Clergy, Staff, & Vestry | St. Andrew's Cathedral

Clergy Staff Vestry

Clergy

The Very Reverend Anne M. Maxwell

Dean

Anne loves God, family, and a good story. She earned her Masters of Divinity from The University of South, Sewanee and was ordained to the priesthood in January of 2004. She has served at All Saints’, Atlanta, GA; St. Dunstan’s, Atlanta, GA; Holy Trinity Parish, Decatur, GA and Christ Episcopal Church in Covington, LA before moving to Jackson. Prior to ordination Anne earned a Masters in Community Counseling from Georgia State University and worked in psychiatric hospital programs in the Southeastern United States. Anne is a cradle Episcopalian and the daughter and sister of Episcopal priests. She and her husband Bill have one son, a chocolate lab, and a black mix from the Blessing of the Animals 2019 because he was too sweet not to adopt.

amaxwell@standrews.ms
OFFICE(601) 487-2734

The Reverend Christopher McAbee

Associate Rector for Parish Life

The Rev. Christopher McAbee hails from the Diocese of Atlanta, where he had many years of experience serving the Body of Christ before going to seminary at the School of Theology, Sewanee, the University of the South.

Prior to seminary, Christopher managed a non-profit organization that focused on mentoring elementary school children in the Diocese of Atlanta. Along with many volunteers and colleagues, he managed 17 program locations in north and middle Georgia. Working with a Jubilee Ministry in the Diocese of Atlanta solidified Christopher’s desire to follow God’s call to the priesthood. In addition to his most recent non-profit involvement, Christopher has also worked with AIDS Alliance of Northwest Georgia, a non-profit that serves people living with HIV/AIDS in the six public health counties in rural Northwest Georgia. Christopher has a love for hands-on service. He is interested in fundraising, organizational development, and marketing.

Christopher resides in Jackson with his husband Kyle. They have a dog named Budd and a cat named Pat Robertson. Christopher and Kyle are very excited to explore Jackson and the surrounding area. Both enjoy the great outdoors and being connected to God’s creation

cmcabee@standrewscathedral.org

The Reverend Deacon Sarah Stripp

Deacon

Sarah Stripp serves as a vocational deacon at the Cathedral. In addition, Sarah is the Managing Director for Springboard To Opportunities, a nonprofit helping families in affordable housing reach their goals in life, work, and school and has been working in community development based non-profits for the last 9 years. While Sarah grew up in Michigan, she has been in Mississippi since 2014 and now considers it home and is passionate about creating communities where all people have an opportunity to flourish. Sarah is a graduate of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network Fellowship and the Aspen Institute’s Jackson Workforce Leadership Academy.

sstripp@standrews.ms

Staff

Jessica Nelson

Canon for Music

Native Mississippian Jessica Nelson holds degrees in music and liturgy from Millsaps College (2005) and Seabury-Western Theological Seminary (2009) and the Colleague Certificate from the American Guild of Organists. She has directed the Mississippi Conference on Church Music and Liturgy, served on the board of the Association of Anglican Musicians, and served two triennia on the Episcopal Church's Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music. Prior to her call to St. Andrew's, Jessica was organist/choirmaster at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Tupelo and taught on the faculties of the University of North Alabama and Northeast Mississippi Community College. She is the editor of Church Publishing's 2022 Ponder Anew: Conversations in 21st Century Church Music, a collection of essays, interviews, and sermons focussed on the changing landscape of church music.

Jessica lives in Jackson with a dog named Eloise. In her spare time, she composes a little and watches Netflix a lot. Her published works are available from St. James Music Press, Paraclete Press, and Selah Publishing.

EMAIL: jnelson@standrews.ms
OFFICE: (601) 487-2738

Michelle Lewis

Cathedral Administrator

Michelle grew up in Eldorado, Arkansas and holds degrees in both Landscape Architecture and Landscape Contracting from Mississippi State University.

Having a strong commitment to improving the community through individual and group effort led her to join and take on leadership roles within the Junior League of Jackson, serving multiple years on the Junior League’s Board of Directors. Prior to accepting the position of Cathedral Administrator, Michelle was on staff at the Junior League of Jackson as Director of Administration. She is also a registered Landscape Architect and the sole proprietor of Michelle Borst Lewis, Landscape Architect, LLC.

Michelle and her husband Kevin have been members of the Cathedral since 1999. They have two daughters, Emma and Sophie and currently reside in Ridgeland.

EMAIL: mlewis@standrews.ms
OFFICE: (601) 487-2724

Laurie McCarley

Administrative Assistant

Laurie McCarley is married to Hal McCarley and has two girls Catherine (24) and Mary Eliza (21). She lives in Madison, MS and has been at St. Andrew’s Cathedral since November 1992;

EMAIL: lauriemc@standrews.ms
OFFICE: (601) 487-2739

Gracey Belote

Director of Parish Life and Newcomer Ministries

A native of Brandon, Mississippi, Gracey grew up attending St. Luke’s and St. Peter’s by-the-Lake. She is a graduate of Millsaps College, where she studied neuroscience and philosophy. She has a deep appreciation for spaces that bring people together and foster meaningful connection, a perspective that shapes her work at the Cathedral.

When she’s not at work, Gracey can usually be found gathered around a board game with friends or investing in students as the Alumni Advisor for her sorority at Millsaps.

EMAIL: gbelote@standrews.ms
OFFICE: (601) 487-4215

Katherine (Kat) Penton

Director of Children and Youth Ministries

Kat is our newest team member and we are so glad to have her! We'll have a bio up for her soon.

EMAIL: kpenton@standrews.ms

Wil Oakes

Director of Communications

Wil is a Tupelo native and current resident of Oxford. He attended the University of the South as well as Florida State University, where he earned an MFA in creative writing. He enjoys cooking, late night talk shows, and all things creativity. In addition to his work for St. Andrews, he is the editor of the diocesan publication The Mississippi Episcopalian and proprietor of Oakes Creative Agency in Oxford.

EMAIL: woakes@standrews.ms

Carey Yelverton

Bookkeeper

Carey has been a member of St. Andrews since 1996 when she and her husband Ralph moved back to Jackson. They have two daughters named Lawson and Caroline. Carey holds a Banking & Finance degree from Mississippi State University and an MBA from Mississippi College. She has worked as a bookkeeper and administrator at multiple companies since 2008.