Fr. Wesley is Rector of St. Mary’s Episcopal in Lakewood and a member of the Anglican Order of Preachers (Dominicans), a religious community within the Episcopal Church focused on preaching, teaching, and proclamation of the Gospel. He has a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary where a shift in theological convictions lead him to seek ordination in the Episcopal Church. After graduation from DTS, and completing the Anglican Studies program at Nashotah House Episcopal Seminary, he served various Parishes in Texas before being called to St. Mary’s.
In his spare time Fr. Wesley enjoys hiking, and volunteers with the Point Defiance Park Watch. His other interests include historical combat sports (HEMA), tabletop fantasy gaming, and some bookbinding.
His wife, Alicia, also has a ThM from Dallas Seminary with an emphasis on New Testament studies. They met in seminary while she was on a similar journey into the Episcopal Church, during which they were confirmed together and later married by the Dean of the Cathedral in Dallas. After ten years of working for Disney, she’s recently switched careers by going into the financial sector. In her spare time she enjoys crocheting, gardening, and volunteering at the animal shelter.
Rounding out their family are rescue cats brought all the way from Texas.
Carol has been blessed with a lifelong ministry of music. She was born and raised in NY/NJ as a preacher's kid, where singing and playing music in church was a part of daily life. Her two adult daughters, Liz and Jenny, were born in Indiana and continued the tradition of growing up and making music at church, considering they had two full-time church musicians for parents. The Greater Seattle area has now been called home for 20+ years and has offered Carol the opportunity to serve many different faith traditions, gaining a greater perspective of diversity in belief systems, musical styles, and literature. Carol is the founder of The Lark’s Nest Music Studio, and formerly taught at piano/organ at Holy Names Academy and was Cantamus accompanist at the Seattle Girls Choir until recently relocating to her family homestead in Rainier to enjoy her hobbies of flowers, forests, and farming!
Carol graduated with a BA from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, studying conducting with Dr Joseph Flummerfelt and Frauke Hausseman, church music with Erik Routley, Helen Kemp, Hal Hopson, and David York, organ performance with Eugene Roan and Robert Carwithen, and handbell ringing and touring with Donald Allured. She sang with the Symphonic Choir for major choral works with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta and Philadelphia Orchestra under Ricardo Muti, and even premiered Dave Brubeck's Mass - To Hope! Such inspiration would last her whole life long, as her journey led her to serve churches, communities, and schools across the country.
Creating opportunities for people of all ages within the church community to contribute their gifts of music to the glory of God is of utmost importance. Carol is passionate about inspiring congregations to sing, raising the rafters with soaring voices and robust organ accompaniment, as well as offering quieter moments of reflective hymns. She has extensive experience directing, arranging and composing, and building connection and collaboration within choral, instrumental, brass and handbell ensembles.
Praise Band Leader
Caralie Greven
