St. Alban’s Clergy & Directors
Complete list of St. Alban’s Staff and contact information »
The Reverend Canon John E. Lawrence, Interim Rector
The Rev’d Canon John E. Lawrence became the Interim Rector of St. Alban’s on March 1, 2010. He is specially trained in interim pastoral ministry and has wide experience as a priest of The Episcopal Church. A native of Long Island, New York, Fr. Lawrence is a graduate of the George Washington University in Washington, DC, and the General Theological Seminary in New York, NY. After serving parishes in Great Neck, Nyack, Bayside, and Sayville, NY, he was called to the Diocese of Southern Ohio and served for ten years as Canon to the Ordinary and chief executive assistant to the Bishop. In that diocesan ministry he worked closely with parishes in transition. In 2000 he was elected as Rector of Trinity Church in Newport, RI, an historic colonial parish dating back to 1698. In 2006 he was called as Interim Rector of Calvary Church in Columbia, Missouri. In 2008 he was called as Interim Rector of St. Patrick's Church in Washington, DC, a post he served until coming to St. Alban’s.
Fr. Lawrence has had experience in communications, having served as Editor of Leaven, a national newsletter for clergy, and as Interim Director of Communications and Editor of Interchange for the Diocese of Southern Ohio. He has also served as a consultant to parishes and a member of many diocesan committees and boards. He was twice elected as an Altarnate Deputy to the General Convention of The Episcopal Church and has taught courses in ministry for lay people at the George Mercer, Jr. School of Theology in Garden City, NY.
He is married to the former Jeramy Leslie. They have seven grown children between and three grandchildren. Fr. and Mrs. Lawrence have traveled extensively through Europe and the Orient. They now live in Arlington, Virginia.
The Reverend Jered Weber-Johnson, Assistant Rector, grew up in the misty rainforest of Southeast Alaska, on Prince of Wales Island. During summers Jered worked in various ways in the region’s thriving fishing industry and enjoyed enormous amounts of time in the mountains and out on the ocean.
Jered pursued his bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois, where he met and fell for the love of his life, Erin. Jered and Erin just celebrated their 7th wedding anniversary.
Following college Jered and Erin moved to Seattle where they both worked for the plaintiff on the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill class action lawsuit. In Seattle the Weber-Johnson’s found and joined the Episcopal Church, and Jered began exploring a nagging question about where God might be calling him. Formal discernment led them to accept appointments as Young Adult Service Corps Missionaries with the Episcopal Church in Taiwan for one year. Their time in Taiwan confirmed for Jered, his discerning community, and his bishop that he was called to ordained ministry. Upon returning home, Jered enrolled at the General Theological Seminary in Manhattan. While there, Jered interned at Trinity Wall Street and also worked for the Trinity Grants Program, coordinating their Young Adult Spirituality grants.
Jered’s wife Erin has an MPA from New York University’s Wagner School and has worked both as Academic Affairs Coordinator at the General Theological Seminary and consulted for various non-profits and faith-based organizations. She currently serves on the board of trustees for Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation. Jered and Erin just welcomed the newest Weber-Johnson into the world; their son Jude Graham was born on July 14th, 2009.
The Reverend Harriette Sturges, Deacon & Coordinator of Children’s Ministries says, “I learned my catechism out of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer which gives a clue as to my age. I memorized that I was a Member of Christ, the Child of God, and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is still who I am.” She has a BA in Philosophy, a Master’s in Theology, and a background in spiritual direction. She was ordained to the Diaconate in 1990. Her passions are environmental issues, Hispanic Ministry, Panama, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and St. Alban’s. She has been married to Buzz, a retired country lawyer, for over 40 years. They have two sons, two daughters-in-law, and an adorable granddaughter, Olivia. E-mail Harriette Sturges »
The Reverend Loren Mead, Honorary Associate, is an ordained Episcopal priest, educator, consultant and author, who works to strengthen religious institutions, especially local congregations. A pioneer in congregational studies, Loren has collaborated with lay people, clergy, bishops, teachers, executives and others committed to ministry.
In his work with churches, Loren has helped develop a number of resources now widely used for: the role and work of the interim pastor, conflict management, clergy stress and burnout, and training methods for executives and bishops. He has been concerned for the personal, professional, and spiritual development of lay and Clergy leaders, and especially for the creative possibilities for churches and leaders at moments of transition. He has worked with churches and seminaries in several dozen denominations and with interfaith organizations in the US, Canada, England, Scotland, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Namibia.
Loren served as an Episcopal parish priest for 15 years. He is the author of four books on the future of the church: The Once and Future Church; Transforming Congregations for the Future; Five Challenges for the Once and Future Church; and Financial Meltdown in the Mainline?
Born in South Carolina, Loren received a BA from the University of the South and an MA from the University of South Carolina. He attended Virginia Theological Seminary, receiving a Master’s in Divinity in 1955. He is married to the former Polly Ayres Mellette. They have four children and seven grandchildren. E-mail Loren Mead »
Sonya Subbayya Sutton, Director of Music, directs four choirs and plans the music for nearly 200 services a year at St. Alban’s. She received her education at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, earning Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Piano Performance and a second Master’s in Arts Administration. She has served as organist and choirmaster at several churches for the past 20 years; served on the music faculty of Charles County Community College; directed the Prince George’s Community Chorus in its annual Messiah performance for seven years, and was a guest conductor for the Kennedy Center’s annual Messiah sing-along performance.
Other activities have included organizing and hosting the regional conference of the Association of Anglican Musicians and serving on that organization’s board; directing a diocesan children’s choir festival at the consecration of the Bishop of Washington; organ recitals at Washington National Cathedral, St. Thomas’ Fifth Avenue in New York City, and St. Albans Abbey in England; and a two-week conducting residency at The Chautauqua Institute. Sonya is also the Keyboard Associate for the Washington Choral Ensemble.
Sonya has recorded two CDs:
- Russan Exile: Piano Music of V. P. Netchvolodoff
- Spiritual Corners of the Piano Repertoire: Music of Liszt, Bach-Busoni, Messiaen, Eben Respighi and Brahms
She is married to the Right Reverend Eugene Sutton, Bishop of Maryland, and is mother to Sophia and Stefan Vastek. E-mail Sonya Sutton »
Eric Gustafson, Director of Parish Administration manages and co-ordinates various information technology systems at St. Alban’s, ranging from database systems to dynamic websites to interactive scheduling systems. He received his education at the University of Illinois (Bachelor of Arts in Music History), the University of Vienna (Austria) studying musicology and conducting on a Fulbright Fellowship, and the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, earning a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting. He worked as a computer applications programmer (Sr. Applications Specialist) at General Electric for seventeen years before returning to school to work on a PhD in Comparative Arts--and subsequently serving in the position of Parish Administrator for St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Washington. He is a performing pianist and has presented numerous recitals in DC, New York, Florida, Minnesota, Ohio and Illinois. He has competed in piano competitions in Ft. Worth (Cliburn Amateur), Paris, and Washington (WIPAC) – where he placed third among a large international field. Currently, Eric also serves as organist and music director for St. John's Episcopal Church in Beltsville, Maryland.
His partner of twelve years (George McConnell) works for DMA, a non-profit organization in Washington, DC. E-mail Eric Gustafson »Ron Hicks, Parish Verger, has been with St. Alban’s since June 2000. He retired from government service in 1997 after 34 years working for the U.S. Senate and the Department of the Treasury. He was received into the Episcopal Church from the Roman Catholic Church in 1958, and has served in many parishes as Sunday School teacher; vestry member; Junior Warden; lay reader; chalice bearer; acolyte; usher; greeter; director of acolytes, layreaders and chalice bearers; master of ceremonies; and verger. Ron has been an Associate of the Order of the Holy Cross since 1979, and he volunteers at the Washington National Cathedral as a verger and as Captain of the Altar Guild’s Linen and Silver Team. He enjoys giving seminars and workshops on the Daily Office.
He and his wife, Jonnie Sue, married in 1958. They have one son, two daughters and six grandchildren, and live in Arlington, VA. E-mail Ron Hicks »
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