The Rev. Dr. J. Barrington Bates, Priest-in-Charge: A retired priest of the Episcopal Church, Barrie holds four master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in liturgical studies. He has served Anglican and Lutheran congregations in California, New York, New Jersey, and Michigan over the last three decades, and taught at Anglican and Lutheran seminaries. At Nativity, he presides about half the Sundays a year. He has published sixteen essays in scholarly journals, and his essay “From Penitence to Praise, and Back Again” will appear in the forthcoming Oxford Handbook on the Book of Common Prayer. He has served as Church Review Editor of the journal Anglican and Episcopal History since 2011, where he has published over seventy of his own reviews. More than thirty of his sermons appear on the Episcopal Church’s “Sermons That Work” website. Before ordination, Barrie worked as a computer programmer, punching holes in cards. He sang for five years in the Tanglewood Festival Chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He and his husband, James MacKenzie, live with cats Harry and Wills at Council Tree Cottage in Readmond Township. Fr. Barrie also serves as nonstipendiary assisting priest at Emmanuel Church in Petoskey. 

Kay Holley, Senior Warden, retired after 32 years of enjoying  work with middle-school students. Currently, she loves spending time with her family and friends. Travel adventures are always a welcome bonus for this founding member of our parish. 

Jerris Makee, Junior Warden, has held many positions. One of the most satisfying was working more than eight years with special education children (grades 1-5). She also enjoyed working in the medical field as a medical records clerk for 16 years. She enjoys helping others and learning from their experiences.

More coming soon....