On behalf of the St. James Vestry and Search Committee, we are pleased and excited to announce Pastor Brigette Weier has been called as the Priest-In-Charge at St. James. She will assume the role on November 29th, the first Sunday in Advent.

She is currently the pastor at St. Matthew’s Lutheran - ELCA in Taylorsville, Utah. November 1st, All Saints Day, will be her final day.

The Episcopal Church and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have been in full communion for more than a quarter of a century, dating back to January 6, 2001. The Episcopal Church and ECLA reached an agreement, “Called to Common Mission”, and now recognize each other's baptisms and ordinations. Pastor Brigette will be one of three Lutherans leading congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of Utah, joining The Rev. Lisa Mensinger at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Ogden and The Rev. Angela Chacon, who leads a joint Lutheran/Episcopalian congregation at Ascension St. Matthew’s Church in Price.

The Vestry was drawn to her infectious energy, her Pastor led strategies to engage youth and her candor, leavened with humility and prudence. She is interested in developing short term and long term plans for St. James.

We would like to thank both the Search Committee and the Vestry for their tireless work in this 16 month process. Inspired by their love for the members of the St. James' family and driven by a desire to be God’s hands in the world, they provided untold hours of thought, prayer and deliberation as they guided us to this moment.

Thank you also to Rev. Mary Janda and Canon Rev. Terri Heyduk for their work as supply clergy during this time of transition and for their service to St. James over the years.

Please join us in Advent as we welcome Pastor Brigette to St. James.

Yours in Christ,

David James

Sr Warden

Ric Tanner

Jr Warden

Dear God’s People at St. James Episcopal Church, 

It is with great joy that I accept your gracious invitation to join you in ministry and mission as your next pastor! Throughout the time with your search team and vestry, I began to see why so many people love St. James and that I do too! Your commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, loving and serving your neighbor as well as your compassion for all in need, it’s clear that St. James is a community who cares for each other and all God’s people dearly. From the first meeting with the search team, I knew that this was a community of faith, joy, grace, mercy and God’s abiding love. You can be proud of the work of your search team and vestry; they represented St. James beautifully. 

My spouse Mike and I have lived in Utah for nearly eight years, and love being here immensely. We love hiking, the state and national parks and the people of Utah. It’s been a blessing to live here.

Mike works for Resource Innovations, a company that focuses on clean energy, in their IT/Data department. We have two adult children, Kayla (married to Helen) and Ash (married to Lottie). We also have a new grandbaby, Juniper! Kayla, Helen and Junie live in the Boulder, CO area where they both work for the University of CO in the study abroad department and the communications school respectively. Ash began their PHD in medical research at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, OR and Lottie just graduated in May from CU Boulder with PHD in biochem and is still job searching. 

I’ve been ordained in the ELCA for 14 years but started working as a lay person in the church in 1992, as the outreach director for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lutheran Student Center. I literally went door to door in the dorms inviting folks to the Sunday night supper and game nights at the center. So, yes, I was THAT kid. 

My bachelor’s degree is in education, and I taught early childhood for 15 years before graduating from Luther Seminary and entering into pastoral ministry. Education, faith formation, discipleship, and advocating for the least of these, form the core of my call to ministry. Spending decades working with families who were struggling, impoverished and isolated led me to champion the crucial role of a community of faith for all families in our increasingly lonely society. Church matters, liturgy matters, and community rooted in the love of God matters. St. James matters.

I look forward to meeting each of you in the coming weeks. My first Sunday will be November 29, Advent 1. It is fitting that at the start of the liturgical new year, we will begin a new partnership as pastor and people. Again, I am simply overjoyed to join you and what the Holy Spirit is up to at St. James! 

In Christ, 

Pastor Brigette Weier