The Rev. Cn. David Getreu

Some things you might not know about me. I was born with a club foot. I was in a cast when I was two weeks old. I spent many years in Children’s Hospital in Columbus with repeat surgeries trying to correct it. They finally corrected it in sixth grade by fusing my left ankle joint. This is why you might see me walking with a limp when the arthritis pain kicks in.

I grew up in the Canal Winchester area which makes me a local clergy person for the 4 churches. I went to public high school. After high school, I entered college seminary at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Worthington. After graduating from college, I attended The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. and received my S.T.B. degree in Theology.

Once ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Church, I was assigned to St. Francis de Sales Church in Newark, Ohio as an Associate Pastor. The parish had 1,450 families, 8 nursing homes, 1 hospital, 2 cemeteries, an elementary school and high school we were responsible for (3 priests). My beginning months in priesthood were a let down. I was assigned with my priest mentor, Fr. Bill. I was overjoyed about this but he acquired a gleo-blastoma brain tumor at the same time and died 6 months into my being there. Now, there were only 2 priests for the parish. During my time there, I worked on a sky diving license along with my pilot’s license. I gave up flying after bouncing the plane off the runway. Jumping out of an airplane is a great thing. I know you won’t agree. I was there for 2 years then moved to St. Matthew’s in Gahanna. A very similar parish in size (1,500 families). I stayed there for 2 years and then was sent to study Canon Law back at Catholic University of America.

I left the RC priesthood due to loneliness. I am married to my wife, Paula and have been for 23 years next month. I spent time working for an European door company. We have owned a bagel franchise. I have been a financial advisor obtaining my Series 7, 31, 63 & 65 licenses, along with my Life, Health and Annuities license. I retired in 2016. I got back into church life while a financial advisor.

As a financial advisor, a client invited me to their Episcopal Church. Paula and I spent a few weeks pondering it and then we decided to go because my client told me they go every Sunday and sit in a certain spot. We went and the client wasn’t there and I never saw them at church. We were greeted warmly before the service by several people and afterwards. We decided to stay around and learn more. This is why I am so passionate about parishioners greeting new people when they show up on Sundays. You never know how you might change their life.

I was received into the Episcopal priesthood in September 2012. I served 9 months at St. John’s in Cambridge, did some supply work and then was called to St. Philip’s in Circleville in 2014. I became Rector in 2016. I was asked to assist the Diocese as staff in March 2020 in the finance office. From there my role within the diocesan staff has changed from part-time to full-time. I became Canon for Finance and Budget and a member of the Bishop’s staff in the Spring of 2023. I became Rector of St. Paul’s in Chillicothe in January 2022 and then St. John’s and St. Paul’s in December 2022. Fr. Michael came on board in January 2022 and Mother Rowena in January 2023. Deacon Craig joined us in January 22 and Archdeacon Paul in December 22. I can tell you that the past year and a half with these clergy has been the most fun in my priesthood even though, I have been stretched thin from all the various duties I have assigned to me.

What do I do in my free time? I love Crossfit and am a Crossfit Coach holding a Level 1 certificate. I love remodeling and working outdoors. Additionally, I like to vacation overseas where my cell phone won’t work.

I look forward to continuing the four church collaboration and making it a model for the wider diocese. I believe in all of you that, together, we can make Christ’s mission come alive in this part of Ohio.

The Rev. Rowena Mae MacGregor, left.

I was born in Wilmington, NC to The Rev. Thomas Gregg, an Episcopal priest, and Margaret Gregg, a Luxembourg-born immigrant to the US; a WWII war bride. My father was bi-vocational, working both as a psychotherapist and interim clergy, mostly in the Diocese of South Carolina, on the coast. Both are now deceased, as is my sister, Catherine McDuffie. My brother, Paul, and his wife live in Richmond, VA.

I come from a long line of Episcopal clergy, the earliest being The Rt. Rev. Alexander Gregg, the first bishop of Texas (during the Civil War, before it was divided into several dioceses). And more recently, aside from my father, my brother-in-law, The Rev. John McDuffie, is a retired Episcopal priest, having served in both Ohio and Virginia.

So it is not surprising that the Episcopal Church has always been my religious home; you could say it’s in my blood. After careers in graphic design and printing, and later, child abuse prevention counseling and administration, I attended The School of Theology at Sewanee, TN, graduating in 2003 and later received my certification as a Transition (Interim) Minister. Over the last 20 years I have served as an Associate Rector in Hilton Head, SC, Rector in Mansfield, PA for 15 years, and Priest-in-Charge in Dayton, OH before accepting the position of Associate Rector in the four church collaboration.

I have two grown children, Zoe and Ian. Zoe is a Nursing Home Administrator and Ian is a fourth year nursing student. My partner of five years, Michael Belmonte, is a retired mechanical engineer, who resides in Bainbridge and is currently very busy building a new home. We have two black cats, Stella, a short hair, and Smokey, a Maine Coon.

In addition to my work with the four churches my diocesan responsibilities include faculty of Deacons’ School, teaching spirituality, co-facilitator of Fresh Start (a program for newly ordained clergy and clergy new to the diocese), Commission on Ministry, and co-facilitator of the recent Deacon’s Retreat.

Vocationally, I am particularly interested in spirituality: spiritual practices, studying the religions of the world and secular spirituality; as well as assisting those who feel they may be called to ordained life with discernment. My hobbies are cooking (a practitioner of Ayurveda) and hiking. I am a certified holistic health coach and Reiki (Level 2) practitioner. While I had a four year coaching practice previously, I do not work privately with clients at this time.

A few years ago I legally changed my name to recover my father’s family’s original name of MacGregor which was shortened to Gregg when my ancestors came to America from Scotland many generations ago. I retain the coat of arms in my home today, which was always in my bedroom throughout my growing up years.

I have a very full and satisfying life and am delighted to be a part of the four church collaboration.

The Rev. Michael Ralph, Associate Rector

I am originally from Corinth, New York, a little paper mill nestled in the foothills of the Adirondacks. Like everyone else’s father in Corinth, my dad worked at the local paper mill while my mother was a stay home mom. I am the youngest of four children and most of my family still live in upstate, New York. The church was always a huge part of our lives as my family are devout Evangelical Christians. Sensing a call to ordained ministry, I attended Houghton College, a private Christian college in western New York and majored in Religion and ministry.

Upon my graduation from Houghton in 1996, I moved to Wilmore, Kentucky to attend Asbury Theological Seminary. While attending Asbury, I began working at a restaurant in Lexington where I met my wife, Aimee. Shortly thereafter, Aimee moved to Wilmore to attend Asbury as well. We became Episcopalians shortly after our wedding. I found myself attracted to the liturgy of the Episcopal Church and I found that it was also a safe place to struggle with the larger questions of our faith. My priest at the time was determined that I should become a priest as well and I soon began the process of becoming an Episcopal priest.

After a year of post-baccalaureate study at General Seminary in New York City, I returned to Kentucky in 2004 where I became the associate rector at Trinity Church in Covington. I also served churches in eastern Kentucky and Long Island before coming back to the Midwest. I happily joined Fr. Dave here almost two years ago and have found a happy home in Circleville. In addition to my duties at the four churches, I also serve as diocesan missioner to SE Ohio and I serve the churches in this region with their ministry needs. I also serve on the board of Episcopal Community Ministries for the Diocese of Southern Ohio. Aimee and I live with our two children, Patrick and Katherine along with our dogs Teeny and Mickey. We also have added a cat named Wynne to our little menagerie and our critters keep us busy.

It is a pleasure working with Fr. Dave, Mtr. Rowena, Fr. Stephen, Archdeacon Paul, and Deacon Craig. Working with a team has been transformational and I find myself enjoying ministry more than ever. And it is a joy working with all of you! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your lives.

The Rev. Dr. Stephen Smith, Assisting Priest of the Four Episcopal Communities

I have been a priest of the church for 35 years and have served in churches for 40 (as a youth worker and seminarian before ordination). Prior to that I worked in journalism and public relations. My undergraduate degree is in journalism from Ohio University. My Master of Divinity (1988) and Doctor of Ministry (2013) degrees are from Sewanee. My DMin is in preaching. I served churches in Dayton, Ohio, Tennessee, and Cincinnati, Lorain, Hudson, and Dublin, Ohio.

I love congregational ministry because I see it as the place where the church has a great opportunity to impact the world and make it more like the kingdom of God.

In addition to my congregational work, I have led conferences for training people how to preach. I currently serve part-time in a program that is training lay preachers in six dioceses, and then to share our curriculum with the wider church.

I have also been a writer for Forward Movement publications and was the author of Saving Salvation: the Amazing Evolution of Grace (Church Publishing 2005).

On the side, I have spent the last 50 years playing guitar in various rock n roll bands.

I am married to Jan Sargent Smith, who is an avid curler. We have two children; Andy, married to Mary Beth Benton, and Joy, married to Dylan Cole. Joy and Dylan have given us a grandson Paul, who is six months old.

The Rev. Dr. Craig Klein

The Rev. Doctor Craig Klein is a lifelong Episcopalian. Starting in the Diocese of Easton, he first became an acolyte and later a Sunday school teacher. Many years later, after establishing a strong academic career, he was called to the permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Northern California. There, he served two terms each on both the Diocesan Board of Directors and the Diocesan Council. He was also a certified Education for Ministry (EFM) leader for eight years. His Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) work was done at San Francisco General Hospital, a level one trauma center, and he stayed with the Brothers of St. Francis during that time.

He attended both The School for Deacons at The Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California and Sewanee-The University of the South. At the former, he produced the video “Called to Love and Serve” that detailed the Diaconate’s role and practice for those contemplating attending the school. At the latter, he received a certificate in Theological Studies, encompassing 4 years of study.

With the good and faithful help of the Sisters of the Transfiguration and a wonderful spiritual director, he was ordained by the Rt. Rev. Jerry Lamb in The Diocese of Northern California on Feb. 2nd, 2006, in a service that featured a 50-person gospel choir. Thereafter, he served Christ Church in Eureka, CA while also serving four other parishes in that remote region of far northern California, leading morning prayer and offering adult study. During this time his Bishop was the Rt. Rev. Barry Beisner.

Called to a new job in central Missouri, his canonical residency changed to the Diocese of West Missouri, where the Rt. Rev. Martin “Marty” Field was Bishop. While there, he also served on The Diocesan Board of Directors and the Education Committee under the Commission on Ministry. Called next to a job in Utah, he first made contact with St. Mary’s in Provo, Utah in August 2012, and soon began regular work with that parish. Then canonically resident in the Diocese of Utah under Bishop the Rt. Rev. Scott Hayashi, he was a member of the Commission on Ministry and Ordination Handbook review group. He also produced, edited, and distributed the diocesan-wide E-Newsletter every two weeks, and served on the Board of Directors for the Food and Care Coalition in Provo, UT. He continued weekly chaplaincy work throughout north central Utah. He next served in Topeka, KS in the Diocese of Kansas, and now currently lives in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio where he serves St. Paul’s in Chillicothe, is a Hospital Chaplain at Holzer Medical System in Gallipolis, and a River Chaplain Associate with the Seamen’s Church Institute, an Episcopal ministry serving mariners on the Ohio river.

Deacon Klein’s academic credentials include a BS in Journalism from the University of Kansas, an MA in Telecommunication from Indiana University, and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Florida. He has been awarded tenure at three different institutions and has won regional and national awards for his broadcasting work. He has been a full professor, department chair, academic dean at two institutions, and an academic vice president. He is skilled in Grant Writing, Technical Writing, Marketing, Making Community Connection, Public Speaking, and Curriculum/Program Design (Re) Accreditation & Articulation.

He lives in Gallipolis, OH with his wife, Dr. Mary Beth Fitzpatrick, and several shelter-rescue felines. His non-cat interests include composing and playing electric rock music He has appeared on seven C-D’s and one movie soundtrack, and plays classic rock music in two separate bands. Currently, he is a Chaplain for both Holzer Health System in southeast Ohio and the Episcopalian Seamen’s Church Institute, serving mariners on the Ohio river. He serves the Diocese of Southern Ohio on both the Commission on Ministry and the School for Deacons.