Leadership

The Rev. Winnie Varghese

A national leader in the Episcopal Church, the Rev. Winnie Varghese is known for her inspired writing, teaching and preaching. Before becoming the 23rd rector of St. Luke's, she served as Priest for Ministry and Program Coordination at Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City.

Prior to Trinity, Winnie served as Rector and Priest-in-Charge at St. Mark’s in the Bowery in New York. Winnie was also Chaplain at both Columbia University and University of California Los Angeles. She is a native of Dallas, Texas and is married to Elizabeth Toledo, a public relations executive. They have two grown children.

Winnie serves on the Board of Trustees of Union Theological Seminary, she chaired the General Convention’s Committee on the State of the Church from 2015 to 2018, and she served on the Board of Trustees of the Episcopal Divinity School, 2013-2016. She is also a published author, editor, and podcaster.

Winnie’s parents immigrated to the United States from India, and Winnie spent part of her early childhood years there. She attended Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA and earned her bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She then attended Union Theological Seminary and graduated with her Master of Divinity degree in 1999. She was ordained to the deaconate in Los Angeles in 1999 and to the priesthood six months later in 2000.

​The Rev. Matt Babcock

The Rev. Matt Babcock is a native of Louisiana and was called to ministry while working in North Carolina. He received his Master of Divinity and a Diploma in Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and was ordained a priest in 2019. While in seminary, Matt met his husband, Dr. Joel Winer. In their downtime, Matt and Joel enjoy (sometimes complicated) cooking projects, outdoor activities, and taking long walks with their puppy, Hilda.

Prior to joining St. Luke’s, Matt served in the Diocese of Chicago as Interim Rector of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Glenview, Ill., and Associate Rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Winnetka, Ill. Before moving to Chicago, Matt served as Curate of Trinity Episcopal Church, Newtown, Conn., and was a chaplain at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Conn.

Prior to seminary, Matt was certified as a 6Sigma process engineer, and has prior career experience as a commodities merchandiser and finance executive. He also served in various roles as a lay and ordained parish leader in North Carolina, Connecticut, and Illinois, and received additional training through the Interim Ministry Network. Matt believes in the power of spiritual entrepreneurship and faith development and empowers all God’s people to join in the work of transformation.

The Rev. Nicole Lambelet

The Rev. Nicole Lambelet is the Associate Rector for Children, Youth, and Families (CYF). A graduate of Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Nicole previously served at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Atlanta, Ga., as the Associate Priest for Family Ministry and Community Engagement. Before discerning a call to ministry, Nicole worked for many years at the intersections of food production, justice organizing, and violence prevention. She also spent time coaching high school track and a competitive gymnastics team composed of 7 to 9-year-olds. In addition to her ministry in the church, Nicole has enjoyed working as a teaching assistant for preaching classes at Candler, and serving as a volunteer instructor and chaplain at Lee Arrendale State Prison for Women.

Currently Nicole's vocation centers on the tasks of discipleship and faith formation among the Church's youngest members. She is committed to following Jesus's example by creating spaces that nurture belonging, healing, resiliency, and hope.

Married to Kyle for over 16 years, the two delight in attempting to keep up with their two children, the great outdoors, and the best tacos in town.

Matthew Brown

Matthew Michael Brown, a native of North Carolina, is Director of Music at St. Luke’s, where he leads a vibrant sacred music program affiliated with the Royal School of Church Music in America and is Founder and Artistic Director of the Music at St. Luke’s series.

As a concert artist, he has performed for series and festivals in Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral, London; Barcelona Cathedral, Spain; Grace Cathedral, San Francisco; Washington National Cathedral; Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, New York; Princeton University Chapel; Assembly Hall of the Mormon Tabernacle; Trinity Church on Copley Square, Boston; and the Episcopal Cathedrals of Atlanta, Birmingham, Charleston, and Nashville. Several performances have been heard in radio broadcasts of American Public Media’s Pipe Dreams and the nationally syndicated program, With Heart and Voice.

He earned degrees in organ performance from the North Carolina School of the Arts and the Eastman School of Music. He also holds the Sacred Music Diploma from Eastman's Institute for Music Leadership. As a grant recipient from the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts and The Robert Carwithen Foundation, he pursued two years of post-graduate organ studies with Dame Gillian Weir. Other major teachers included David Higgs, Jack Mitchener, and Wayne Leupold. Earlier in his career, he benefited from master classes with Marie-Claire Alain, Michel Bouvard, David Craighead, and Ewald Kooiman, and was a pianist for the New York City voice studio of Rita Shane, dramatic coloratura soprano for many of the world’s leading opera houses.

An advocate for new music, he has premiered major works by Kenneth Frazelle and Dan Locklair. He has also facilitated commissions from Barlow Bradford, David Hurd, Simon Lole, Ned Rorem, and Richard Webster. Beginning in 2023, the music program at St. Luke’s Atlanta will endeavor to become a leader in annually commissioning music by underrepresented composers for traditional liturgies of the Episcopal Church. This initiative launched with new compositions by David Hurd, Texu Kim, and Dorothy Papadakos to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the Alston Memorial Organ.

Matthew is a member of the Association of Anglican Musicians, American Guild of Organists, American Choral Director’s Association, and the Maurice and Marie-Madeleine Duruflé Association in Paris, France. He currently serves as Vice-President for The Leupold Foundation and on committees for the Taylor National Organ Playing Competition and the Southeast Region of the American Guild of Organists.

Each summer, he manages the Royal School of Church Music in America’s Carolina Summer Choral Residency at Duke University. In recognition for his significant work and contributions to the cause and advancement of church music, he will be made an Honorary Member (HonRSCM) of the Royal School of Church Music this October in Chester Cathedral (UK).

​Valerie Isobel Freer

Valerie has served St. Luke’s as a receptionist and administrative assistant since 2006. In her life before St. Luke’s, Valerie home-schooled her two children, toyed with blogs and indie design, kept a daily journal and became a voluminous correspondent. Although she is an introvert and a high sensitive, Valerie has formed and led Scout troops, taught Christian Ed classes, and served in leadership positions in church, community, and writers groups. Valerie is a poet and novelist, though much of her work remains unread.

Abiding interests in many things keep Valerie busy, though she readily admits to mere dabbling in this creation filled with wonder. In her work at St. Luke’s, however, Valerie is almost always ready to stop to chat with guests and wayfarers.

Valerie joined St. Luke’s, after serving here for a very long while, because the affection and devotion of its wonderful parishioners drew her in to wanting to worship God at their side. And if she could be reduced to three words at St. Luke’s, Valerie would choose, “Bright, Playful, Laughing!”

David Hendee

David is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and holds a Master’s degree in business from Georgia State University. David brings over 30 years of finance experience to the job. Beginning his career with Lanier Worldwide Inc., David ultimately reached the position of Vice President of International Mergers and Acquisitions, before branching out and establishing his own consulting practice. As a consultant David has worked with a wide variety of organizations including a number of projects for The Episcopal Diocese. “While I have been fortunate and have had the opportunity to work on projects all around the world, I have learned that there is nothing as satisfying as making a difference in your own backyard. That is what excites me about St. Luke’s, the opportunity to use my talents to support all the many good works St. Luke’s does for the community. David has two children, Mary Catherine and Virginia.

Brian Hummel

Brian knows more about the "bones" of the St. Luke's campus than any of us can imagine. The church has been blessed to have him on our team keeping our campus and buildings in top shape for two decades.

Brian was born in Bowling Green, Ohio. He and his family moved to Odessa, Texas when he was a young boy. While Odessa is known for the true story, “Friday Night Lights,” Brian could be found quite often on the baseball field. His family moved to Houma, Louisiana during his high school years, where he would later attend Nicholls State University. Summers saw him in Texas, however, working as a plumber’s helper.

After college, Brian worked in the oil fields off Louisiana, where he analyzed drilling fluids for oil companies. He reconnected with one of his high school friends, Bridget, and they were married in 1982. When the price of oil hit bottom, upending the economy, Brian and Bridget left Houma and headed to the Peach State. Brian managed convenience stores for several years before taking a position with the Gwinnett Hospital System.

Michelle Jemmott

Bio is not available at this time.

Colleen Kingston

Elizabeth McKinnon

Greg McRae

Tori Moore

Mark Simmons

Ben Weaver

Megan Wyman

Megan serves on staff as the Executive Assistant to the Rector. She comes to St. Luke's with parish administration experience and a degree in Comparative Religious Studies from The Ohio State University. She enjoys her place of ministry in the "behind the scenes" work and is looking forward to being part of the team at St. Luke's.

Away from work, Megan enjoys neighborhood walks in East Lake with her husband, John, baby Calder, and two rescue pups. Always excited by the goodness of sharing a meal, you can often find her scanning new vegan cookbooks for inspiration.