Susan Krutzsch

“Arriving here felt like coming home.”

My husband Jeff and I have been active members of Trinity for the last 17 years. Arriving here, after being members of many Episcopal churches in California, felt like coming home. I have been involved in lots of different ministries, including Hospitality Co-Chair and Children and Youth Co-Chair on the Parish Council. I have been a level one Catechist for the past eight years, and love working with the children; I am also a member of the CYC. In the community, I’ve been a classroom volunteer at Harding School for 10 years, a member of the Faulding Hotel cooking team, and am a founding member of the Santa Barbara PFLAG chapter. My three children and four grandchildren are a joyful part of my life.

Georgia Noble
Senior Warden

“Trinity was integral to healing.”

I came to Trinity 25 years ago in the middle of a painful divorce and with my 8-year-old, gay son, Christopher in tow. Trinity was integral to healing the hole in my soul and has remained a cherished part of my life. My best loved areas of ministry have included flowering the church and adult formation. I was lay staff for 10 years, responsible for coordinating shared ministry. My professional background includes 25 years in private practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist and currently a semi-retired Facilitator for the Center for Courage and Renewal. It is an honor to be on the vestry and have the opportunity to support our efforts to be “good church” in these crazy times.

Ellen O’Connell Whittet

“I find Trinity to be a place of connection and peace.”

Trinity has been my spiritual home since 2016, when I was married here, but has been important to my family for generations—my grandparents were parishioners, and my mother spent her high school years in these very pews. It has become a sanctuary since my children were baptized here and welcomed into the fold, a place of connection and peace, of deep and abiding validation that “wherever you are in your journey of faith, you are welcome and invited to God’s table.”

As a mother of two small children, I find weekly comfort in the peace of sitting alone in the pews, and of listening to the music that makes my heart swell and the sermons that challenge me to live a life of service and connection.

I teach in the Writing Program at UC Santa Barbara, and make sense of my world and roles through my own writing. I am honored to serve on the vestry, and to give something back to a place that keeps me afloat.

Susan Zink

“We enjoy singing heartily.”

I first met Elizabeth Molitors at dad's hospital bedside (Bill Beasley). We were so impressed with her that my husband Paul and I thought we'd try Trinity out, as we were between churches at that time. We were not disappointed and the rest is history. We enjoy singing heartily from the pew, visiting with, meeting and welcoming people to the church, as well as driving for Drivers Listos and leading the packing of non-perishable sack lunches for our unhoused neighbors. After retirement from 37 years of teaching, I enjoy playing Pickleball and Mahjong, reading for Book Group and taking afternoon naps. We have two grown children. I look forward to this new chapter of serving Trinity in a new capacity.

Jean Davis

“I walked into sacred space.”

I began my journey with Trinity lighting candles in the sanctuary. It was early 2003, and the drumbeat to go to war against Iraq and harsh and intolerant rhetoric attributed to Christianity were dominating the news. I needed to get away from all the noise. The front doors were open, and I walked into sacred space, and into peace. Trinity’s motto at the time was “open doors, open minds, open hearts.” The open doors brought me in; I experienced the open minds when I started to attend the book study discussions; and it was the open hearts that made me feel most welcome. That openness continues to this day: “wherever you are in your journey of faith, you are welcome to join us at God’s table” . . . So here I am, 20 years after first walking in, being asked to be on the vestry again. I am humbled and honored. I want to serve Trinity. Thank you for giving me another opportunity.

Mark Ismond
Junior warden

“We knew we’d found our people.”

I started coming to Trinity in 2013 after my divorce, and being shy, I mostly sat in the back, observing, trying to find my safe place, and leaving as soon the service was over. I was recovering from my upbringing in another denomination where being who I am wasn’t okay. I was looking for my people but many of my people don’t go to church because of their similar religious experience. In 2017, I met the man who would become my spouse. He was an Episcopal churchgoer and we both joined the church. We felt welcomed by so many, and we knew we were okay just the way we were. We knew we’d found our people. Trinity is where I was married and it’s where my family chooses to worship and serve. I am honored to call Trinity home and to serve on the vestry.

Sarah McCarter
Clerk

“I love being able to see all the joyful Trinity faces.”

I began attending Trinity in 2013, shortly after retirement from the Santa Barbara City Fire Department. My retirement bucket list included finding a choir I could join, without having to audition. I was graciously welcomed by Grey Brothers, the minister of music at the time, and I joined the choir in spring of 2014. Not only is it a blessing to be able to sing such wonderful music, I love being able to see all the joyful Trinity faces from my seat in the chancel. During my years at Trinity, I have served on the choir guild, leading the altar guild, I volunteer in the atrium, and I’m a member of the audio guild. My husband Daniel and I have two adult children, Aidan, and Julia. I’m a volunteer for VNA hospice along with my therapy dog, Luna. At peace when doing anything outside, I enjoy swimming, jogging, biking, and hiking. I consider it an honor to serve on the vestry, knowing I have much to learn yet looking forward to the challenge.

Fred Williams

“What would I say if Jesus asked me?”

My career has largely been my thirty years in the Air Force, from which I retired as a colonel. I’ve spent ten years in civil service, and I currently live at Maravilla. As for my spiritual life, I’ve been an Episcopalian since 1967. I’ve been on six vestries, serving as both senior and junior warden. I was also on two search committees, and at various other times was a Sunday school director, choir member, usher, senior youth counselor and—last but not least—acolyte director to 54 acolytes! During my time at Trinity my volunteer work has been on the Finance Committee, where I help with the yearly audit. When Bill Ferguson asked if I would like to be on the vestry, I first said “no.” But then I thought about it for a couple of minutes, asking myself what I would say if Jesus asked me. So of course, I then said a heartfelt YES.

Michael Neal Arnold

“I am passionate about Anglicanism.”

Years ago, I made the flippant comment that I was ambivalent about Christianity but passionate about Anglicanism. I have come to realize that the comment is simply true. I was raised in the Episcopal Church in a family that have been Episcopalians for generations.

I transferred my membership to Trinity about thirty years ago. Since that time, I have participated in services as a lay Eucharistic minister, acolyte, and reader. I take Communion to a convalescent hospital most Sundays. I have been a volunteer at Transition House and was, for a time, Trinity’s coordinator. I have been on the Building Committee, Investment Committee, Executive Committee, and various other regular and ad hoc committees. I assist with leadership of the Base Community and YOLO Zoom groups. I have served on the Parish Council and Vestry a number of times. I cochaired the Search Committee that resulted in the invitation (“call”) to Elizabeth to serve as our rector.

As a member of the vestry, my interests will include protecting and enhancing Trinity’s commitment to progressive Christianity, producing beautiful and dignified liturgies, growing Trinity’s profile in the larger community, and ensuring that we use our resources in the manner that most effectively supports and furthers our values and goals.

Jay Casbon

“I value the inclusive commitment of our church, where all are welcome.”

I moved with my partner, Caryl, to Santa Barbara in 2019, after I retired from Oregon State University in 2016. My university career included various positions such as a professor of Art History, as well as administrative roles as Dean and Provost. Before my time at OSU, I was a professor and Dean of the Graduate School at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

The week after we moved to Santa Barbara, we attended Trinity and have been attending ever since. I am in the Trinity Men’s group, serve as a Greeter for Sunday Service, and work with our Prayer Ministry. I have been impressed with Trinity’s commitment to serve our greater community with all the various outreach efforts the church sustains every year. I also value the inclusive commitment of our church where all are welcome. I am very pleased to witness the growth of our parish and, especially, the growing number of families who are claiming Trinity Episcopal as a church home.

I look forward to serving on the vestry as Trinity embraces future opportunities to continue to provide our parish with a progressive message of Christ’s teachings through service, personal redemption, and a loving presence for our community.

I know a church requires resources, leadership, and often, tough choices as the parish faces the ever-changing needs of our community.

Michelle Petty-Grue

“A friend recommended Trinity and I’m forever grateful.” 

I have been an active parishioner since 2021, when my son Finnegan and I first moved to Santa Barbara and had such a hard time finding a church for me, a newly divorced, bisexual ex-evangelical. A college friend recommended Trinity, for which I am forever grateful. I joined the choir almost immediately, and that service helped me build a new family and start to feel safe enough to work through my doubts.

Through the choir, I met Carolyn Roberts, who thought of me as a co-lead when she decided it was high time for Trinity to have a women's group, too (instead of just a men's group). Women at the Well has been one of the highlights of my recent times at Trinity, in addition to the unofficial but fabulous queer folks and allies group spanning Gen X to Gen Z.

I have been a teacher since 2012, spending 2 years as a middle and high school teacher, 5 years earning a PhD and teaching college classes along the way, and have spent the last 4 years as a university writing professor. For fun I read books about all sorts of things, I do fiber crafts (embroidery and macrame), and when the mood strikes, I sing nostalgic acapella worship songs. I'm also writing a book about mermaids and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. My son is the light of my life; we're both extroverted huggers, so don't feel shy if you see us on a Sunday morning.

Alexander Thomas

“I was motivated to give back more to the church .”

I first came to Trinity in the late 1980's to sing in the choir. When that ended, I became an acolyte for several years before taking a break from the church. I decided to come back to Trinity in 2019. After a time, I decided I wanted to be more involved in this wonderful church. I started as an usher and then added reading. I had been through Episcopal 101 and became an official baptized member of the church in 2020. Still, I was motivated to give back more to the church.

I started volunteering with the monthly “Dinner in the Park” feeding our unhoused neighbors. That led to my becoming co-chair of the Hospitality council. It has been my privilege to serve as the cochair for 3 years. As my tenure in Hospitality was coming to an end, I just knew that I wanted to continue to give back in some manner. I was approached by current vestry members about transitioning into this important ministry. And I was delighted to be accepted into this important role.

It is my prayer that as my membership on the vestry proceeds, I can bring my talents and gifts to the projects that will arise.