David Mahan is the Executive Director of the Rivendell Institute at Yale and a Lecturer in Religion and Literature at the Institute of Sacred Music, Yale Divinity School. He and his wife Karen began attending St. John’s when their eldest daughter was six months old, over 30 years ago. David has served the church in various leadership roles over the years. What has nurtured David and Karen most is our church’s commitment to “generous orthodoxy” where Scripture is esteemed and taught as the guiding light of our lives and witness, the richness of our traditional liturgy, and the decades-long fellowship with extraordinary sisters and brothers who love and serve Jesus Christ.

Michèle Sigg lived in Alabama and Georgia before moving to France with her missionary parents at the age of eleven. After college, she taught French at the university and high school levels for many years. She is now executive director of the Dictionary of African Christian Biography (www.DACB.org), an open access online resource that documents the stories of African Christians responsible for the spread of the gospel in Africa from the time of Christ to the present (all traditions, all countries). Discovering African and world Christianity played an important role in her spiritual and theological journey, in particular, understanding the role of women in leadership. She and her husband Sam have lived in New Haven since 2000 with their three children, Johan, Annie, and Catherine.

Brian Sullivan returned to St. John’s in 2020, along with his wife and daughter, after a hiatus of over 25 years.  In the late 1980s and early 90s while living in New Haven he was a member of the Church and served on the Vestry when Peter Rogers was Rector.  Brian practiced law at several New York City firms for many years and then became the general counsel of a not for profit health insurer.  He continued to consult concerning health care reform issues after retiring from that position.  In 2021 Brian became a member of the Vestry and since 2023 has been Treasurer.

Tim is in his fourth year of an Economics PhD at Yale. He moved to New Haven from Adelaide, Australia and was delighted to join the St John’s family in 2019. His research concerns development economics. He loves discovering how economics and data relate to faith and how they can be used to encourage human flourishing. 

Annette Kalimuzo Dronyi was raised in East Africa and trained as a lawyer in the United Kingdom, Annette’s immigrant story to the United States was a long and winding journey. Primarily a homemaker looking after three children for the first few decades of it, she now lives in New Haven with her daughter. To mark this new chapter in the second half of her life, she has fulfilled a “bucket list’ wish to write and publish an indigenous origin story. It is called “A Barren Woman Had A Son’ and was written under her “nom de plume” of “Annette Mukakigeri”. Annette has a heart for prayer ministry and community.

Elizabeth L. Godfrey is a general surgery resident at Yale New Haven Health and working toward a Master’s of Health Science in surgical outcomes research. She obtained her MD from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, and previously studied bioengineering and global health technologies at Rice University. A Southern Baptist by baptism, she has been shaped by an ecumenical mix of family, friends, and community faith groups since childhood, including leading her interdenominational Texas Medical Center professional student group, where she focused on finding common ground in Christ and forging fellowship not in spite of, but because of theological and philosophical diversity. Her ministry as a clinician is that of presence, listening, and speaking truth to fear for patients, families, and her fellow physicians navigating critical illness, and as a researcher she studies the creation of tools to facilitate those decisions. She is a violist and spends her free time on DIY home improvement, reading, and planning weekend trips around New England. At St. John’s she enjoys helping others find and grow into their identity and community in Christ as a co-youth group leader and social media coordinator.

John Hare is Noah Porter Professor of Philosophical Theology, Yale University. He has also worked for Tyndale Biscoe Memorial High School, Srinagar, Kashmir, India (as high school teacher), Fellowship of Universities and Schools (as teacher and counselor), Lehigh University (as assistant professor), Medical College of Pennsylvania (as teacher), House Foreign Affairs Committee (as staff), Calvin College (as associate professor), and he is a published composer of church music.

Lori was baptized, accepted Jesus as her saviour (at 16), and was married in the Episcopal church. In college, she was involved in Christian fellowship. She has served in hospitality, as a Sunday school teacher, a deacon and worked as an assistant director and director of Vacation Bible School at Trinity Baptist Church New Haven. Lori loves Jesus and is willing to continue her service to Him and the church here at St. John’s.

Bill and his wife, Rebecca, joined the St. John’s family in 2018. Prior to moving to New Haven, Bill taught philosophy and writing at University of Rochester, where he earned his PhD in Philosophy in 2016. Professionally, he specializes in epistemology, early modern philosophy, and philosophy of religion/philosophical theology – but likes to converse with anyone interested in matters at the intersection of faith and reason.

Abbie Storch is an assistant editor at Yale University Press, where she publishes translated literature and scholarly books in religious studies. She has been a member of St. John’s since 2016, when she moved to New Haven to study religion and literature at the Divinity School. She loves how the worship and community at St. John’s refocuses our rhythms of life toward sincere commitment to one another, our city, and our world. She lives in the Fair Haven neighborhood of New Haven with her husband, Armando Ghinaglia.

Awet Andemicael is a musician and theologian, currently serving as Associate Dean for Marquand Chapel and Lecturer in Theology at Yale Divinity School and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. Awet has studied or worked in New Haven off and on since 2007, and has been attending St John’s when she has been in town since 2008.
At St. John’s, she is currently involved in supporting the prayer ministry, and occasionally assists with the music ministry. She has previously served on the vestry, and participates when possible in one of the small groups.
Awet appreciates many things about St. John’s, including our wonderful priests who recently retired. Yet, over the years and shifts in clerical leadership, it has been the St John’s community that has kept her coning back to the church for so long. Among the most notable blessings of St. John’s are: the personal warmth, mutual care, and deep spiritual commitment of the community of parishioners; the love for the Scriptures as the living word of God; the genuine and concrete commitment to following Christ individually and collectively; the openness to the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit; the ubiquity of prayer and emphasis on communally seeking God’s direction and help for our church and for our individual lives; the diversity of generations, perspectives, and national, ethnic, and denominational backgrounds; the heart-felt and loving way people show up for one another to celebrate in times of joy and support in times of sorrow and need; the way the church intentionally builds up lay leadership and invites everyone in the church to get involved in ministry; the theological knowledge and spiritual maturity of lay leaders; the opportunities for Christian formation integrating intellectual and spiritual learning, discipleship, and spiritual mentorship; the appreciation for beauty and support of artistic endeavors; and the ongoing care for our local community and broader world through ministry partnerships to address needs and situations of concern.

Renée Barbre (formerly Becker) is a PhD candidate at Yale, officially working on Early Modern music notation and unofficially studying theology alongside. In addition to participating in the music ministry at St. John’s, Renée sings in the Schola Cantorum choir at Yale’s Institute for Sacred Music. She is also one of the leaders of the Yale Graduate Student Christian Fellowship. As the daughter of Christian ministers in France, Renée has been involved in church music for as long as she can remember. Renée is married to Daniel Barbre, whose Eastern Orthodox Christianity has deeply influenced and enriched her own walk with God.

Macie is a 2024 graduate from Yale Divinity School, and comes to St. John’s with enthusiasm for youth and young adult ministry. She also enjoys exploring new contemplative practices and participating in St. John’s vibrant prayer ministry. Before arriving in New Haven, Macie completed a service year with the Episcopal Young Adult Service Corps in Chapel Hill, NC, which attuned her to the particular joys of intentional Christian community.

Lenore Hammers has been at St. John’s parish since 1993. She worked with Campus Crusade for Christ (now known as Cru) for ten years in the campus ministry, the last three of which were at Yale University. In 1999 she graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a Masters in Social Work. She currently works as a liver transplant social worker at Yale New Haven Hospital and the Yale New Haven Transplant Center.
During her time at St. John’s she has served in various capacities. She is currently active in the welcome team ministry, altar guild, choir and the band, and generally pitching in where needed. In her free time she likes writing and has self-published a historical murder mystery called Measure of Faith: A Murder Mystery. She is also currently learning to play the fiddle.

Karen Mahan grew up in Indonesia with missionary parents. She worked briefly on Capitol Hill after college before entering campus ministry in 1985. Karen currently works with graduate students as a director of Spiritual Formation with the Rivendell Institute at Yale. She and her husband David are long-time members of St. John’s and their three children, Jessica, Tristan and Natalie grew up in the church. Karen has served in many different capacities over the years, from leading individual ministries to Wardenships. What has nurtured both of them most is the church’s commitment to “generous orthodoxy” where Scripture is esteemed and taught as the guiding light of our lives and witness, the richness of St. John’s traditional liturgy, and the decades-long fellowship with extraordinary sisters and brothers who love and serve Jesus Christ.

Ryan Mays is a psychology student at Southern Connecticut State University and a General Manager at a local café/bakery called G Café. He grew up in the area and has led prayer and outreach ministries. Ryan has a heart for reconciliation. He feels called to help Christians talk to each other and love each other across the divisions that polarize the Body of Christ.

Kara Lyn Moran is a current graduate student at the Yale School of the Environment. She is originally from Des Moines, Iowa and grew up in the church. Her favorite part of St. John’s is the community! She is the garden coordinator for St. John and loves to be able to interact with both the St. Johns and New Haven Community. When not in school, she enjoys gardening, hiking, being with friends and playing board games.

Kyama Mugambi was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. He and his wife Wambui have three children. He is a professor at Yale Divinity School where his work focuses on African Urban Christianity. Kyama has always been connected to the local church having served in various pastoral and leadership capacities for more than 25 years. His mission work saw him lead teams in nine countries in Africa. He is passionate about the story of the church around the world. He first attended St. John’s in 2020 while on a brief visit just before COVID and found it a warm, welcoming community. His church friends, some of whom are colleagues at YDS, have helped him make his transition to life in New Haven. He and his family have found the community friendly and easy to connect with. They appreciate the church’s commitment to biblical teaching, the opportunities for both men and women to serve in upfront ministry, and numerous avenues for prayer and learning.

Alicia Pittard has been glad to be a member of St. John’s since 2021, and has served as volunteer children’s ministry coordinator since fall 2022. She loves the fun, insight, earnestness, and goofiness the children of St. John’s bring to our community. She is excited to help shepherd St. John’s kids as they come to know Jesus through scripture and each other, and as they learn how to take their place in the larger Body of Christ.
Alicia grew up hippie-Unitarian on a ranch in Amarillo, Texas. She came to faith in high school and met her husband John in college at Harvard, where she studied chemistry and spent most of the rest of her time with the Harvard-Radcliffe Christian Fellowship. She now works as a pediatrician in New Haven and is passionate about caring for amazing kids & families from a wide range of economic and cultural backgrounds. Her other career is raising 3 terrific kids whom you might find slumped over in the pew and/or asking when the sermon will be over, but who also ask great questions about God.