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 8398 NE 12th St. Medina, WA 98039 425-454-9541 www.stthomasmedina.org
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Our Staff
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The Rev. Lex Breckinridge
Rector
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I am just delighted to have been called as
the sixth Rector of St. Thomas, a community that intentionally
“practices the hospitality of God.” This place welcomes all
sorts and conditions of folks and understands that God is best
known not as an abstract concept, but relationally through
compassion given and received from one to another. This connects
to the heart of my own ministry, which values faithful worship
and beautiful music, honest and engaging preaching and teaching,
deeply relational pastoral care, outreach to those on the
margins, and growth that reflects the diversity of the Kingdom
of Heaven. Indeed, our aim at St. Thomas is to be the sort of
community where one might catch a glimpse of the Kingdom.
Before coming to St. Thomas, I served as Upper School
Chaplain at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Austin, Texas; Rector
of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Austin; and Associate Rector of
St. Michael’s, Austin. I came to ordained ministry in mid-life
following a 16-year career as a maritime and commercial trial
lawyer in New Orleans.
After growing up in Beckley, West Virginia, I attended St.
Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill where I was a double major in History
and Religion, the Tulane University School of Law, and the
Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest. The love of my
life turned out to be a law school classmate, and Zonnie and I
were married 32 years ago at the end of our first year at
Tulane. We have three wonderful kids: Alexander, who practices
law himself in Washington, D.C. and is married to Kirsten, a
grants administrator at a federal agency; Barbara, a graduate
student at the University of Texas; and Robert, a junior at
Haverford College in suburban Philadelphia.
Zonnie and I both love to hike and ski, so life here in the
Pacific Northwest sounds just right to us. I also enjoy cooking
and reading, opera and jazz. Mostly, I love being with people
and sharing all the joy and sadness, the laughter and tears, of
real life. It is there, after all, that we’ll meet the Risen
Christ.
You can reach me via email at .
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The Rev. Kathryn Ballinger, RN
Deacon, Spiritual Director and Parish Visitor
Kathryn joined the staff in 2004. She serves as a deacon in the
liturgy and is a member of the pastoral care team. Kathryn is
the contact person for "Come to the Quiet," a spirituality and
meditation group. She is a member of the Ignatian Spirituality
Center in Seattle and has been a spiritual director for over 25
years.
Kathryn is also a retired nurse. She served in two parishes
in Spokane before coming to St. Thomas. She is married and has
three grown children in the area. Kathryn is available for
spiritual direction and pastoral visits; her email address is:
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The Rev. Stephen W. Best
Associate for Couples and Family Life
Steve joined our staff in May of 2002. In addition to general
pastoral responsibilities, his focus is to develop a ministry
program aimed at the needs of couples and young families. Steve
is available on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. He can be
contacted via email at:  |
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Charles Rus
Interim Associate for Liturgical Arts
Charles was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and moved to
Capitol Hill in November 2008 to join us at St. Thomas. For a
couple decades, he lived in San Francisco and played at St.
John's Episcopal Church. He was also the organist for the San
Francisco Symphony and taught organ at the San Francisco
Conservatory of Music. Charles loves kayaking on the bay (or,
in this case, Lake Washington and Puget Sound), swimming, and
most of all, playing with his buddy Pointer, who can often be
found in Charles's office. Charles can be reached via email at:  |
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Josh Hosler
Associate for Christian Formation
Josh and his wife Christy live in West Seattle with their
daughter Sarah and their two cats, Epitome and Henry. Josh began
working at St. Thomas in 2004 as Associate for Teen Ministry and
expanded his duties in 2006. He has been volunteering for the
Diocese of Olympia in the area of youth ministry since 1996,
helping to staff and convene regular HYC and JYC events. In 2006
he began discernment for possible ordination. In
addition to Christian formation, Josh has a lifelong passion for
pop music, choral music composition, and other things musical.
He can be contacted via email at:
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Danielle Smoot
Childcare Coordinator
Danielle and her husband Dennis, son
Logan and two golden retriever dogs, Dodger and Paris,
relocated back to Bellevue, WA from Las Vegas, NV in
September 2008. Danielle began working at St. Thomas in
February 2009. During the week Danielle is the Activity
Supervisor for the afternoon program at Bellevue Montessori.
She has a bachelor's degree in Recreation with an emphasis
on kids' programming. Her first job out of college was
working for the Ritz Carlton Hotel developing their kids'
program. She brings with her excellent ideas and terrific
customer service.. Danielle can be
contacted via email at: 
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Laura Gregg
Executive Assistant to the Rector
Laura Gregg joined the St. Thomas staff in November 2009.
Laura is a Seattle native whose 40-year work life includes
contributions to scientific research, forestry, chemical sales,
the travel industry, health care, telecommunications, and a
number of contract jobs for several other enterprises. Along the
way, she has indulged in several hobbies: theater technician and
director, dancer and choreographer, musician, and miniature
dollhouse crafter. She has a BA in theater arts and a secondary
school teaching certificate. In 1979 she earned an MBA from
Pepperdine University and has been an ASQ-Certified Manager of
Quality/Organizational Excellence since 2000. In 2007, she
finished a one-year term as a VISTA volunteer in Salem, Oregon,
where she was assigned to a microenterprise development program.
Laura is married to Robert Gidley, an accomplished humorist and
technical writer, who also did a year of service in Salem,
supporting an organization that provides emergency housing for
homeless families. In 2008, they returned joyfully to worship at
their home parish of more than 20 years, Holy Cross Church in
Redmond. To all her work, Laura brings a servant’s heart, a
learner’s mind, and a commitment to serve Jesus according to the
baptismal covenant she has reaffirmed as an adult. Laura can be
reached via email at
laura@stthomasmedina.org.
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Gerry Gallaher
Business Manager
Gerry has been at St. Thomas Church since February 1993. As
Business Manager, he prepares and monitors the Parish budget,
processes cash received, pays bills, and manages the Parish
database. Gerry is the Staff Advisor to the Finance and Property
Committees. He also maintains giving records, prepares all
financial statements and coordinates annual review. He's
affectionately known as "Mr. Money." Gerry can be reached via
email at:
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Virginia Yepez
Sexton
Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, Virginia has been in the United States
since 1973 and became a proud U.S.
citizen in 2007. Virginia
has two married children and nine grandkids who live in the United
States. She lives in Auburn and loves gardening. |
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