Clergy and Staff

The Rev. Nat Johnson

The Reverend Nat Johnson (pronouns: they/them) comes most recently from St. Paul’s, Seattle, where they were Interim Rector since November 1, 2021. Prior to that they served as Transitional Deacon and then Curate at the same parish. Part of their work also included Interim Pastor for Children and Family. Nat grew up in the Church of the Nazarene and then found their way to the Episcopal Church in 2008 through Church of the Good Shepherd in Colorado Springs. After completing their undergraduate degree at Nazarene Bible College, they moved (back) to Seattle area to complete graduate work at Seattle Pacific Seminary where they earned a Master of Arts in Theology in 2015. Nat and Megan (she/her) have been married since 2016, and they recently welcomed their first child, Asher Jules, into the world.

Eric Matthews

A native of Pennsylvania, Eric grew up near Harrisburg and entered the Coast Guard in February 1977. He served in a variety of jobs over the course of his 30 years of service including technical, training and safety specialties. Work in the Coast Guard took Eric to many parts of the world — from the coasts of the lower 48, to Hawaii, Alaska, South America, Asia, and Africa — which spurred his love of travel. After retiring from the Coast Guard in 2007 Eric worked for a short time as a safety consultant and then at Ace Hardware on Bainbridge Island. Eric Matthews and Ruth Blaney were the first couple to be married as part of the newly formed “Grace” community in 1993. Except for the years spent away in the Coast Guard after marrying Ruth, Eric has been an active member at Grace. He has attended many family retreats, was a member of the Grace Flower Team, coordinates the Grace Men’s Group, and has represented Grace at the annual Diocesan Convention for many years. Eric is honored to serve as the Building & Property Manager at Grace.

Lara Halsey

Lara comes to us with ministry experience and a passion for community. Originally from Texas, with a 10-year stop in the DC area, she moved to Washington state to be near her parents and her sister’s family. She and her husband Schuyler just graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary. She values inclusion and open communication in all her endeavors. In her free time she hopes to be at the nearest body of water with her three nephews and a good book.

Jordan Pitre

Jordan is a life-long Washingtonian hailing from the South Sound. Music began with Jordan at seven years old with private piano lessons. He took his first music leader position at Crossroads Community Church at 16 years old, transitioned to Tacoma Christian Reformed Church three years later, and remained on staff there for 10 years. Jordan studied piano and saxophone through Pacific Lutheran University in high school and then continued musical study on scholarship at the University of Puget Sound. After spending the past 15 years in private club and hotel management, Jordan is returning to a career in music through Grace Church, private lessons, and event production. Jordan’s wife, Jessica, hails from Bainbridge Island, and they’re excited to raise their children Adelaide (7) and Miles (2) on the Island and in the Grace community.

Barb Levy

Originally from Rochester, New York, Barb lives in Shoreline with her spouse and their two cats. She is a graphic artist and webmaster by trade, and her work can be found at https://barblevygraphics.com/. She attends St. Paul’s on lower Queen Anne.

The Rev. Kathleen Kinney

The Rev. Jim Phinney