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The Vestry is the legal representative of the parish with regard to all matters pertaining to its corporate property. Three Vestry members are usually elected at the annual parish meeting and serve rotating 3 year terms. A Senior and Junior Warden are also elected to serve 3 year terms whose role is to provide support and counsel to the Rector and serve as the leadership when there is no Rector.
The presiding officer of the Vestry is the Rector. The Clerk of the Vestry and Parish Treasurer are appointed by the Vestry. The Vestry meets monthly to help define and articulate the mission of the congregation; to support the Church’s mission in word and deed; to select the Rector when the position is vacant; to ensure effective organization of the ministries of the parish; and to manage resources and finances.
Valuing the importance of transparency and accountability, all Vestry minutes and Parish documents are available here.
If you have questions or concerns to share, you can contact our Senior Warden.
Father Robert Black has served as the Rector of Grace & Saint Stephen's since 2025. In his own words, his job is about sharing the relief of God's transforming love for each of us and assuring all people that there is always a seat at the Table for them. The term "Rector" is Episcopal-speak for "Senior Pastor" or "Head Priest." The Rector has responsibility for overseeing worship, the pastoral care and spiritual formation of all, managing the staff, guiding the vision and mission of the congregation, and chairing the Vestry.
Father Robert has degrees in religious studies from Wake Forest University (B.A.), Virginia Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and The University of the South: Sewanee (D.Min. in Preaching). Before being called to serve at Grace & Saint Stephen's, he served parishes in Salisbury, NC, Greensboro, NC, and Washington, DC. He was ordained as a Deacon in 2009 and as a Priest in 2010. He also teaches at Hood Theological Seminary as an Adjunct Professor of Homiletics.
He has been married to Tyler, a CPA, and they have two daughters. Father Robert enjoys reading and he is a certified kettlebell instructor.
You can find the text of his sermons at a blog called Continuing the Conversation and he also hosts the Behold & Become podcast.
The Rev. Michael Fenn was called as the Assistant Rector of Grace & Saint Stephen's in 2026. In this call, he is excited to serve and be a part of this community, and to share the good news of God’s love and grace with people. Before coming to Grace & Saint Stephen's, Michael earned his M.Div. at the General Theological Seminary in 2026, where he was recognized for his original work in Biblical studies.
While at seminary, he served two different churches in suburban Boston. In both of these experiences, he fell in love with all aspects of parish ministry, from preaching to pastoral care to coffee hour conversations.
Father Michael answered the call to priesthood while serving in the Episcopal Service Corps in Cody, Wyoming. His call to priesthood is rooted in his work with the ESC, in growing up in a wonderful and multi-generational Episcopal church, and especially in his many summers working at an Episcopal summer camp.
Outside of church, Father Michael enjoys cooking, crafting, reading, and getting outside when he can.
The Rev. Katie Presley is an Episcopal priest and active duty Army Chaplain assigned to an Armor Regiment at Fort Carson, where her primary call is to provide religious support to Soldiers and their Families. Prior to answering the call to active duty, Rev. Katie served as the associate rector at All Saints Episcopal Church in Hilton Head, SC. She was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Atlanta and is a graduate of Candler School of Theology. Rev. Katie is married to Aly and have one child. They are looking forward to calling Grace & Saint Stephen's their church home for this season of life in Colorado.
Called to the diaconate after 40+ years of non-profit service, Deacon Kris came to Grace & Saint Stephen's as deacon in 2022. She serves the parish as she continues her full-time diaconal ministry as the Executive Director/CEO of Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity. A cradle Episcopalian, graduate and mentor of Education for Ministry, and firm believer that we are all called to be ministers and live the Gospel, it took a while but Deacon Kris ultimately acknowledged the Spirit’s invitation to an extended educational and wild ride and ultimately was ordained in 2022.
A second generation Coloradoan, Deacon Kris is the proud mother of two grown children -- her daughter has a MSW and works for a healthcare agency and her son is a Navy veteran and currently enrolled at UCCS.
Deacon Sam Pillsbury was ordained an Episcopal deacon in Los Angeles in 2006. He has served at a number of churches, large and small, but most of his ministry has been with the incarcerated. From 2017-2022 he served as the Episcopal chaplain in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, a large LA county jail housing inmates facing mental health challenges. In 2023, he and his wife Linda moved to Colorado Springs and he became an Associate Chaplain at Centennial Correctional Facility in Cañon City.
Until his recent retirement, Sam earned his living in law. He was a federal prosecutor before becoming a professor at LMU Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. His teaching and scholarship were in criminal law and criminal justice. He helped found the school’s clinic for representation of youth in juvenile court.
A writer of fiction and nonfiction, Deacon Sam’s most recent book is Imagining a Greater Justice (Routledge 2019). His most popular work, however, particularly among the younger set, remains The Invasion of Planet Wampetter.
Deacon Sam is the proud father of two daughters, Leah, an engineer in LA and Iah, the rabbi of Temple Beit Torah in the Springs, and grandfather to three boys.
Richard Gray has served as the Director of Music Ministries at Grace & Saint Stephen's since 2026. He previously served churches in St. Paul, MN and Nashville, TN, creating vibrant and growing music programs which included residencies at Canterbury and St. Alban’s Cathedrals in England.
Richard is passionate about the collaborative and transformative power of sacred music and is committed to building inclusive, engaging music ministries that enrich the spiritual life of the congregation. In addition to his work in sacred music, he has fostered ecumenical partnerships with neighboring churches, creating shared opportunities for worship and community engagement.
Richard holds degrees in music from Southern Methodist University and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He remains active in the broader church music community through his involvement with professional organizations including the Association of Anglican Musicians and American Guild of Organists.
A parishioner of Grace & Saint Stephen's since 2018, Sr. Marcella serves the parish as Children's Formation Minister. With more than 20 years of teaching experience, Sr. Marcella believes that by nurturing a child’s heart, mind and soul towards divine Truth, Wisdom, Beauty and Compassion each is drawn closer to “that personal knowledge and intimacy with God in which our being finds its fullest perfection.”
A licensed teacher, she taught in public schools in rural, inner city and suburban communities. Sr. Marcella was later called to home education where she has had the privilege of educating her children in the Christian liberal arts and has founded, developed and led vibrant home education programs in Colorado Springs. In addition to academic teaching, Sr. Marcella has spent years guiding children and youth in spiritual formation in the Episcopal and non-denominational traditions. As a member of a canonical, vowed religious community of the Episcopal Church (The Communion of the Mystic Rose), she integrates her role as mother, wife, educator and minister into her rule of life.
She, along with her husband and three teen-aged children, enjoy traveling, the arts, discussing big ideas and spending time in Colorado’s beautiful natural world.
Clare manages the nursery space, recruits and organizes nursery workers and cares for children aged 3 months to 3 years while their parents are in church. She is committed to making families feel valued as members of the church community and ensuring that nursery workers are supported. She believes that, in the words of Richard Rohr, “all children are made of awe” and are thus a tremendously vital and precious part of the Grace & Saint Stephen's family.
Clare grew up in Colorado Springs and was a child parishioner at GSSE. She sang in the St. Nicholas Choir and loved all aspects of the church’s children’s programming. She has worked extensively with teenage mothers and their babies and is delighted to continue the ministry of childcare as nursery director. While Clare works full time as an archivist at Colorado College, she has an abiding interest in theology and received a Master of Arts in Religious Studies from Yale Divinity School in 2013. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Religion from Wesleyan University (2010) and a Master of Library and Information Science (2016) from Simmons University. Clare and her husband, Chris, have one child.
After graduating from Texas State University in 2024, Katherine decided she needed a change. She traded the hills of central Texas for the mountains of Colorado Springs. From her first time teaching Junior High Sunday School, Katherine knew that she wanted to work with young people. She has worked with children of all ages and backgrounds, and is excited to guide the youth of Grace & Saint Stephen's.
Sarah Sisson joined Grace & Saint Stephen's as Church Administrator in 2026. She helps with the everyday work of the parish office and enjoys being part of the many small details that help a church community feel welcoming and connected.
Sarah comes to GSSE after co-owning and running a local tailor shop with her family for many years. She has also worked in healthcare administration and brings a love of organization, problem-solving, and caring for people well.
Outside of work, Sarah enjoys reading, movies, games, creative projects, and spending time with her husband, Matthew.
Amily joined Grace & Saint Stephen's financial team in 2023. She assists the treasurer with various financial tasks, including: recording and depositing all donations to the church, sending acknowledgements for special donations, setting up the financial side of church events (bake sales, choir camp, etc.), tracking all expenses for the church and generating financial reports to assist church leaders. In 2025, Amily took on an expanded role as a full time member of the church staff and now coordinates communication for parish events, maintains the parish website, welcomes new members to the church, and supports the various ministries of the church with communications needs.
Amily and her husband, Denison, have three young children. If you have any questions about your giving statement, ways to give or just want to say hi, she is happy to hear from you!
Since starting his service as Sexton at Grace & Saint Stephen's in 2026, Chris provides building maintenance, cleaning, repairs, setups, security, general handyman services, janitorial work, and preparation for internments in the memorial garden. He has worked in construction, remodeling, and handyman services since 2017 and earned an engineering degree in Game Design and Development from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs in 2022.
Chris is a Colorado Springs native and enjoys psychology, art, philosophy, theology, history, architecture, all STEM fields, and much more.
