Disciple: Meet the Transition Committee
By Diocesan House
The Standing Committee is pleased to announce the nine members of the Transition Committee, chaired by the Rev. Velinda Hardy (Church of the Saviour, Jackson) and Peter Macon (St. Mark's, Huntersville). The Transition Committee will shepherd the candidates announced on the slate in November through the election process, and, for whomever is elected the XII Bishop Diocesan, through the consecration and transition to a new role.
Beth Grace | St. Michael’s, Raleigh
I am a writer, editor, journalist and communications professional who runs her own business, WordWorks Communications. I am an active member of St. Michael’s, Raleigh, and a past senior warden and vestry member. I also have served on the personnel and finance committees and as a longtime delegate to Diocesan Convention. I currently chair the communications committee and am a member of newcomers and several other committees. I also am active on the diocesan level, serving on the Swindell Speakers Committee and occasionally working on special editing projects with staff.
Mary Gordon | St. Mary’s, High Point
I have been a communicant at St. Mary’s, High Point, for 43 years. On the diocesan level, I currently serve as Diocese of North Carolina Episcopal Church Women interim president. Last year I was honored to represent North Carolina at the Episcopal Church Women Triennial in Salt Lake City, Utah. I also serve on the Botswana Companion Link Committee.
I am a retired educator of 34 years, past president of Guilford County Association of Educators and current president of the Chi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma.
In my life at St. Mary’s, I proudly serve as a Stephen minister, a Eucharistic visitor, a member of the senior altar guild and a greeter, in addition to delivering meals to Open Door Ministry. I have had numerous other responsibilities within my church in the past, including being a member of the vestry and serving as a delegate to Diocesan Convention.
I am excited about being a part of the Transition Committee as we assist with welcoming the candidates for bishop to North Carolina and our Diocese.
The Rev. Velinda Hardy, co-chair | Church of the Saviour, Jackson
I have served as a deacon in the Diocese for 15 years. Presently, I serve at the Church of the Saviour, Jackson. In servant ministries I have worked in prisons and shelters and with food distribution to the needy. I am a member of the Forgiveness and Reconciliation Project, which operates out of Mount Vernon, New York. Our mission field is Rwanda, where we work in prisons and with community groups that give support to AIDS victims and the impoverished.
Laurie Holden | Emmanuel, Southern Pines
For the past 30 years, I have been a parishioner at Emmanuel, Southern Pines, where I was married and both of my children were baptized and confirmed.
Fifteen years ago I started a part-time staff position overseeing children’s formation and Vacation Bible School. Four years ago that job became a full-time position and now I oversee formation for children, youth and adults, as well as our community outreach program.
I have served on Diocesan Council for the past four years and will rotate off this November. I also have been part of the Swindell Speakers Fund Committee. Most recently, we organized the Diana Butler Bass visit and online book study for Christianity After Religion, and I was part of the team that wrote the online questions. We were also very involved in looking at the format of our Diocesan Convention and how we could take it out of the traditional space that we have become accustomed to and move it into Galilee. I am currently the chair for the Chartered Committee for Lifelong Christian Formation.
I am looking forward to shepherding our candidates for bishop diocesan through the Episcopal election process.
Lyn Holt | St. Peter’s, Charlotte
I have been a member of the Diocese since I moved from the Diocese of Southwest Florida to Charlotte in 1980. I was a member of Christ Church, Charlotte, for 20 years, until I was called to become director of youth formation at St. Peter’s, Charlotte, 14 years ago. I served on the vestry at Christ Church, completed the four-year Education for Ministry (EfM) course and mentored an EfM group. My husband, Harris, and I have led workshops for engaged couples and gifts and talents workshops for new members. I have taught and coordinated the Journey to Adulthood (J2A) program at St. Peter’s since 2002, led nine J2A Pilgrimages and assisted other churches in the Diocese in planning and executing their youth pilgrimages, including eight convocation-wide youth mission trips. I was a founding youth leader of the Charlotte Convocation’s Episcopal Outreach Camp for middle schoolers 20 years ago, and I have participated in many diocesan youth events, such as Bishop’s Ball and now HUGS Camp. I serve as a diocesan Safe Church trainer and I am a certified J2A workshop trainer for LeaderResources.
I am honored to be a part of this holy work and will do my best to assist all candidate to feel good about their experience with the process and with the Diocese.
Adrienne Koch | St. Cyprian’s, Oxford
I am a candidate for ordination to the priesthood and a member of St. Cyprian’s, Oxford. I currently serve as an intern at St. Titus, Durham, and as a resident chaplain at the veteran’s hospital in Durham. I am also a project director at Duke Divinity School, where I oversee the formation of an online pedagogical archive of Duke Chapel sermons.
I received my B.A. in Liberal Arts from Malone University in 2004, with concentrations in Theology, Psychology and Communications, and completed my M.Div. with a certificate of Gender, Theology and Ministry from Duke Divinity School in 2011. I am in my final year of the Theological Studies Program at Sewanee: The University of the South.
I offer my leadership gifts of creative brainstorming, writing, teaching and speaking to the transition committee, along with relational connections in the diocesan, Duke and Durham communities.
Peter Macon, co-chair | St. Mark’s, Huntersville
I am a member of St Mark’s, Huntersville, a board member of Las Escuelita San Marcos and a founding board member of the three-school Las Escuelita initiative with Holy Comforter, Charlotte; St Alban’s, Davidson and St Mark’s.
On the diocesan level, I serve as chair of our companion relationship with Costa Rica, assisting in development and implementation of a strategic plan for the Diocese of Costa Rica. I am also a two-term member of Diocese Council, currently focused on the demographic changes in our Diocese.
I serve as director of Macon & Associates Inc., a design firm offering material and processing solutions to consumer companies including Hasbro, Google and major athletic companies. We are considered a “Futurist” company.
I hope to bring innovative and strong collaborative planning as we welcome the new bishop diocesan to North Carolina.
The Rev. Brad Mullis | Trinity, Statesville
A native North Carolinian, I will celebrate the 20th anniversary of my ordination as well as 20 years of service in the Diocese in June. I served seven years as the associate rector of Church of the Nativity, Raleigh, and am in my 13th year as the rector of Trinity, Statesville.
I have served on the Chartered Committee on Christian Education and the Chartered Committee on the Diaconate and also served a term on Diocesan Council. Currently I am the vice-chair of the Episcopal Church Foundation and a member of the Bishop’s Committee on Justice in Agriculture.
I am pleased to be part of the election and transition process as the Diocese welcomes a new bishop.
Mears Pitt | Calvary, Tarboro
My name is Mears Pitt, and I’m a lifelong member of Calvary, Tarboro. I have been the senior warden and junior warden for Calvary as well as served on several other committees. My family owns an Ace Hardware store here in Tarboro; I am the fourth generation to run this store. I am married to Courtney Pitt and have two children, Ben who is 10 and Caroline who is six. I look forward to working on this transition committee and helping in any way I can.
The Rev. Daniel J. Reeves | St. Luke’s, Durham
I am the curate at St. Luke’s, Durham. I grew up in the Oklahoma City area and moved to Durham to pursue a Masters in Theological Studies from Duke Divinity. I continued my education with a Post Graduate Diploma in Anglican Studies from Virginia Theological Seminary. Before ordination I worked in Durham as a barista, tennis instructor, the visitor relations specialist at Duke Chapel and the chaplain’s assistant at the Episcopal Center at Duke.
