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 came to know St. Matthew’s through a series of small world events that made it very clear to me that this was where God is calling me to be. After meeting with Father Rob and the search committee I felt as though I had known them for years. The decision to accept the call to serve St. Matthews was a natural one.

Staff

Minister of Music: Bill Podolski
Bill assumed the position of Music Minister from his mentor, Elaine Rendler in January 2007. Bill grew up in Massapequa on Long Island, New York. He came down to Virginia seven years ago to attend George Mason University. He graduated from GMU with two degrees in music education. As a professional singer, Bill has performed various opera roles, featured solo recitals in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Cologne, Germany, and has performed in the Sydney Opera House, Australia and Lincoln Center, New York. This summer he will be singing in Beijing and Shanghai, China in anticipation of the Summer Olympics and currently sings with the National Philharmonic Singers. As a conductor, Bill has served as Assistant conductor of the Gemini Youth Chorale and the George Mason University choral program.

Since graduating, Bill has been a general music teacher at Forest Edge Elementary School, where he was awarded 2006 Teacher of the Year. He is a frequent guest conductor and adjudicator throughout Northern Virginia. He serves as an officer for the Virginia chapter of American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and is a member of National Pastoral Musicians (NPM). Bill lives in Arlington and feels blessed to be serving in his role as music minister.

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 Davenport is a rising Sophomore at James Madison University and pursuing a B.A. in Justice Studies with a concentration on global justice. He hopes to get a Master's in Nongovernmental Organization Management, and then go into the Peace Corps before going into human rights advocacy. He has been attending St. Matthew's with his family for 5 years.

Christine Merola
Christine Merola just completed her freshman year at Calvin College, a Christian liberal arts institution in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As pertaining to her true passions in life of exploring both the craziness of the human mind and stories, she is double majoring in Psychology and English. Her favorite college experience so far has been living in a purposefully diverse living and learning community and being given the opportunity to meet and interact with so many people from different countries and cultures. She's attended St. Matthew's for almost seven years and has been deeply involved with the youth group, both as a member and a student leader. She's looking forward to being even more involved in the exciting and vibrant community at St. Matthew's!

Chris Palmer
Chris will be an intern at St. Matthews while he is home from school for the summer of 2008. Chris has attended St. Matthews Church for all of his life and he is excited to become part of the intern team this summer. Currently, Chris is attending James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia and intends on getting a degree in business marketing with a minor in music industry. For the past ten years, music has been a huge part of his life. Chris played the viola in school orchestras for six years, and currently he plays the guitar which he has been playing for seven years. Chris has played in a number of bands, and he plays in the worship band for the 9:15 service. Chris knows that his love for music is a gift that God has blessed him with, and he will continue to share this gift Sunday mornings in church and he is excited to see how he can share music with the youth throughout the summer.

Vestry

• Paul Schmid, Senior Warden, Technology Team
• Pam Hart, Co-Jr. Warden, Community
• John Martin, Co-Jr. Warden, Building Team
• Charlie Biegel, Spiritual Formation, Youth Leadership Team
• Richard Leach, Stewardship, Finance Chair, Missions Team, Youth Leadership Team
• Katie Robertson, Reverence
• Deb Listopad, Outreach
• Luanna Hansberger
• Ed Goloway

Last Updated on 7/16/2008 10:23:37 AM