Clergy Gathering 2026

We celebrate these clergy who have accepted new calls since our last gathering together in 2024.  We invite you to pray for them all as they continue their ministry with us:

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The Rev. Frank Allen, Assisting Priest, St. Michael's, Colorado Springs

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The Rev. Lucy Amerman, Canon At Large, Office of the Bishop 

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The Rev. Amanda Barker, St. Aidan's Boulder

The Rev. Amanda Barker began her ministry as Rector of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in January 2026. She comes to Holy Comforter from St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in Boulder, where she has served as Curate since 2024 and previously as Seminarian Intern. Mother Amanda earned her Master of Divinity from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) in 2024.

Before ordination, Amanda spent nearly two decades in nonprofit leadership, advocating for land conservation and historic preservation. She worked with the Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts for six years, serving as Executive Director for more than two. She is also a proud returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Madagascar, 2005-2008).

Amanda and her husband, Aaron, live in Boulder with her two step-children. She enjoys birdwatching, practicing Tai Chi Chuan, cooking, reading, and exploring new places near and far.

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The Rev. Robert Black, Rector, Grace & St. St. Stephen's, Colorado Springs

The Rev. Dr. Robert Black is grateful for and excited about the call to Grace & St. Stephen's in Colorado Springs. Since 2014, he has served as the Rector of St. Luke's in Salisbury, North Carolina, a historic parish known for a robust music program and commitment to racial truth-telling and justice. He also teaches as an Adjunct Professor of Homiletics at Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury. Previously, he served as an Assistant Rector at St. Francis in Greensboro, NC, and St. John's Lafayette Square in Washington, DC, and holds degrees in religious studies from Wake Forest University, Virginia Theological Seminary, and the University of the South: Sewanee. He is married to Tyler, a CPA, and they have two daughters, Eleanor (12) and Rowen (9). Father Robert's interests include kettlebell training, running, and reading. He looks forward to joining the Episcopal Church in Colorado and meeting you soon.

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The Rev. Nicole Campbell

Congratulations to the Rev. Nicole Campbell who will be ordained to the diaconate on May 2, 2026.

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The Rev. Mark E. Chambers, St. Barnabas of the Valley, Cortez

The Reverend Mark E. Chambers became the newly appointed Rector of St. Barnabas of the Valley Episcopal Church in Cortez, Colorado, on January 1, 2026. Mark holds a Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, and brings over 30 years of information technology experience to his ministry. He has previously served Episcopal churches in Ouray, Colorado, Port Neches, Texas, and Austin, Texas. Mark and his wife, Ella, a high school math teacher, are high school sweethearts who have been married for 34 years. They have two adult children: Calvin, 29, who lives and works in Montrose, Colorado, and Emily, 26, who is pursuing her PhD in Denton, Texas. Mark, Ella, and their dogs, Kona and Jackson, are relocating to Cortez to be fully engaged in the community.

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The Rev. J. Clarkson, Rector, All Saints, Loveland

The Rev. J. Clarkson is very excited to be joining the people of All Saints, Loveland, in September. For the last 8 years, he has served Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher, North Carolina. J. received his M.Div. in 2017 from Seminary of the Southwest in Austin. He has called the Asheville area home since graduating from Warren Wilson College in 1991, and worked in Nonprofit Administration prior to entering ordained ministry. Having grown up in Nashville, J. developed a love of popular music at an early age, and his current reading obsession is the work of David James Duncan. J. enjoys hiking, camping, and mountain biking but does not yet know what outdoor activities he will embrace in the Colorado winters. His greatest joy is watching his son, Archie, flourish and grow as a young adult.

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The Rev. Kevin Criley

Congratulations to the Rev. Kevin Criley who will be ordained to the diaconate on May 2, 2026.  Kevin will begin his Curacy at St. John's in Boulder on July 1, 2026.

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The Rev. Chris Gregorio, Rector, St. Laurence, Conifer 

Congratulations to the Rev. Chris Gregorio, who has been called as Rector of St. Laurence, Conifer

The Rev. Chris Gregorio comes to Colorado from Hanover, New Hampshire, where he served as curate of St. Thomas Episcopal Church and assistant chaplain to Edgerton House, the Episcopal campus ministry at Dartmouth College. Chris was born and raised in the Chicago area and attended Marquette University for undergrad. After a year with the Episcopal Service Corps in Connecticut, he then attended Berkeley Divinity School at Yale for seminary. He enjoys cooking, gardening, foraging, and hiking, and is especially excited to explore the trails and landscapes of Colorado.

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The Rev. Jonah Heiser

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The Rev. Kathy Hettinga, Rector, Christ Church, Cañon City

Congratulations to the Rev. Kathy Hettinga, who has been called to serve as the part-time Rector of Christ Church, Cañon City. The Rev. Mark Meyers retired in January, and Rev. Kathy began her ministry on March 1, 2026.

Resident in the Diocese of Central PA, Hettinga is Associate to the Rector, St. Andrew's, York, and Chaplain, Hospice & Community Care, Lancaster, PA. She is a graduate of the Stephenson School for Ministry. Hettinga brings a wealth of experience to her calling to the Priesthood, including formation work in parishes, teaching and mentoring as a University Professor, pastoral care as a Hospice Chaplain, and as a creative book artist. Long interested in the spiritual in visual arts, Hettinga earned an MFA from Colorado State University, was awarded a Research Fellow at Yale's Institute of Sacred Art, a Residency at Wesley Theological Seminary, taught at Indiana-Purdue University, and was named Distinguished Professor of Art/Design at Messiah University. Hettinga grew up in the San Luis Valley and is the author and photographer of Grave Images: The San Luis Valley (Museum of New Mexico Press).

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The Rev. Paul Keene, Canon for Parish Life, St. John's Cathedral, Denver

The Rev. Paul Keene joins St. John's Cathedral as Canon for Parish Life after serving as assistant rector at Christ Church in Short Hills, NJ. Prior to ordination, he served at St. Luke's Parish in Darien, CT as seminarian intern for two years with a special focus on Christian formation and adult education. In Boston, he served as the Minister of Music and Director of Choirs at St. Peter's, Cambridge before serving there as Administrator and Minister for Digital Worship during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to holding a Master of Divinity and Anglican Studies Diploma from Yale Divinity School and Berkeley Divinity School, Paul holds a Master of Music in early music performance and interpretation from the Longy School of Music of Bard College, and a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Christopher Newport University.

He and his husband, Dr. Corey Clapp, an atmospheric scientist, are excited about this new chapter in Colorado.

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The Rev. Mike Kornelsen, Curate, St. Stephen's, Longmont

Congratulations to the Rev. Mike Kornelsen who was ordained to the priesthood on September 20, 2025.  Mike is Curate at St. Stephen's in Longmont.

Prior to ordination, he was a music professor and administrator at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and most recently, a full-time real estate agent. He graduated from Church Divinity School of the Pacific in May, and holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from CU Boulder.  Mike is a Denver native.

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The Rev. Stephanie Kopsch, Interim Rector, St. Barnabas Denver

The Rev. Stephanie Kopsch is currently serving as the Interim Rector for St. Barnabas, Denver.

Stephanie was born and raised in Germany where she was a chorister between the age of eight and twenty-two.  During her studies at the Ecumenical Institute of the University of Heidelberg, she received a scholarship through the World Council of Churches that took her to the United States.  After working and studying in nine denominations, two languages, and on two continents, Stephanie was ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 1993 and held four called pastorates in Kansas and Colorado before Bishop Jim encouraged her to indulge in her passion for congregational transitions and train as an Intentional Interim.  Prior to being appointed to fill out St. Barnabas Denver interim she has done six interims in the Rocky Mountain Synod.  When Stephanie has a little time between interims, she works as a barista or as a lace knitting instructor at Lambspun of Colorado.