Bios for Vestry Members and Diocesan Delegates 

Vestry Members:

Cheryl Crow

I have been attending St. Mary’s for almost four years now, since we returned to our hometown of Eugene. I grew up in Eugene and left after graduating from the University of Oregon. During our time away, we discovered the Episcopal Church and have been active members for over 15 years. I have participated in numerous ways within the church, including serving on the Vestry, singing in the choir, and starting the Youth Board at our parish in Texas. At St. Mary’s, I am the Parent Committee Chair, and serve on the Youth Board and the Adult Education Committee.

I feel truly blessed in my life, especially because I have such a wonderful husband and son. My husband, Loren Crow, is a Professor at Northwest Christian College and we have been married almost 24 years. My son, Nathan, is a bubbly 15 year old at South Eugene High School. I have been a banker all of my life and work at Pacific Continental Bank in Eugene as a Loan Officer and Team Leader. I believe community involvement is important and have participated on numerous boards, currently serving on the American Red Cross board. I am lucky to have been raised with Christian love and values, and to have found a church home that means a great deal to me. I deeply care about its future and think that Vestry service would be one way that I could contribute.

Len Hockley

I am honored to be a candidate for the Vestry of St. Mary's. My involvement as a "church person" started at a very early age. My mother says that when I was born there was a tag on my big toe that said, "Born to be the church." This was manifest most clearly when our family decided in 1970 to join the Order Ecumenical, a family order originating out of the World Council of Churches, and spent twenty years doing community development around the globe.

The Order was a broad ecumenical venture dedicated to renewing the local congregation in doing its mission. It allowed our family to experience local congregations in many denominations and faiths and to ground twentieth century theology in the reality of poverty around the globe.

After working and praying in rural villages in Indonesia and South Korea and urban ghettoes in Detroit, Glasgow, Chicago and New York, we came to Eugene in 1991 where we found a home at St. Mary's. I have been a member of the Social Aids and Concerns group since then and served three years on
the Vestry. Also, I have served on the Diocesan Fund for the Poor and Homeless Commission for the last twelve years.

Adult education is a passion of mine. Phyllis and I along with a dedicated crew designed the Covenant series for small study groups. This is an arena I still want to pursue. If elected, I will be glad to work in whatever arena I am needed.

Wm. “Lew” Powell

Hello- I am Lew Powell and, as a relatively new member of St. Mary’s, I am honored to be considered for the Vestry. My partner and I moved to Eugene in April 2004 and I began attending St. Mary’s in June of that year. I have been a Lay Eucharistic Minister at the 11:00 service since early 2006. I served as a LEM in my previous parish for 10 years.

I am a retired U. S. Naval Officer, serving in Submarines and related positions for 30 years followed by 10 years in related industry before fully retiring in 2001. I was widowed in 1999. I served two 3 year terms on the Vestry of my previous parish, St. Lukes, in Idaho Falls, ID. During the most recent term, I was Senior Warden for two years.

As a life-long Episcopalian I believe that I should give as much time, talent and treasure as possible to my church family. If elected to the Vestry, I believe that my previous vestry experience will help me contribute to the goals of St. Mary’s for the next three years.

JOSEPH COX

As my Navajo friends would say, I am a “born to” Episcopalian. St. Thomas Parish in Western Maryland was an important part of my upbringing as St. Mary’s is now.

I agreed to stand for election to the vestry because we all need to do whatever we can to sustain and advance St. Mary’s mission to our community. What I would bring to the work of the vestry is my experience in planning and institutional organization in the academy, which after all, sprang from the Church originally.

I feel that we have work to do in finding a new priest for the Associate priest position, in identifying and welcoming new members, supporting our already strong educational programs, and building our outreach to our members particularly our Hispanic congregation and our seniors.

JANE RENFRO SMITH

Church Background: I have worshipped as an Episcopalian for 60 years. My husband Jerry (a Christian Scientist) and I moved to Eugene about four years ago. I joined St. Mary’s while we were still living in a motel. I have served on St. Mary’s ECW Steering Committee, the Budget committee and SAC. I am the Thursday afternoon volunteer office assistant. Like most members, I have also cooked served, swept, cleaned, washed, carried, sewn, and stuffed for a variety of church events and activities.

Church service elsewhere includes being on the St. Andrews Cathedral Chapter, Honolulu, the Cathedral Finance committee, the Stewardship/Endowment Development Committee and Diocesan convention delegate; the Diocesan Council, Finance Committee, Investment Policy Review Committee for the Diocese of Honolulu; Bishop’s committee and Rector’s Search Committee, Emmanuel Church, Molokai, HI; Altar Guild and volunteer director, child care center, Grace Church, Molokai, JI; adult mentor, GFS teen girls group; I have participated in various Episcopal women’s guilds, taught Sunday School and served on the Board of Trustees, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, CA.

Other Relevant Experience: Wife and mother of blended family of five children, one deceased, and five grandsons; B.S. degree, child development and MSW degree, social work; 20 years as bank trust officer and department head, 10 years, foundation manager, 1.5 years as YWCA of Oahu president.

In Eugene, board service for Encore Theatre, Universal Heath Care for Oregon; steering committee for Two Rivers Interfaith Ministry; administrative committee for Eugene Tree Foundation, volunteer for WomenSpace crisis line and facilitator for weekly WS support group.

Hopes for Vestry Service: Within the context of vestry deliberation, action and follow-up on goals et by the discernment process, I will be reliable and responsive, and I hope creative. I have a desire as well to continue my interest in a seamless system on welcome, ministry, friendship and support to newcomers at St. Mary’s, while they become acquainted with and are then moved to participate in St. Mary’s culture of ministry and service.

CRAIG TAYLOR

I have regularly attended St. Mary’s with my wife and children for nearly 14 years. I was a leader with the Journey to Adulthood program for three years—working with Becky Schaffer for two years and then with Helen Parker during the third year with the youth cohort (the Confirmation and Pilgrimage year). I have also worked with the Saturday Breakfast program over the years. My children have participated in the Sunday School programs and in the Youth Choir.

I have been an administrator at Lane Community College for 12 years and am currently responsible for several operational departments. I have been an active volunteer with the National Ski Patrol at Willamette Pass for the past four years and have also coached youth through the KidSports Program.

If elected to the vestry, I would be committed to work actively with other vestry members in serving the mission of St. Mary’s.

HANNAH DEAN

Hannah Dean was baptized at the age of sixteen at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was confirmed as an Episcopalian at the age of 33 at St. Paul’s Epsicopal Church in Healdsburg, California. Hannah has been an active member of Episcopal churches in Healdsburg, California, Grand Forks, North Dakota, Sherman Oaks, California, and Van Nuys, California. Hannah served as a lector at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Sherman Oaks and as a lay eucharistic minister and minister of ceremonies at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Van Nuys. She served as the facilitator for the strategic planning process at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Van Nuys. Hannah and Jim Dean moved to Lane County in January, 2004, joined St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, and became lay eucharistic ministers in 2004. Hannah attended the ECW retreat in February, 2004, became a member of the Parish Health Ministry Council, and assisted with the annual health fair in October, 2004.

Hannah says, “I am interested in serving on the Vestry so I can give back a modicum of the blessings I have received as a member of Episcopal churches for the past 28 years. St. Mary’s welcomed us and gave us a strong sense of belonging to this community. St. Mary’s offers remarkable opportunities for lay ministry; I want to be part of encouraging, building, and sustaining lay involvement in the work of the church.”

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KEN BLOOD

It is an honor for me to be considered for the St. Mary’s vestry. I have been a member of this church for almost ten years, and I am happy to help in any way I can. My wife, Laurie Strother, and my children, Stella (15) and Jack (10) are involved in the church youth programs. I have been the head usher at St. Mary’s for the past few years.

I grew up in New Hampshire, attended college in Pennsylvania, and moved to Oregon in 1980. My degree is in mathematics and early in my professional life I worked as a computer programmer in Portland. After moving to Eugene I owned a small business with Laurie, which we recently sold. Currently I work in real estate.

I would hope to serve the vestry by bringing my analytical skills and friendly demeanor to their team-oriented group. St. Mary’s is an important part of my life and if serving on the vestry will help the church I am eager to do it.

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JEAN V. SHIREY

I am pleased to accept a nomination for vestry at St. Mary’s.

My professional career was in public education beginning as an elementary music teacher and later in the classroom. This led to some years in “educational television”, developing and hosting a current events program, which is still produced and aired by Penn State. I retired as a high school librarian.

I was a member of St. Andrew’s, State College, PA for 40 years and served on many committees in the parish with several terms on vestry.

Following my retirement from the public school system, I volunteered in the church office and later joined the staff as the rector’s secretary, coordinating church programs, keeping his calendar and the church calendar, scheduling use of the church and Parish Life Center and overseeing purchases and activities.

In May 2004, my husband, Bill, and I moved to Eugene to be close to our daughter, Micki, and a son and daughter in Washington state.

At St. Mary’s I coordinate the First Wednesday program, am LEM/LEV, and a member of the Pastoral Care Team and Welcome Committee. I also participate in ECW activities and am a substitute office assistant. Additionally, I am a member of the Companion Diocese Committee. Bill and I provide meals for Episcopal Campus Ministry. In the community I volunteer at Sacred Heart.

As a member of vestry, I will support the mission statement of St. Mary’s and the goals and objectives of the vestry. I am interested in seeing how St. Mary’s may interact with our companion Diocese of Madhya Kerala and continuing to seek ways to maintain relationships with newcomers.

JEFFERY SPRAGUE, Ph.D.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve St. Mary’s as a candidate for the Vestry. I have been a member of St. Mary’s for more than 10 years, attending with my wife MaryAnne McMurren, and our daughters Meredith and Sarah. Before leaving Eugene to work in Indiana in the early 1990s I served on the Bishop’s Advisory Council at Saint Matthew’s and also sang in the choir. I have served as the President of the Lane County Arc board of directors and also co-founded and served on two other non-profit boards providing residential supports for adults with developmental disabilities. I became board President for each organization.

  I am a professor of Special Education at the University of Oregon and co-direct the Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior. We study the causes and correlations of violent and destructive behavior in children and youth, and focus on preventing the onset and development of these serious social problems.

Newer Diocesan Convention Delegates

DAN MARTIN

I was raised as an Episcopalian and, other than a 10 year span in my 20’s, have been active in church life.

We joined St. Mary’s in 1978 when Linda, our children and I moved to Eugene. I was involved in a number of different activities at St. Mary’s, including stewardship programs, teaching Sunday school, serving on the vestry and serving as Senior Warden during the time when we were in the search process that brought Ted and Penny to the parish. I was also chair of the search committee.

I have also been active in diocesan life over the years. I have been a part of the consultants and trainers of the diocese and have facilitated a number of vestry retreats. I have been an active search consultant and have worked with numerous congregations in the diocese as they have sought a new priest. I am currently working with St. George’s in Roseburg in their process. These each take about one and one half to two years.

I have been involved in other diocesan activities. I served three years on the Program and Budget Committee. This committee prepares the diocesan budget each year for Diocesan Council and Convention. I also served for three years on the Diocesan Personnel Committee. This committee, along with other responsibilities, prepares the schedule of clergy compensation known as the SHU (Salary, Housing and Utilities) each year.

For about 6 years I have been a member of the diocesan Total Ministry Task Force. The work of this group is to help people see ministry as stemming from baptism. Baptism calls us to ministry, not only in the church but also in daily life.

I have served as a delegate to diocesan convention in the past for St. Mary’s and have attended many more conventions as a representative of various committees I have worked on. I enjoy this service and would be honored to again serve in this capacity. I believe I have a good insight into the operation of the diocese, how convention works and a sense of what is happening in the Episcopal Church both in the diocese and the national church.

HAL BUSBY

My wife, Lindsay, and I have been members of St. Mary’s for approximately 23 years. I have been an active volunteer and will continue to help with church projects. If I am elected as a diocesan delegate, I will devote the time and energy to promote the well-being of the parish family at St. Mary’s.

Hal serves as coordinator for the church office assistants and is a member of the Bellringer assembly crew. 

I am a lifelong Episcopalian. The daughter of a priest, I grew up on the East Coast where I sang in the choir and taught Sunday School before leaving home to attend college. I moved to Oregon in 1973 and began attending St. Mary's. I served as Administrator of the Episcopal Campus Ministry Board at the University of Oregon from 1982-1984. I belonged to St. Francis, Sweet Home, from '86-'94. I served on the BAC, as a delegate to Diocesan Convention, a lay reader, Sunday School teacher, crucifer and editor of the newsletter. I have served as President of Central Convocation since '92. I am now in my final year of a four-year term on the Standing Committee. Since returning to St. Mary's I have served on the vestry from '95-'97, and from '02-'04. I served two terms as jr. warden and one as sr. warden. I was also on the committee that wrote and organized the Covenant program, and am a member of St. Mary's Ministry Commission. Currently, my primary focus at St. Mary's is liturgy. In addition, I serve as a lay eucharistic minister, lay preacher, acolyte coordinator, and emcee of solemn high eucharists. I retired in June 2002 after 32 years as a high school chemistry and physics teacher. I am a co-author of a high school level food science textbook. I now do monthly science presentations at my nephew's elementary school.
    I care passionately about the Episcopal Church and its ministry as lived out in the Diocese of Oregon. I welcome the opportunity to serve as a liason between St. Mary's and the diocese as a Convocation/Convention delegate."