2026-2027 Vestry

Deborah Way
Rector's Warden
Class of 2029

Audrey Kipphut
People's Warden
Class of 2027

Ernie Dixon
Accounting Warden

I have been an Episcopalian since baptism in 1958. That was not my choice, but I have deliberately chosen the Episcopal Church for myself many times since then. As a child, I sang in church choirs. As an adult I have worshipped from the congregation and served in most volunteer opportunities including vestry. In my non-church life, I have served as a medical professional in the care of chronically ill and dying adults. While at the Philadelphia VA I grew a fledgling program for the care of Veterans with life limiting illness and their families. I also created and grew education programs for physicians, nurses, and patients and their families. I used the unique opportunities existing at the VA to expand the care provided to all Veterans within our reach. I hope to use my life skills to serve St. Peter’s as part of the Vestry.

I have worshipped at St. Peter’s since 1995 when we moved to Abington. David and I have been married for forty-five years. We have three married children and four granddaughters. I retired as a certified dental assistant after thirty years. In my leisure time, I like to travel, walk, read, do paper quilling and my favorite, be with my family. My service to St. Peter’s began shortly after I arrived. I was asked to co-teach the younger elementary class twenty-eight years ago. My involvement and service has grown and now includes: EfM graduate; Vestry; discernment committee, when called by the Rev. Emily Richards; worship committee; usher; Eucharistic Minister; profile committee for Rev. Barb; bell choir, listening circle, and LIFT member. I am chair of the Welcome Team, manage the food cupboard and volunteer for Beds for Kids. It would be my sincere pleasure to serve the members of St. Peter’s Church as a member of your Vestry.

My wife, Robin, and I joined St. Peter’s in early fall 2024. Prior to that, we were members of Trinity Episcopal Church in Ambler, PA for approximately 23 years. As a member of Trinity vestry, I served for one term as Accounting Warden and fulfilled a remaining term as Property Committee Chair. I also participated in several ministries including Discernment Committee for candidates for Ordained Ministry, search committees for new priest and new assistant priest, committee lead for developing the parish profile, usher, chalice bearer, and various church plays. From approximately 1994 to 2000, my wife and I were members of Trinity Church, Lansdale. During our membership there, I served on vestry and completed one term as Accounting Warden. I also sang in the choir. In June 2023, I joined the DIOPA Anti-Racism Commission (ARC). I’m currently serving as Treasurer of the ARC. I recently retired as an engineering project manager. As a project manager, I was responsible for understanding all financial aspects of project execution. More importantly, the role of project manager requires an understanding of the value that a diverse team brings to the project. I will bring these understandings to St Peter’s vestry so that I can make a positive contribution to our church. My hobbies include cycling, woodworking, travel, and piano. I learned about St. Peter’s through my work on the ARC. I was impressed with the leadership that Rev. Barb brought to ARC and I believe in and share the values of ARC. Although I have been a member of St Peter’s for a relatively short time, my experience and interface with other members shows that we share similar values; peace, justice and loving relationships. I grew up in West Chester, PA with my 5 sisters and brother. My parents emphasized and demonstrated the value of education. My mother was a primary school teacher and my father was an aerospace engineer. My wife and I live in Montgomeryville, PA. We have been married for 41 years and have one daughter, Meredith. Meredith and her husband, Aaron, live in Phoenixville and are members of St Peter’s episcopal church in Phoenixville.

Class of 2027

Debbie DeKalb

I have sung in the choir (everything except bass), sung and played flute with the Folk Group, and following the merger with St. Philip's, joined the Bell Choir. I have also been maintaining the function and security of the various PCs in use for the office and Vestry. I was honored to co-chair the search committee which (after a 1-year search) located and signed Carol Cei to take the musical reins of the choir. I have also participated in the Mary Pat's Cookie's tradition for most of my years here. It has been my great pleasure to share my own Jewish traditions with my St. Peter's family at our semi-annual Seder Dinners since 2010. I have an abiding love of music, and in it I feel most connected with G*d. I am not afraid of speaking in front of a crowd (no surprise there) and enjoy the opportunity to read from the Old Testament during our services. I sew, make jewelry, and am a joyous participant in a local not-for-profit theater group. I also sing in the choir at my synagogue and play flute in the Klezmer Band there. I truly feel that I have a connection to my St. Peter's family that transcends religion and ritual. I have the utmost respect for traditions and will always do my best to honor yours. When I first came to St. Peter's, it was because I felt completely disconnected from my synagogue and was searching for a community of faith. Little did I know that I would find it here. I am honored to participate in the service each Sunday, and I delight in the warmth and acceptance I feel from everyone. My in-laws (Richard and Doris DeKalb of blessed memory) were members here since before my husband was born. I've been married to Rick DeKalb for over 34 years. When we first began our journey together, we weren't sure how the blending of our two faiths would work. I was raising a daughter, and she was (and is) Jewish, as am I. But Rick and I soon discovered that even though our rituals and practices differed, the basic tenets of our beliefs were the same. Respect your fellow man. Honor your father and mother. Don’t be an evil doer. Love thy neighbor. And so many more. Early in our marriage, I began to attend with him during the Christmas and Easter services so that I could share in the most meaningful holidays of his faith and be part of his family. But when I was asked to join the Choir, I found that I, too, had a place here at St. Peter's. I know that the common ground of both of our faiths is truly the same. As a member of the Vestry of St. Peter's, I will do my best to help St. Peter's in any way I can. This is MY family, MY home. I wouldn't have it any other way. Note: Because Debbie maintains her Jewish identity, the Vestry received the bishop’s permission for her to run for Vestry, and with that permission also voted to suspend in this instance the St. Peter’s bylaw requiring candidates to be baptized members, so that she could be a nominee to Vestry.

Mark Evans

Throughout most of the last twenty years, I have been an active parishioner and leader at Trinity Episcopal Church in Buckingham, Bucks County, where I served on the property committee and then served on the Vestry. During this time, I helped lead a capital campaign to renovate the church, designed renovations for underutilized areas of the church, and supported our new Rector to grow our church membership. During these years, I volunteered with a number of outreach ministries to support those who are homeless and experiencing food insecurity, including a project called Code Blue to provide temporary shelter during winter cold spells. Throughout my years at Trinity, I volunteered to support many parish life events and taught Sunday school. In 2011, Donna and I were married at Trinity Episcopal Church and we brought together our families and four children. In 2017, we moved from Doylestown to Glenside. During the process of searching for a new church, we attended St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and we were deeply moved by Rev. Barb's preaching, her musicality and connection to youth ministry. In 2022, when we learned Barb was called to St. Peter's, we began worshiping here and quickly discovered this extraordinary church community. Donna and I are both so grateful to have discovered this warm, welcoming, and spiritually enriching community. I have been looking for ways to share my talents to help our parish community to grow and thrive, care for our buildings, and make a positive impact in our broader community. In 2023, I joined the Welcome Committee, and I am currently working on a plan to enhance the signage, lighting and visibility of our church from Easton Road. In my work life, I am an architect and town planner. I work throughout Pennsylvania on the revitalization of downtown business districts. I am frequently facilitating large community meetings and helping communities see their local assets and creating plans for how to expand business districts. I believe many of these skills that I use to help a downtown area thrive are similar to the things our church needs to grow, renovate our building, and enhance our grounds. I would welcome the opportunity to share my talents and collaborate with various church leaders at St. Peter’s to enhance our buildings to best support our mission and ministries.

Matt Torpey

For those that don’t know me, I’m Matt Torpey. Stef, Grayson, and I moved to Willow Grove from NJ in 2021. I was raised Roman Catholic and began attending the Episcopal Church prior to getting married. I was received into the Episcopal Church around 2015 at St. John the Evangelist in NJ. At our previous parish, I served 2 years on the Vestry and then as Junior and Senior Warden (In NJ the Junior Warden is elected directly by the congregation and serves a 2-year term first as Jr. and then as Sr. Warden). Soon after my time on Vestry, I served on the Search committee for a new parish rector. However, my most frequent contributions could be found in the kitchen, heading fellowship and leading the kitchen for the parish celebrations. These included the regular things like Shrove Tuesdays, Welcome Back Picnic, Annual Parish Dinner, and Breakfast with Santa and special occasions like a celebratory dinner when a previous priest was made Pastor Emeritus. Other areas I was active in include, Lector, 225th Anniversary Committee, re-created the parish website/webmaster, created the parish Christmas Cards, Organist search committee, and Diocesan Convention Representative. We began attending St. Peter’s regularly in 2022. Since joining St. Peters, I have helped with Shrove Tuesday, the Blue Grass Concert, Rev. Barbara’s Installation Celebration, and Outreach Day. I am also a member of the Folk Group. Grayson and I performed together during the Shrove Tuesday Talent Show. I really like the St. Peter’s family and I hope to be able to help by bringing outside ideas while respecting the traditions that have worked for so long.

Class of 2028

Beth Carlin

I was introduced to St. Peter’s by the Teleha family, specifically Liz. I am one of the godparents of Liz’s daughter, Charlotte (Charlie). So far at St. Peter’s, I have not participated in any committees. I have mostly just stayed a short while for fellowship. I have donated clothing for the garage sale, as well as contributed financial donations to purchase soups, baked goods, and fellowship snacks. Most recently, I contributed to the Angel Piano gifts. I briefly attended Trinity Episcopal Church in Ambler. From 1st to 8th grade, I attended Catholic School at Roman Catholic Church, St. John of the Cross, in Roslyn. At Catholic school, I regularly assisted my mother in running the Box Tops for Education / Campbell’s Soup Label collection and tracking. There, I also participated in choir and continued to attend mass after St. John of the Cross was combined with Queen of Peace Church in Glenside. At some point, I stopped attending. I currently work remotely as an Enterprise Account Manager for Procare Solutions, a daycare management software company. Prior to my current position, I was the Enterprise Support Manager. This has provided me with experience in hearing and voicing concerns or appreciation from groups of individuals and knowing the appropriate audience to bring those thoughts to. I have successfully prioritized when to push toward a resolution or when to explain why a change cannot be made at this time. For hobbies, I crochet, knit, and dabble in music. I also enjoy playing video games. For a few years, I ran registration and points for a charity gaming event called RGB LAN, where we brought people together to play games and raise money for three local charities. I still participate in RGB LAN, but now as an attendee. I also previously participated in the Extra Life Guild of Philadelphia, which plays games to raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Coming to St. Peter’s has been what I miss getting out of church. While I only have close relations with a select few people, St. Peter’s is clearly a community of people who care for each other and its surrounding community. Each mass, Reverend Barb makes it clear that all are welcome, which I have not heard as a part of a mass for a long time. All of the baking, food making, and overall activity options St. Peter’s provides truly show that the members of the church see themselves as a force for good, and I am honored to be a part of such a caring community. My immediate family is just myself, my husband Chris, and our dog Maggie. My husband, Chris, and I both work remote jobs while living in Ambler. I work as an Enterprise Account Manager for daycare management software, and my husband works as a Development Services Manager for Independence Mission Schools. Our dog Maggie is a 50+ pound Irish Terrier mix who enjoys walks, especially along the Wissahickon trail.

Julia Guerrero

When my family visited St. Peter’s in 2023, I thought I was primarily looking for a place where my then elementary-school-aged boys could grow in their faith. But on my very first Sunday, I was deeply moved by Reverend Barb’s sermon and by the kindness and warmth of the St. Peter’s congregation. I realized that day that I was also searching for my own spiritual home, and our family has been part of St. Peter’s ever since. I was raised Roman Catholic, and as my children have grown, I’ve felt a deep desire for them to belong to a faith community rooted in compassion, openness, and care for one another. Before each communion, Rev. Barb offers a reminder: wherever you are on your spiritual journey, there is a place at the table for you. I am so grateful that we found St. Peter’s, and that our family is welcomed at that table alongside this community. There is one sermon in particular that I think about often. It was during the 2024 holiday season, shortly after the presidential election, and it centered on the idea that when we look at one another, we must remember that we are all children of God. Despite our differences, frustrations, and hurts, we are called to see each other through that lens - not because anyone is right or wrong, better or worse, but because at our core we share something deeply important. That perspective and the compassionate love it encourages are what make me so proud to be part of the St. Peter’s community and to serve on the Vestry. Professionally, I work at the intersection of public art, community engagement, and economic development. I am an independent consultant, and I work with non-profits, municipalities, and real estate developers to help them grow, manage, and care for public art collections and cultural assets. I support clients in using art thoughtfully - whether that’s commissioning a mural or sculpture, developing an arts district, or integrating art into architectural design - while making clear-eyed decisions that maximize resources and ensure long-term stewardship. I liken my work to gently unraveling knots: carefully tugging at complex or messy challenges until thoughtful, creative solutions emerge. I look forward to bringing that same approach to my service at St. Peter’s and to helping explore new and creative ways to support the life of our church. In addition to serving on the Vestry, I am also part of the Stewardship Committee. Above all, I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and owner of the world’s best dog, roles that bring me the greatest joy and for which I am deeply grateful.

Terita Reeve

Chris Teleha

I am a proud member of St. Peter’s Folk Group. My husband, Mike, and I have performed at the annual Talent Show in 2023 and 2024. My former bluegrass band performed at the Night of Bluegrass fund raiser in September of 2023. I was honored to be a member of the Search Committee for our wonderful Director of Music, Carol Cei. I was previously a member of the choir at Resurrection Episcopal Church in Mayfair, Philadelphia, and the choir at Emmanuel Resurrection in the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia. When we first joined the Episcopal Church in 2005, the Rector at the time appointed Mike and me to kitchen duties, which I very much enjoyed. I’m happy to help at St. Peter’s for fellowship and kitchen duties for other events. I am currently retired. I worked as a Legal Assistant for 46 years in law firms in Center City Philadelphia as well as Bucks County. I bring with me the ability to be organized and to listen to people’s concerns and try to find ways to resolve issues. I also like to volunteer time helping people. I enjoy volunteering at OHAAT Beds for Kids with other members of the congregation. In the past, I volunteered helping animal organizations. I also really like to work in my home garden. In addition, I’ve always had an interest in playing music--playing the piano (not so much anymore) and guitar. I like to tinker with other instruments as well–ukelele, banjo, dulcimer–and I want to learn how to play the harmonica. I play guitar and sing at the Holmesburg Bluegrass Jam (now in Jenkintown) every Thursday night, which I have for the last 17 years. After the pandemic, Mike and I were missing the sense of community in being a part of a church congregation, and we needed to get back in touch with our spirituality. When we walked into St. Peter’s in June of 2022, we were immediately greeted by numerous parishioners and felt an immediate sense of belonging. We are proud of the fact that we belong to such a strong group of happy, kind, caring, loving and welcoming people. In speaking with Reverend Barb, listening to her sermons and talking to other congregants, we were able to get back in touch with our spirituality. I value the music program at St. Peter’s under the direction of both the Flahertys and Carol Cei, which has been incredibly beautiful and inspirational. I am the youngest of 5 children. I have a very large extended family scattered across the country. I was raised Roman Catholic. I attended St. Martin of Tours grade school in Philadelphia and St. Basil Academy high school in Jenkintown. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 28 years! Our family has always consisted of the 4-legged kind! We currently have 2 dogs and 2 cats.

I am in the St. Peter’s choir and Bell choir. I contribute my time supporting Fellowship clean-up after services. And I have supported special singing opportunities since 2023. I regularly attend services with my wife Suzanne and have supported the capital [financial] initiatives of St. Peter’s (to the best of my ability). In my 30 year career in R&D at big pharma companies, I had management experience where I dealt with a wide range of personalities, complicated personnel situations and often times, conflicting goals. My personality allowed me to navigate these complicated waters and find common ground to move the organization forward. I believe the skills I learned throughout my career can be useful in my participation in vestry. I came to St. Peter’s in 2022, following my wife’s lead to join the congregation. I am a strong believer of ‘contributing time, talent and treasure,’ as gifts that we offer to God and my fellow worshipers. My desire to join the vestry is another step in ‘upping the ante’ to what I give. My wife Suzanne and I brought two wonderful children into this world. Our son Peter was called to God in 2012. In a special way, it seems right for us to honor ‘the rock of God’s’ memory by worship at his house in Glenside. While our lives were split in two by this tragedy, I, with Suzanne, am blessed that our daughter Liz and her husband Joe, live close to us and bring their children Charlotte and Teddy to church regularly. I am a beekeeper and like to golf whenever I get the chance.

Class of 2029

Anne Gibson

I was born in Meadowbrook and lived in Fox Chase and Rockledge most of my life. I currently live in Abington with my husband and two sons and a cat name Lola, given to us by the Cat Distribution System. I enjoy kayaking, hiking, old houses and the beach. I am also an avid traveler with an upcoming European cruise in May and a family trip to Ireland in August. I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic school but wanted a different place for my children to worship. My aunt and grandmother were attending St. Peter’s and invited me to the Annual Women’s Christmas dinner where I met Kelli Gottemoller. We struck up a friendship since our kids were the same age and she kept inviting us to different events at St. Peter’s. After checking out various churches in the area, in 2004 we decided on St. Peter’s for the community as much as for the religious experience and have been here ever since.

Noel MacNeil

Hello all. My name is Noel Mac Neil and I was born and raised in San Diego California. I often get asked how I got to Pennsylvania from California. I worked for the National Park Service (NPS) in California as Law Enforcement for about 1.5 years and then became a Biological Science Technician in Northern Michigan for 3.5 years. After northern Michigan I moved to Georgia, then Nebraska, Florida, Ohio, New Hampshire, Arkansas, and now Pennsylvania. I have no kids and am not married so it makes it much easier to move from location to location. I currently work for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a Plant Protection Technician. My job is to kill spotted lanternflies in high-risk areas such as the airports, rail lines, etc. I love my job because I get to be outside every day working in all sorts of weather conditions. When I was furloughed last year I feared losing my job, trying to figure out how to pay bills without income and mentally just drained. During this period, I was overwhelmed with the support of St. Peters and their parishioners. I used the food pantry to get me by and realized how important this service is. I am just one person with no kids and could not imagine how families in need make ends meet without programs like the food pantry. The furlough made me realized how special St. Peters is and I want to be a part of that. The opportunity to be on the Vestry would allow me to give back to the community.

Debbie Panebianco

My husband Bob and I joined St. Peter’s in 2016 along with other members of St. Philp-in-the-Fields. At the time, I found everyone to be warm and welcoming to the new sheep in the fold. Almost ten years later, I find this congregation still has its gift of welcome to all who walk through the doors. As a vestry member I look forward to the responsibilities of directing our resources wisely and acting as facilitators of our church’s ministries. In addition to previously being a vestry member at both St. Philip’s and St. Peter’s, I am a Eucharistic minister. I also maintain the church’s website and am a member of the gardening team. I regularly attend LIFT meetings, play the recorder in our Folk Group, and sometimes assist in the kitchen. I am a retired statistician with two children, two grandchildren, and one “grandpup”. I love to do crossword puzzles and play in the dirt in my garden, and I have recently taken up quilting