The Rev. Sara Fischer Rector

Sara’s primary work at St. David’s is to help seekers, sojourners, and sinners worship God through community, creativity, and sacrament (not necessarily in that order). A graduate of the General Theological Seminary in New York, Sara came to St. David’s in 2009, after serving for four years as rector of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukie, Oregon. Prior to that time she was Associate for Faith Formation at Grace Memorial in Northeast Portland. She has served in a variety of diocesan leadership positions, and is a co-founder of Rahab’s Sisters and upstARTpdx. Her experience, her entrepreneurial spirit, her grounding in our southeast Portland neighborhood, her great love for the Episcopal Church, and–most of all–the wonderful people of St. David’s inspire her to be part of the next chapter of our church’s life. Sara is currently on Sabbatical until September, 2013.

The Rev. P. Joshua Griffin Priest Associate

Griff moved to Portland from San Francisco in July 2011, as his wife, Liz, began her medical residency  in OB/GYN at OHSU.  Before coming to Portland, Griff served as the Environmental Justice Missioner for the Diocese of California, and a priest associate at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church, in San Francisco. While working for the Diocese of California, he co-founded and co-coordinated the Free Farm. Griff is enrolled in a full-time doctoral program at the University of Washington, focusing on the intersection of environmental anthropology and religious studies. He holds an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School and a certificate in Religion and Ecology from the Boston Theological Institute. Griff received his primary formation in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

James Joiner Pastoral Associate

James Joiner is a recent graduate of the General Theological Seminary and works as a chaplain at the Portland Veterans Administration Hospital. At St. David’s, we are fortunate to have him as a regular preacher, teacher, and pastoral conversation partner. If you’d like to visit with James, he’d love to hear from you.

 

Emily Jameson Dubow Children’s Ministries Coordinator & Parish Administrator

Emily Jameson Dubow loves the power of stories. She is a digital storyteller and is inspired by the deep sense of meaning and purpose that our shared narratives provide. She finds this same dynamism in the stories of our faith, and is excited about helping children to grow in their knowledge of and relationship with God. She has experience teaching Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, and arts-based children’s programs here in the US, Mexico, Haiti and Zambia. Emily holds an MA in Urban Studies and Community Development, and a BA in Intercultural Religious Studies. Contact Emily at office@saintdavidpdx.org

Susan Leo Building Curator

Susan Leo is a Texan who grew up in Ohio in a family where God’s mandate to work for justice was always taken seriously. Susan majored in geology at the College of Wooster then spent many years working in a wide variety of jobs: from a dishwasher to the executive director of the Washington D.C. Women’s Center, from a handywoman to a paramedic, all the while doing community organizing for a number of causes & organizations. In 1988, Susan went to Corinto, Nicaragua with the first Ben Linder Construction Brigade in. It was there that she was experienced her call to ministry. Susan graduated from San Francisco Theological Seminary and in 1998 she found herself in the midst of an emerging church that is now part of the U.C.C. Susan retired from full-time pastoral ministry in 2011 and graduated from George Fox Evangelical Seminary in 2013 with a Doctor of Ministry degree.  Her interests include birding, softball, gardening, and the performing arts. She lives near St. David with her partner of 17 years and a very spotty dog. Susan can be reached at St. David’s by email.

Daniel Fitzmaurice Director of Music

Daniel Fitzmaurice graduated with a Bachelor of Music in education and piano in May 2009 from Temple University in Philadelphia but grew up on the beach in Milford, Connecticut. He has developed a diverse array of musical gifts from teaching piano lessons to choral conducting, composing to organ performance. After cycling across the country to raise awareness for affordable housing with Habitat for Humanity’s Bike + Build, he looks forward to spreading his roots in and exploring his new home, Portland. Contact Dan by email.

Ben Landsverk Interim Music Director

Ben is a composer, conductor and multi-instrumentalist born and raised in Portland. A graduate of Yale University, Ben has had a lifetime of experience with liturgical music, and has worked in the Episcopal Church for over 18 years, most recently at Portland’s Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. As a musician, Ben specializes in finding and creating connectivity between current popular and traditional classical musical styles, and concertizes frequently on the local, national and international stage. His compositions, arrangements and recordings have been featured on National Public Radio, and critically acclaimed by such publications as Paste Magazine, Time Out New York, NPR Music and Downbeat Magazine.  Ben is also active as a music educator, and is the director of Voices Unlimited – Portland’s flagship choir serving adults with developmental disabilities.

Joshua Kingsley Youth Minister

Emily Outcault Childcare Provider

Emily Outcault moved to Portland from New Jersey to pursue teacher training at Montessori Institute Northwest. She enjoys working at St. David’s because of the warm, welcoming community and the wonderful children.