Church Leadership

Rector

The Rev. Frank Allen has served as Rector since 1997. He grew up in Dallas, TX and attended Duke University on academic and music scholarships. After graduating with a degree in History, Frank worked for a large Construction Company in Philadelphia before answering the call to the priesthood. He attended Virginia Theological Seminary and served two years at St. John's in Roanoke, VA before coming to St. David's. Frank has served on the Standing Committee for the Diocese of Pennsylvania and other committees and commissions. He has twice served as a Deputy to The General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Frank is a Canon for Mission in the Episcopal Diocese of Guatemala and serves on the Board of the Gathering of Leaders. He has developed curriculum for adult baptism and confirmation, as well as a study on the Gifts of the Spirit. Frank and his wife Amy have three grown sons.

• fallen@stdavidschurch.org
• 610-688-7947 x217

Associate Rector

The Rev. Elizabeth Colton (Liz), grew up in Albany, New York. A first career in music education took her from central New York State to the Bay Area of San Francisco, to Brisbane, Australia, teaching every level from small children to teacher training, except high school! She returned from overseas to the Philadelphia area to teach at The Episcopal Academy in 1983 and was ordained to the Vocational Diaconate in 1992. She served St. Mary’s, Hamilton Village, the Cathedral Church of the Saviour and Church of the Holy Spirit, Harleysville as deacon, and served the diocese on the Bishop’s Staff as Coordinator for the Training and Formation of Deacons. After a call to the priesthood, she attended The Episcopal Divinity School, was ordained in 2004, then served as rector of Grace Church and the Incarnation, Trinity Gulph Mills and as Interim Rector of All Saints’ Torresdale. Liz has served the Diocese of Pennsylvania in many capacities over the years and is presently a member of The Standing Committee.

• lcolton@stdavidschurch.org
• 610-688-7947 x218

Associate Rector

The Rev. Maurice Dyer is a California native and grew up in San Diego. He attended Cal State University at Monterey Bay, and graduated from the social and behavioral science department. After his undergraduate work, Maurice was called to serve as a missionary and moved to South Africa. While in South Africa, he lived in a Benedictine Monastic community with the other monks and taught at the school that they oversaw. He then moved to Capetown, South Africa and worked for an institute that assisted people in healing from trauma, particularly related to the South African Apartheid years. Upon coming back to the U.S. he went to seminary at the Virginia Theological Seminary and graduated in 2019. Maurice has worked in several churches in central California and Washington DC. He sits on the board of the Global Episcopal Mission Network.

• mdyer@stdavidschurch.org
• 610-688-7947 x303

Assistant Rector

Emily is glad to call the Philadelphia area home after many moves around the country and the Netherlands. She has degrees in creative writing from Wheaton College in Illinois and Old Dominion University in Virginia, which led her to journalism, fiction writing, and teaching at the undergraduate and high school level. While teaching high school seniors and first-year college students, she sensed a call to spiritual mentorship and pastoral presence with young people. Emily earned a M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and is currently completing a STM in Anglican Studies from the School of Theology at the University of the South (Sewanee) with a thesis on liturgical diversity. She has published articles in The Christian Century and other academic and popular publications. Emily is the clergy support for Discipleship and Fellowship at St. David’s. She is married to Charles and they are the parents of an energetic elementary school-age daughter.

• ezimbrick-rogers@stdavidschurch.org
• 610-688-7947 x302

Associate Rector

Sandy worked as a parish priest and school chaplain (Episcopal Academy) before returning to graduate school in the late 1960's and training as a Jungian Analyst. He then practiced in Berlin, Rome, New York and Philadelphia, taught in several Jung Institutes and in the Department of Psychiatry at Jefferson Medical College. After retiring from this work in 2003, Sandy offers some of his time to St. David's for parish visitations and other priestly duties. As he was heard to say recently, "Look here, or 'behold' if you prefer: psychology helps a lot of people, to be sure. But the only real cure for the soul is in the realization of the Gospel. What makes St. David's quite special is that the Rector, priests and people of St. David's get that, and profoundly so. I am honored to join in their mission."

• amccurdy@stdavidschurch.org
• 610-688-7947 x302

Associate Rector

Bill retired as Rector of St. Christopher's, Gladwyne in April of 2013. He grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, attended the Episcopal High School and returned to Charlottesville to the University of Virginia. After graduation from the Navy's OCS, he served four years on a cruiser and then in Washington, D.C. While attending Virginia Theological Seminary he served on the staff of Sen. William Proxmire of Wisconsin. After two years as an Assistant at St. John's, Roanoke, he joined the staff of St. David's in 1972. He and Kristine were married in this church in 1974. Bill then served as rector of Trinity, Solebury before being called to St. Christopher's. Bill has served on the diocesan Council and as president of the Standing Committee. He and Kristine have two grown children: son Cary and daughter Alice.

• bwood@stdavidschurch.org
• 610-688-7947 x303

Associate Rector

Ed grew up near Stephens City, VA, attended Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, and taught high school vocal music and directed church choirs in NJ until he was drafted in 1968. Ed joined the Navy and served as Assistant Director of the Bluejacket Choir at Great Lakes, III, before being stationed in Nha Be, Vietnam. There he served as Chaplain's Assistant, Director of the Nha Be Choir, and worked with Armed Forces Television, receiving the Navy Medal of Commendation for his public relations work. Ed returned to NJ as a high school vocal music teacher, guest choral conductor, and Minister of Music in various denominations.

Leaving his music career, Ed worked for twelve years in the marketing and customer service side of the health insurance industry (Cigna and Aetna) before answering the call to ordination. He graduated from Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, MA, in 1997, and has served as rector of St. James Episcopal Church, Boardman, OH, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Broomall, PA, and Church of the Redeemer, Springfield, PA. He retired in August of 2016. Ed has served on Diocesan Council, various committees and commissions, and as Dean of the Delaware Deanery. His greatest passions are "how we care for and love one another," and Spiritual Formation. Ed and his wife Kim have two grown children.

• eshiley@stdavidschurch.org
• 610-688-7947 x306

Deacon
Executive Director, Hospital Ministries

Ken McCaslin is a lifelong Episcopalian. Ken and Cheri have been married for 38 years, have two grown children; David and Allison, and 5 grandchildren. They have been members of St. David's Radnor since 1990. In 1999, Ken began the process of discernment to ordained ministry here at St. David's. Ken was ordained a vocational deacon in June of 2008.

After ordination, Ken served St. Mary's Ardmore and then Christ Church Pottstown where he led their outreach ministries. Prior to returning to St. David’s he was the Deacon Missioner for the Valley Forge Deanery based at Calvary in Conshohocken, working for the Dean, the Rev Stephen Price. There he worked with all parishes to yoke their outreach programs to expand across neighboring communities.

Ken's undergraduate degree is in Business Management and he has a Masters in Religious Arts from Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia and a certificate in Anglican Studies. In his secular career, he has been in Healthcare Information Technology for over 35 years. He served on the board of Health Level Seven, International (HL7) a not for profit healthcare standards body, was Chair of their Technical Steering Committee and is an HL7 Fellow. Ken has served on the Diocesan Liturgical Committee, the Board of the Dolphins, and the CPE Board at Cooper University Hospital, Camden. He currently serves on the diocesan Commission on Ministry and the Soul Care Chaplaincy Committee.

Ken is the Executive Director of Hospital Ministry, part of the Episcopal Chaplaincy Programs, based at St. David’s. Its mission is to visit every Episcopalian in every hospital at least once before they are discharged. To accomplish this, the program trains lay persons to be pastoral visitors working with the hospitals and parishes of the surrounding deaneries to coordinate visits. To learn more about the program visit https://stdavidschurch.org/hospital-lay-chaplaincy-program/ or call or email Ken here at St. David’s.

• kmccaslin@stdavidschurch.org
• 610-608-0704