From left to right: Fr. John, Pastor Mary, Rev. Kate, and Fr. Goodness.
OUR RECTOR
THE REVEREND JOHN R. OHMER
The Rev. John Ohmer is in his twelfth year of ordained ministry, having been called to St. James’ as Rector in February of 1999. He graduated from Wabash College, earning an A.B. in Philosophy (minor in English) in 1984. He moved to Capitol Hill in 1985 where he worked for a United States Senator for four years and one year as a lobbyist on immigration issues for an affiliate of the American Bar Association, before moving back to his home state of Indiana to work as a press secretary and speech writer for the Indiana Secretary of State while going through the exploration process for ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church.
He entered Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, and was awarded a Masters of Divinity degree in 1993. Upon graduation from seminary, John served for 4 ½ years as the Assistant to the Rector at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia. He has served on the Board of Directors of Samaritan Ministry for the Homeless in Washington D.C., on the Diocesan Commission on Ministry, and most recently was appointed by the Bishop of Virginia to serve as an issues writer for the Diocese’s publication “Center Aisle,” a publication dedicated to balanced coverage of controversial issues facing the church.
He and his wife Mary have three children: Graham, William, and Elizabeth. John is a runner who has completed five marathons, and still goes “back home again to Indiana” nearly every year to complete the Indianapolis half marathon.
OUR ASSISTANT TO THE RECTOR FOR ADULT MINISTRIES
THE REVEREND KATE BRYANT
The Rev. Kate Bryant is the newest member of the St. James’ staff, having received her Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School in 2006 where she also received her Diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. Kate was recognized for her outstanding contributions to worship life at Berkeley with the St. Luke’s Award. She also served on the Berkeley Board of Trustees, elected as Student Representative for her class. Kate is a Priest Associate of the Society of St. Margaret, an Episcopal religious community of women.
Kate did her undergraduate work at The Johns Hopkins University where her concentration was Humanistic Area Studies. After graduating, she studied Slavic Linguistics at New York University, from which she received her Master of Arts degree. Kate then embarked upon a twenty-year business career in international and corporate banking (including two years in São Paulo, Brazil), advertising and marketing, and corporate communications. She speaks reads, and writes Portuguese, French and Russian and, to a limited extent, Spanish.
After she chose to leave the corporate sector and before she entered seminary, Kate served as a hospital chaplain in the emergency room and burn unit at a regional trauma center in Westchester County, New York. She also served as a homework coach and day camp counselor to children aged 6 to 12 at Iglesia Memorial de San Andres, an Episcopal mission church in the Diocese of New York.
A “cradle” Episcopalian, Kate is a native of Washington, DC. Both of her brothers Jim and Mac live in Washington’s Maryland suburbs.
Kate enjoys long bicycle rides, well-written films, and the music of Brazil.
OUR ASSISTANT TO THE RECTOR FOR CHILDREN & YOUTH MINISTRIES
THE REVEREND MARY DAVILA
The Rev. Mary Davila is in her second year of serving at St. James’, having completed her Master of Divinity in May 2005. Mary is a graduate of the Virginia Theological Seminary, and did her undergraduate work at the University of Richmond, majoring in English and Religion. After graduating from college in 1998, Mary began working at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Richmond. She served as the Director of Children’s Ministries for three years and as a youth group leader for seven. In addition, she was active member of the young adult group at St. Stephen’s.
Mary is married to Chris Davila, an elementary school teacher and tennis coach. They are the parents of two dogs and two cats. Mary is an avid horsewoman, breeding and showing Morgan horses nationally. Her horses live in North Carolina, Kansas City, and San Diego, and she meets them for various shows around the country.
Mary is also an ardent UNC basketball fan and enjoys playing tennis and running.
OUR PRIEST ASSOCIATE
THE REVEREND DONALD GOODNESS
The Rev. Donald R. Goodness was born in Rochester, New York, in 1932. He attended public school there and then Union Springs Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist prep school, from which he graduated. He attended a Seventh-day Adventist College in Massachusetts where he also received his ministerial training. In 1950, he was married to Lorraine Reynolds of Hartford, Connecticut, a fellow college student.
Fr. Goodness served in the Seventh-day Adventist ministry during the years 1953–1958, with parishes in Hartford, CT, Worcester, Springfield and Lynn, MA. In the year 1958, he left the Adventist ministry. Bishop Anson Phelps Stokes Jr. confirmed the Goodnesses in Boston in 1959. He then attended The Episcopal Theological School, Cambridge, 1959-1962.
After graduating Seminary in 1962, he became Curate at Christ Church, Fitchburg, MA, the largest parish in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts. In 1965, his rector retired, and he was elected by the Parish and approved by the Bishop to be the next Rector. The Goodnesses lived there from 1962-1972. Christ Church was then a parish of over 1,200 members, with over 400 children in church school, basketball teams, EYC groups, adult service & social organizations, community involvement in many drug and rehabilitation programs, and it served as a leader on multiple levels in an area that had a population of 100,000. There were three other Episcopal parishes in the area, two of which had originally been missions of Christ Church.
In 1972, Fr. Goodness became rector of New York City’s historic Church of the Ascension at 5th Avenue and 10th Street. He spent 25 years serving Ascension and during those years the parish was noted for its exquisite liturgy, preaching, choir, and teaching ministry; for its leadership in the community in establishing a Food Pantry and a Homeless Shelter; for importing boat people from Vietnam and helping them establish a new life in the U.S.; for its chaplaincy to New York University; for its ministry of welcome to the gay community that was a large portion of Ascension’s Greenwich Village population. The Goodnesses retired in 1997 and moved to Potomac Falls, VA, to be near their daughter, Kathleen, and her two children.