Our Staff

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The Rev. Mary Catherine Cole
Rector

Mary Catherine Cole (she/her) has been in ordained ministry for over 20 years, though most of that time has been spent outside parish walls. She has been a chaplain in a women’s maximum-security prison, has held administrative leadership roles in several hospital systems, and worked in a non-profit where her chaplain students served the unhoused, men and women who are differently abled, as well as people struggling with addiction and mental illness. Mary Catherine enjoys time with her husband and son—especially outdoor time on the trails here in WNC. She has a deep fondness for the 5th Congressional District of the beloved John Lewis. It was there that she met her husband, went to seminary, started to feel inklings of a call to the Priesthood, and lived near the Atlanta Zoo where her son learned to walk. Mary Catherine was ordained to the Priesthood at the end of March 2023 and is thankful to be the Rector at Church of the Holy Spirit. Her roots run deep in Madison County; Her maternal grandparents were born and lived here for much of their lives. Her parents met at Mars Hill, and Mary Catherine remembers fondly childhood visits to Walnut and Upper Laurel to visit family, where playing in the creeks was part of the norm.

Fun Fact: Mary Catherine loves running with her Labrador, Raven, and in the summertime, you can find her swimming in the cold creeks with friends near her house.

Email Mary Catherine
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Martie Carson
Parish Administrator

Martie grew up in Savannah, Georgia. She went to NCSU where she received her degree i n Forestry with a minor in Horticulture. She worked at Biltmore Estate for more than twenty years in a managerial capacity and is now both an employee of the church and a member. Martie also has a certificate from AB Tech in Accounting (Phi Theta Kappa) and is the Assistant Treasurer at the church.

 Martie is married to her best friend, John. She enjoys baking, reading, gardening and traveling as time allows. They have two rescue dogs, Jayla and Pebbles, who are beyond spoiled and are true family members.

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Dr. Teresa Sumpter
Parish Musician

Dr. Teresa Sumpter joined the staff at Holy Spirit in 2017. She is currently the Coordinator of Keyboard Studies at Mars Hill University where she teaches applied piano, group piano, piano literature, piano pedagogy, music theory, and music history. She holds a Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis in Piano Pedagogy and a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree from West Virginia University.

She lives in Weaverville with her husband, Mike Robinson, and her son, David. She also has two grown daughters, Chantal and Melody.

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Rebecca Sharp
Sexton & Director of La Esperanza

Rebecca is the director of La Esperanza, an outreach of The Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit focusing on creating opportunities and building connections with the Latino community in Western North Carolina. To read more about Rebecca and learn more about La Esperanza, visit our La Esperanza page.

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Our Vestry

The nine-member vestry manages the administration of the parish. Each vestry member serves as a liaison to the various committees in the parish.

The vestry are elected at the annual meeting in January to serve staggered three-year terms.

A Junior and Senior Warden are elected every other year to serve a two-year term.

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Mary Jo Sparrow

Ron Pell
Junior Warden

Amanda Hilty
Senior Warden

Bendik Clark

Debra Carlson

Patty King

Claire Gillespie

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Jennifer Reda

Keith Pierce

Ex-officio:

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Rev. Mary Catherine Cole
Rector

Marcus King
Treasurer

Rachel Brelsford
Clerk