Clergy & Staff
Like all Episcopal churches, leadership is provided by members of the church as well as clergy and staff. Members, known as “lay” leaders, offer their time in many different capacities to provide financial oversight, run ministries, and support worship. The Vestry is a lay-lead group that supports the Church by word and deed, ensures effective organization and planning, and oversee the resources and finances of a parish.
Clergy
Our clergy represent Christ and his Church by caring for parishioners, proclaiming the Gospel; administering the sacraments; and overseeing the church.
The Rev. Richard G. Elliott
Rector
Most folks, from children to adults, call me Richard. I was raised in another tradition, but, like many, I encountered and found a home in the Episcopal Church while I was in college.
I have been an ordained priest for over 40 years. In that time, I have served large and small churches and college chapels, all in the Southeast. When I came to St. Andrew’s I once again had that feeling of coming home; a relaxed community, committed to community service and open to intellectual challenge and exploration. This church has helped me to grow spiritually and intellectually, and I feel truly blessed to serve here.
Alongside my active ministry I have an abiding interest in the Christian Spiritual tradition. Exploring Christian Contemplation has been a passion since I was in seminary. As one of my teachers said, “God’s first language is silence, the rest is interpretation.”
I have two children, Sam and Alex (boy and girl), both of whom live in Los Angeles and work in different areas of the entertainment industry.
Staff
The work of the dedicated staff at St. Andrew’s is to facilitate and support the ministries of parishioners in key areas throughout the life of our parish. They oversee areas such as Families and Children’s Ministry and Music; they manage day-to-day financial operations; they exercise care for the upkeep of our facilities; and they support communications and the clergy.
Caroline Johnson
Christian Formation Director
Caroline Johnson is the Director of Children and Family Ministry at St. Andrew’s On-the-Sound. She attended Cape Fear Community College and Lees McRae College in Banner Elk, NC studying Elementary Education. While she organizes both small group Sunday school classes for children and intergenerational large group events throughout the year, Caroline, herself, recently graduated from the Education for Ministry (EFM) program through the School of Theology at Sewanee. She is thankful for the opportunity to foster a love for learning for young people and support their spiritual growth in the church. She is a mother of four, has a love for nature, making art, and having fun with her family.
Stephanie Rieman
Director of Youth Formation
Stephanie Rieman is the Director of Episcopal Youth Community (EYC) Ministry of St. Andrew’s on the Sound. Stephanie leads and coordinates our youth activities and programs for youth in grades 6th to 12th grade. Stephanie is a graduate of Mount Olive University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. She also is a public school teacher for New Hanover Public Schools. Stephanie is also head coach for her school’s Science Olympiad team. When Stephanie is not working with our youths at church or teaching students in a public school classroom, she likes to spend time with her family. This includes her husband, two adult sons, and her two spoiled beagle dogs
C. Justin Smith
Organist & Choirmaster
Organist and church musician C. Justin Smith is an active member of the classical music community of Wilmington, North Carolina, where he serves as Organist & Choirmaster at St. Andrew’s On-the-Sound Episcopal Church. He is also the business operations coordinator at UNCW for Campus Life (student union), working with student organizations and student government on their finances and accounting. Musically, he has previously served as Minister of Music and Organist at Pearsall Memorial Presbyterian Church and as Organist/Choirmaster at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Very active in the American Guild of Organists, he is currently treasurer of the Wilmington chapter, and has served as the District Convener for the state of North Carolina overseeing the state’s chapters, as well as past dean, secretary, newsletter editor, and member-at-large for the Wilmington chapter. He is a graduate of Wake Forest University, having majored in political science and music. At Wake, he studied organ with noted composer and organist Dan Locklair, while being awarded prizes in music and inducted in the political science honor society Pi Sigma Alpha. During college, he directed the music for the Wake Forest Episcopal Student Fellowship and was Chapel Organist for services of University Worship. After college, he moved to Wilmington to take up the full-time Director of Music and Organist post at Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Presbyterian Church in Wrightsville Beach, where he served for five years. In addition, he earned his Master of Public Administration degree in public and nonprofit management from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, graduating as the valedictorian and receiving the MPA Graduate of the Year and MPA Research and Service awards.
Tracy Hanson
Preschool Director
Tracy was born and raised in Hudson, New York and is a graduate of Siena College. After her husband Ken completed his service in the Navy, Tracy and Ken moved to Wilmington where they have lived for the past 25 years raising their two now adult sons, Nathanial and Kellen. The Hansons were invited by a friend to attend St Andrew’s On-the-Sound 19 years ago and have been here ever since. Tracy had served as a Sunday school teacher before being asked in 2005 to join the preschool staff as a teacher in the 2-year-old classroom. In 2017, she accepted the position of preschool director. Together with her amazing and creative team of teachers, she is committed to providing families with a loving and developmentally sound foundation for a lifetime of learning.
