The Rev. Betsy McElroy

The Rev. Betsy McElroy joined St. John’s October 30, 2023. She earned her M.Div. from Church Divinity School of the Pacific in May 2023 and was ordained to the priesthood in June 2023. Betsy also holds an M.S.Ed. in Psychology in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and Sociology from Juniata College. Prior to seminary, Betsy worked as an early childhood music teacher and a preschool administrator. The experiences from her earlier vocations inform her approach to working with others and sharing the love of Jesus in ways that meet individuals where they are on their unique journey. She approaches her work in the church with as much energy, joy, and love as she did with her students for over fifteen years. Betsy believes in creating an inclusive space where people know that they are loved as Christ’s own.

The Rev. Deacon Tom Hampson serves at The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist in Lodi, California. With the recent departure of our Rector, he serves as pastoral coordinator for St. John’s.
Prior to his retirement in 2014, he worked for Church World Service, an international humanitarian agency, for 31 years. For more on his experience at CWS see his reflection written on his retirement.
Raised in Modesto, California, he earned a BA and MA in Theology from the University of Notre Dame (’71/’73) and an MAEd in Counseling Psychology from Washington University (1982).
He’s the co-author of two books, Make a World of Difference: Creative Activities for Global Learning (1989) and Tales of the Heart: Affective Approaches to Global Education (1990) both published by Friendship Press.
He is married and has three sons and three grandchildren.