The Rev. Dr. Jared C. Cramer, SCP

Rector
rector@sjegh.com, ext 22

 

Having grown up right here in Grand Haven, MI, Father Cramer was raised in the Churches of Christ, and worked in several ministry positions in that tradition before moving into the Episcopal Church while completing his Master of Divinity at the Graduate School of Theology of Abilene Christian University in Abilene, TX. He then received his Anglican training through the completion of a Master of Sacred Theology at the School of Theology of the University of the South in Sewanee, TN. He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree, also from Sewanee's School of Theology, with a focus upon Anglican liturgy, theology, and history and its intersection with the life of a congregation. He is currently pursuing a third master’s degree, an Executive Master of Nonprofit Administration at the Mendoza College of Business in the University of Notre Dame. He served his first cure as a priest in the Lilly-endowed Foundations for Spiritual Leadership Program at Christ Church in Alexandria, VA. After two years there, our parish, with the Bishop's consent, called him to come to St. John's to serve as our Rector, beginning in June of 2010.

 

Father Cramer is active in the Episcopal Church at many levels. He represents the Central Region of the Diocese of Western Michigan on Diocesan Council, also serving as Secretary of Council. He is an Alternate Deputy to the next General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Previously he has served as Dean of the Lakeshore Deanery, Convener of the Deans of the Diocese, and Chair of the Commission on Ministry. He is a member of the Society of Catholic Priests in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, where he serves as Convener of the Great Lakes Chapter of the Society, comprising all the dioceses in Michigan along with Northern Indiana and the Diocese of Huron in the Anglican Church of Canada. He is the author of four books:

 

• Safeguarded by Glory: Michael Ramsey's Ecclesiology and the Struggles of Contemporary Anglicanism 

• Scribere Orare Erat: To Write Was to Pray

• Percy Dearmer Revisited: Discerning Authentically Anglican Liturgy in a Multicultural, Ecumenical, Twenty-First-Century Context 

• The Twenty-First-Century Parson's Handbook: A Guide for Anglican Liturgy and Parish Ministry in the Prayer Book Catholic Tradition

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In addition to his parochial work, Fr. Cramer does some limited consulting for parishes, particularly when it comes to utilizing the techniques of appreciative inquiry, organizational theory, consensus and reconciliatory decision making, and the Anglican pastoral tradition. More information on that work for those who may be interested is online here.

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Fr. Cramer resides in Grand Haven with his wife, Bethany, their daughter, Lucy, and their dog, a standard poodle named Maisie. Bethany is a local therapist, running her own private practice, Daybreak Mental Wellness. Lucy's primary interests right now are Veggie Tales and the Frozen franchise. Maisie focuses on trying very hard to be best friends with the dogs next door. Once she is a bit older, Maisie will be trained as a therapy dog to work with Bethany. Until then, she enjoys being a church dog at the parish office. Father Cramer's reflections can be found on his personal blog, Care with the Cure of Souls.

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The Rev. Daniel P. Snyder, Ph.D.
Priest Associate
dsnyder@sjegh.com

 

Father Daniel Snyder grew up in a family rooted in a dynamic faith. It was a great gift. Faith held us in warmth, comfort, and safety; but nonetheless had the strength of steel in supporting us at difficult times. He grew up loving his faith and being loved in that faith. That grounding led him to priesthood in the Roman church. He was active in public ministry for ten years. He loved ministry. However, over time the Roman church’s position on women in the church and gay people led him  to the point of an inherently conflicted position: he did not believe in many of the positions of the Roman church and could not publicly teach the party line. Despite a critical priest shortage, there was a refusal to ordain women or married men. He faced a conflicted and exhausting future and made the decision to leave public ministry and do his  doctorate in psychology.

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He practiced as a psychologist and addictions counselor and became a mental health administrator. He taught psychology at the graduate level. However, he was always still a priest in his  heart. He loved preaching and sharing the Word, he loved and missed presiding at sacraments. His searching for “more than church on Sunday” led him  to the Ecumenical Order of Charity, in which he has professed Life Vows and serves as the Director of the Foundation Program.

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As Father Snyder says, "Finding St. John’s was one of the greatest blessings of my life! I felt at home immediately." He was formally received into the Episcopal church at Easter 2016. In talking theology with Father Cramer, he discovered he had long been an Episcopalian at heart. Their discussions led him to formally discern using his priesthood within the Episcopal Church. That process took about 1.5 years. His orders were received into the Episcopal Church at St. John’s on September 22, 2019 by Bishop Whayne Hougland. He is a Priest Associate at St. John’s but does supply work at other parishes when the need arises.

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Cindi Sanders
Parish Administrator & Executive Assistant to the Rector
csanders@sjegh.com, ext 21

 

Cindi has been a member of St. John's since 1989. In the spring of 1996 she became the Parish Secretary. Before that she served as Church School Director and Youth Group Co-Leader. In 2010 her position transitioned into Parish Administrator and Executive Assistant to the Rector. She is also active in P.E.O. (Women's Philanthropic Educational Organization). 

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Nicholas Palmer
Director of Music
music@sjegh.com, ext 27

 

Nick comes to us from Grand Rapids, where he served for eight years as Director of Music for the Cathedral of St. Andrew in the Roman Catholic Church. He has nearly thirty years experience as a church musician, has served as an adjunct professor in the Music Department at Aquinas College, and now teaches music and directs the choir at Muskegon Community College. In addition to his work as a church musician, he has significant skills as a composer. He had a composition in the 2017 Art Prize in Grand Rapid; you can experience a video of it online here. Several of his liturgical compositions have been published and he has also composed for the entertainment industry. You can find more about his other professional work on his website here. He is married to Jarek Kozal and the two live in the Whitehall area.


John G. Bryson
Organist Emeritus
jbryson@sjegh.com

 

John is a renowned organist who has served several congregations throughout Western Michigan. He served for six years as our Interim Director of Music and Fine Arts. Now retired, he has been named Organist Emeritus and he assists our Director of Music as needed throughout the year. He and his wife Claire live in Holland, MI.

 

 

Oliver Shampine
Coordinator of Children & Youth Ministry

oshampine@sjegh.com, ext 28

 

Oliver Shampine has been a lifelong resident of Grand Haven, Michigan. After graduating as Class President from Grand Haven High School in 2021, Oliver continued his education at a couple of colleges. Currently, Oliver is studying Public Administration with a minor in Natural Resource Management at Grand Valley State University. Oliver also has experience working at numerous restaurants in Grand Haven and at the local YMCA day camp where he has acted as a Camp Coordinator for three summers. Oliver hopes to bring his knowledge and experience to support the Children's Ministry Program.

 

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Christine Bleicher
Bookkeeper
bookkeeper@sjegh.com, ext 23

 

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Jenissa Warden
Housekeeper
sexton@sjegh.com

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