Meet Our Stephen Ministers
Stephen Ministers are trained as God’s representatives to bring love to those who are hurting.
Stephen Ministers are companions who offer one-to-one care to people in the congregation experiencing life difficulties. Each Stephen Minister has received extensive training and they are looking forward to beginning their ministry to members of our congregation. They will be matched with a member for a period of time and all aspects of this ministry is completely confidential, even the name of the person they are walking alongside. They are committed to being holy listeners, helping to process feelings and offering the love of Christ. Stephen Ministers typically meet with their care receiver in person for about an hour a week. They may care for people who are experiencing grief or loss, a medical crisis, a family crisis or a faith crisis of any kind.
Over the next several weeks, we will be introducing our Stephen Ministers and sharing a bit about why they decided to offer themselves to serve our St. Barnabas community in this capacity. If you are interested in learning more about Stephen Ministry, please reach out to our Stephen Ministry Leaders: Julia Leary, Kirk Murray or Bruce Bollman.
Meet John Gillespie
I’ve been a member of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church for roughly 2 years. I am a lifelong Episcopalian, having been baptized and confirmed at Christ Church Cathedral. I followed my daughter Claire, her husband, Brandon, and their two children, Ceci and Rosa, when they moved to Montgomery and became members of St. Barnabas. While it is fair to say that I followed them to St. B, they are not the only reason I’ve stayed. What I have found here is a joyful, caring, inclusive Christian community. And I made it home.
I spent roughly 42 years in the healthcare industry, 40 of them with the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center. Before retiring from the medical Center in 2017 I became a realtor. And now in 2026 I am winding down my second career.
So, I listened to a presentation last year about the Stephen Ministry. It resonated with me. As I mentioned at my commissioning as a Stephen Minister, listening to that presentation brought to mind a phrase from the old Eucharistic prayer. It said:
“It is meet and right so to do. It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty…”
And that’s how I felt about the Stephen Ministry and I was called to it. I look forward to my service as a Stephen Minister as a way for me to provide high-quality, one on one, Christ-centered care to people in the congregation experiencing life difficulties.
If you would like to learn more about Stephen Ministry or request support, visit our website.
