary choirs at venues such as Lincoln Center, NY, and the NY Huntington Choral Society. Ray has a true passion for music composition and is enthralled to have been able to share it with so many people thus far.

Ray has been an active church musician his whole life, having had the opportunity to be a part of some wonderful congregations over the years. He is now honored and grateful to call St. Matthews his home in Virginia. In his spare time he also teaches elementary music & chorus full-time for Fairfax County Public Schools.

Nursery Attendant: Angela McKeown
Angela has been attending St. Matthew's since 1995 and taught Sunday School for the preschool class for a number of years before becoming the nursery attendant. She has four sons, ages 2, 4, 8 and 10. She also has done part time daycare in her home for about 7 years. She wants the nursery at St. Matthew's to be a fun place that children will want to come to week after week after week!

Office Manager: Miriam Turner
Miriam has been a member of St. Matthew's since August 2004. She joined us as the Office Manager in June 2008. Miriam is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Administration. She has worked at hotels across the country in a variety of operational positions. For the previous five years she has been a member of the faculty at Stratford University. She is looking forward to bringing her educational experience and organizational skills to the office of St. Matthew's. Miriam lives in Sterling with her husband, Mason, son, Mason II, and hound dog, Bianca.

Summer Interns

Alex Davenport

Alex is a Junior at JMU, majoring in local justiceand minoring in communications.  He hopes to become a communityorganizer in the future, and is considering grad school.  Hehas been attending St. Matthew's since the summer of his 8th gradeyear, and is excited to join the congregation as an intern this summer.  Since attending JMU he has become active in environmental and socialmovements, on and off campus, and  also serves on the vestry of JMU’s Canterbury group. He  enjoys sunsets, tea, and coffee (mostly coffee).

Bethany Hansberger graduated from Park View HighSchool in 2008 and will be a second year student at Bridgewater Collegein the fall.  Bethany has been attending St. Matthew's for nearly fouryears and has been actively involved.  She assisted with Vacation BibleSchool and was a Sunday School teacher.  An athletic training major,Bethany hopes to become a sports psychologist.  Some of her favoriteactivities include being outside, scrapbooking, and hanging out withfriends.

Lauren Anderson
Lauren Anderson is 18 years old and just finishedher freshman year at Virginia Tech as a Biology Major. She graduatedfrom Potomac Falls High School in 2008. She has a passion for singing,dancing, acting, and playing the piano. Lauren joined the St. Matt'sfamily in fall of 2007, and has been in love with it ever since. Shewas recently hired by Virginia Tech to be a Resident Advisor in one ofthe freshman dorms next year. Lauren’s current plan for “when she growsup” is to attend the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of VeterinaryMedicine, but she is completely open to whatever God throws at her.Lauren would like to express how thankful she is for the opportunity tointern for the amazing community at St. Matthews.

Vestry

Ed Goloway, Senior Warden	Darrell Breed, Junior Warden	Charlie Biegel
Richard Leach	Erin Leary	Tegan Petersen
John Martin	Luanna Hansberger	Deb Listopad
Katie Robertson

Last Updated on 6/12/2009 12:32:28 PM