On This Page
We are a community of open-minded Christians who worship at the corner of Woodruff and High, adjacent to the campus of The Ohio State University. We gather together from both the campus and the wider metropolitan area of Columbus to grow in faith through worship, prayer, study, and service. We are young and “well-aged,” singles and couples, with and without children, of various races and multiple orientations. We care for and advocate for the needy in our local community in partnership with other faith communities. We encourage exploring our beliefs and invite you to join with us in that challenging search for meaning and spiritual growth.
Staff
Our Rector
The Reverend Karl Stevens became Priest-in-Charge of St. Stephen’s on January 1st, 2020, and was made Rector on December 4, 2022. Karl has been ordained for twenty-three years, and has spent most of his career working in campus ministry, first as Chaplain to Kenyon College, and then as the Missioner for Campus Ministry on the diocesan staff. Karl’s interests in the arts, practice of contemplative Christianity, and desire to work for social justice leads him to live out his call at St. Stephen’s with great joy and excitement.
If you would like to schedule a one on one meeting with Karl, please follow this link.
Click here to contact Karl.
Our Deacon
The Reverend Brice Patterson is our Deacon and Campus Minister. Brice recently graduated from the School for Diaconal Formation and was ordained to the vocational diaconate in March 2022. Brice is a talented preacher and leader, with a passion for social justice, as well as being an avid hiker and runner. He is married to Emily (a gifted poet), and they have a young daughter, Saoirse, who was baptized at St. Stephen’s. Brice works very near to the church, at OSU’s Fisher College of Business.
Click here to contact Brice.
Our Music Director
Our Music Director and Choir Master, Dennis Davenport, is a Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Music at Otterbein University. A composer with a strong background in musical theater, Dennis leads a vigorous and gifted choir composed of student and non-student parishioners.
Click here to contact Dennis.
Our Children & Youth Formation Director
Our Director of Children and Youth Formation, Nile Najmi, is pursuing his Masters of Social Work, and has worked with children and youth in his career as a social worker. He and his partner Reagan have been members of St. Stephen’s since August, 2023. Nile leads Children’s Church and Youth Group while overseeing the needs of our Nursery program.
Click here to contact Nile.
Our Parish Administrator
Liz Hecker, our Parish Administrator, has a strong background in office administration. She runs the nerve center of the parish and is our go-to person on a host of projects and procedures. Liz is a talented singer who was active in the Columbus music scene for several decades. She now sings in the church choir.
Click here to contact Liz.
Vestry & Convention Delegates
“Vestry” is the Episcopal church’s term for the executive board of a parish. A vestry is led by two officers, the Senior Warden and the Junior Warden. The Senior Warden might be compared to a chief executive officer and the Junior Warden to a chief operations officer. Both positions are elected every year from the members of the vestry. We hold elections for vestry members every year as well. Members are elected to three year terms, and the terms are staggered so that we elect three or four new members annually. Elections are held in January.
2026 Vestry
Amy Archer, Tim Bass, Edyth Carroll, Joe Guada, Rich Horton, Laura Lieser, Chris Manion, Nancy McCracken, Di McCullough, Melissa Reed, Rob Wood.
Convention Delegates
The Diocese of Southern Ohio meets in convention at least once a year. Each parish sends delegates. Our delegates to convention are also elected in January. Our 2025 delegates are:
Rae Fellows, Edward Lesseigne, Janet McNaughton, and Joe Rutter
Mission & Vision
We are a community of open-minded Christians who worship at the corner of Woodruff and High, adjacent to the campus of The Ohio State University. We gather together from both the campus and the wider metropolitan area of Columbus to grow in faith through worship, prayer, study, and service. We are young and “well-aged,” singles and couples, with and without children, of various races and multiple orientations. We care for and advocate for the needy in our local community in partnership with other faith communities. We encourage exploring our beliefs and invite you to join with us in that challenging search for meaning and spiritual growth.
We are a community that values worship as the focal point of our lives together. We look for worship to strengthen us, to challenge us, and to inspire us.
We seek to be multicultural and multigenerational. As individuals we value the freedom to be ourselves with unvarnished authenticity and to extend that freedom to others.
We believe that all people are welcomed at God’s Table.
We believe that God can be reached through many paths and by way of many great belief systems. Our path is a commitment to understanding and following the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
We believe that no person, no text, and no church has a final word on God. Our understanding of God is best served by open inquiry, scholarship, and worship.
History
Our Archivist, Joe Rutter, has put together a lovely little book on Saint Stephen’s founding and the construction of the building. You can download it using the link below or view it in your browser window.