Staff Updates

Dear Friends in Christ,

The body of Christ is always on the move at St. John the Divine, and there are several exciting staff updates that our rector, Leigh Spruill, who is currently on sabbatical, asked me to share.

First, the Rev. Lars Skoglund will be joining our clergy team in August as associate rector. Lars currently serves as the rector of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Racine, Wisconsin. He and his wife Katie—a Texan and graduate of UT Austin who grew up in The Woodlands—have seven-year-old twins, Jayne and Oskar.

A graduate of Wheaton College and Nashotah House Theological Seminary, Lars has served in Episcopal ministry since 2016. An avid fan of the Packers, Brewers, and Bucks, he also enjoys hiking, camping, powerlifting, and reading Biblical studies, high fantasy, and speculative science fiction. At St. John the Divine, he will work closely and collaboratively with our family formation team, helping provide leadership for youth ministry while also developing pastoral relationships with children, youth, and their families.

We are also delighted to welcome Bryan Anderson in August as our new associate director of music and organist. Bryan and his wife, Julia, have three young children—Wesley, Felicity, and Lewis—and are excited to become active members of the SJD church community!

Bryan is a vocational church musician dedicated to communicating the Gospel through liturgy and music. For the past eight years, he has served as director of music at Saint Thomas’ Episcopal Church and School, where he has taught student and adult choirs and managed projects such as major concert works, international residencies, and the singing of all 150 psalms in a single day. An accomplished organist, Bryan won the 2023 Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition and maintains an active concert career. He holds degrees from The Curtis Institute of Music and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

In addition, we are pleased to welcome Stephanie Thomas, who will assist with membership and adult formation, and Katherine Palmer, our new part-time accounting assistant. With Hayden Coie’s departure at the end of June to teach piano at Parker Elementary, Rebecca Terry has rejoined the staff as part-time chorister coordinator, and Marcie Boucher, a long-time volunteer, will serve as part-time administrative assistant to our music ministry.

We give thanks for the faithful ministry of those who are moving on to new opportunities, and we look forward with gratitude and excitement to welcoming those joining us later this summer. As always, St. John the Divine is an exciting place to serve in the name of Jesus as we continue to be A Light for the City.

Faithfully,
Reagan+

The Rev. Reagan Cocke
Senior Vice Rector