THE REV. STEPHANIE YANCY
The Rev. Stephanie Yancy was ordained Deacon in 2006 and to the Priesthood in 2007 in the Diocese of Maryland. She is a graduate of Cornell University and of The General Seminary of the Episcopal Church. After serving churches in Maryland for several years, Stephanie moved to North Carolina to be the Interim Rector at St. Luke’s in Durham when Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple left St. Luke’s to become Suffragan Bishop. After her interim role at St. Luke’s ended, Stephanie accepted a call to become Vicar of St. Titus’ Episcopal Church in Durham. During her time at St. Titus’ the congregation moved from mission to parish status. Stephanie retired as Rector of St. Titus’ in 2022. Stephanie and her husband, Spike, live in Durham. They have two adult children and a 14 year-old grandson, all of whom live in the Atlanta area.
Email The Rev. Stephanie Yancy
THE REV. DR. CATHY DEATS
The Rev. Dr. Cathy Deats has most recently served as Interim Canon Missioner for Congregational Vitality at the Diocese of North Carolina. Originally from New Jersey, she has also served in the Diocese as Interim Rector at Church of the Good Shepherd, Rocky Mount, and Associate Rector at St. Paul’s, Cary. Cathy and her husband Ted live in Raleigh and enjoy all types of outdoor recreation available in North Carolina. They are parents of an adult son who lives in California, and are foster parents for Wake County DSS. Cathy is an amateur boxer with a lifetime record of 1-0.
Email Cathy Deats
THE REV. RYAN PARKER
Ryan was ordained as a deacon in June 2023, and as a priest in December 2023. He currently leads our Veterans@Nativityu ministry. Ryan has called North Carolina home since 2007, although he was born and raised in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, earning two undergraduate degrees from William Carey University. Ryan has served as a teacher-missionary with Global Outreach (Belmopan, Belize) and has taught high school English. He received his Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School in 2010, and was ordained as an elder in The United Methodist Church in 2013. Ryan was hired as a Staff Chaplain at the Durham VA in November 2015. In November 2018 he was certified by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) as a CPE Educator. He is a Board-Certified Chaplain through the National Association of Veterans Affairs Chaplains with special competencies in PTSD and Suicide Prevention. Ryan and his family live in Durham, NC and his interests include musical theater, science-fiction/fantasy literature, mythology, and comic books.
Email Ryan Parker
JEREMY CLOS
Jeremy enjoyed a successful career in theater arts spanning over 25 years. He first worked as the director of a summer conservatory for young actors aged 8-14, followed by a long career in costume design, most recently at Raleigh Little Theatre. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeremy sought a change of direction and returned to academia, graduating Summa Cum Laude from North Carolina State University with a degree in Religious Studies. Prior to this, he had completed Education for Ministry, the certificate program in theology from Sewanee. Jeremy enjoys traveling with his wife, Ashley, and spending time with his nieces, nephews, and god-children.
Email Jeremy Clos
BRADLEY BURGESS
Bradley Burgess is a consummate organist, pianist, and church musician, originally from South Africa, who has lived in the United States for more than 10 years. His church music career began in South Africa when he was a member of his school’s cathedral-style boys choir. Since then he has served professionally in a wide variety of liturgical settings, most recently as Associate Director of Music Worship Arts at Edenton Street United Methodist Church. He has appeared as a recitalist across the US and in his home country, including at St. George’s Cathedral, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Baxter Concert Hall (Cape Town), Church of the Transfiguration (New York), Third Baptist Church (St. Louis, MO), and King’s Chapel (Boston). He has been awarded several prizes, including First Prize at the Pick ‘n Pay / Fine Music Radio Music Awards (South Africa). Bradley joined the Nativity staff in May of 2022 as Organist/Choirmaster, but since January 2023 has served in a new role encompassing music, communications, and administration. Bradley and his family live in Raleigh. For more about Bradley, you can visit his website at https://bradley-burgess.com, where you can also find video and audio links.
Email Bradley Burgess
NANCY REED
Nancy Reed’s business background includes claims, life, and property insurance; and 21 years of QuickBooks Pro managing a solo law/lobbying practice. She received her BA in History from UNC-Greensboro and holds the Master of Trust and Wealth Management, magna cum laude from Campbell University. July of 2011 Nancy and Sam Taylor, her late husband, joined Nativity. She has served as Junior Warden, on the Buildings and Grounds Team, the Memorial Garden committee, and the Weeders. Since coming to Raleigh in 1994, she has been active in numerous organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Leadership Raleigh, and Leadership North Carolina. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Woman’s Club of Raleigh, the Board of Visitors for her alma mater UNG-G, and two terms on the Board of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science’s Friends of the Museum.
Email Business Manager - Nancy Reed
EVA WARREN
Eva is a preschool teacher at North Raleigh United Methodist Church and has been in the early childhood education field for the last 17 years. She graduated from NC State, is a mom to four boys aged 10–16, and a dog mom of two. She spends her free time reading, and taking walks outside and playing games with her boys.
ROBERT KRAHEL
Robert is responsible for cleaning our church buildings. Robert was born in Poland and moved to the US in 2001. He moved to North Carolina from New Jersey with his wife in 2007. Currently, he is employed full time with the Wake County Public School System. Robert and his wife have one son. He likes photography, travel, and spending time with his family.
Email Robert Krahel