Clergy & Staff

Fr. Craig Gavin

cgavin@windstream.net

Father Craig Gavin became the 11th Rector of St. Matthew's, being installed by Bishop Burnett at a Celebration of New Ministry on October 10, 2007. Fr. Gavin comes "home" to Nebraska after having served churches in the Diocese of Arkansas and most recently the Diocese Central Gulf Coast. He was ordained to the priesthood on November 6, 1994, at Christ Church in Little Rock. In August, 1996, he was called as Rector of St. Theodore's Episcopal Church in Bella Vista, AR, where he served until August, 2004. Moving to Dothan, AL, he was then Rector of the Church of the Nativity before his being called to St. Matthew's. Prior to ordained ministry, Fr. Gavin was a successful business executive and an active member of Trinity Cathedral in Omaha, and previously Holy Trinity Church, Lincoln. He and his wife, Linda, were married in 1971, and have an adult son, John, who lives in N.W. Arkansas.

Deacon Rich Kelly

rich.kelly@lycos.com

Rich was ordained to the Diaconate in August 2002 by Bishop Krotz. He has been a member of St. Matthew's since 1992 and is active in Men's Club, Parish Visitors, EFM (Education for Ministry) co-mentor, and prior to his ordination, a Vestry member.

Rich and his wife, Verneda led St. Matthew's mission/work team to the Dominican Republic in 2001. They have two sons, three daughters, and six grandchildren.

Fr. Stephen E. Lahey

Stephen was raised as a Luthern, and became an Episcopalian in 1993. He has a Ph. D. in Medieval Philosophy and Theology, and teaches in the Classics and Religious Studies Department at the University of Nebraska. He and his wife Julia McQuillan, a Professor of Sociology at the University, have one daughter, Thea, born in December 2001.

Jo Darrington
Parish Administrator

Jodarrington@windstream.net

Jo is our Administrative Secretary who joined our staff in 2000. She was born and raised in Minnesota, and moved to Nebraska in 1977 to be an Administrative Secretary for a large church here in Lincoln. She has two grown children and one grandchild.

Molly Esseks
Director of Music

jesseks@msn.com

Molly studied organ at the Oberlin Conservatory and received her MMus in Organ Performance from Northern Illinois University. Before coming to Lincoln, she was an organist/choir director for many years in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. In 2001, Molly and her husband, Dick, moved to Lincoln to be near their daughters and son-in-law. Molly's hobbies are music, reading, and corresponding with friends and family.

Bob Cypher, Property & Grounds Manager

rcypher@windstream.net

Bob has been working at St. Matthew's since 1990. He started out part time as a janitor in 1990 and was hired on full time as the Facitily Manager in 1991. He handles everything from cleaning and repair to maintaining the grounds and property business. Bob also has been working part time as a zookeeper at the Lincoln Children's Zoo since 1993. He and his wife, Shari, have one child, Zachry, born in April 2001.