About The Rev. TJ Humphrey, Rector

Fr. TJ Humphrey

Fr TJ Humphrey is originally from the southeast Missouri area. After having graduated from college he served as a youth minister in another tradition for seven years in St. Louis. While he was in college, he discovered the Episcopal Church, and his sense of calling to the priesthood deepened over the course of those seven years. He eventually found his way ‘home.’

He and his family moved to Wisconsin so that he could study at Nashotah House Theological Seminary. It was during that time that he was able to get connected with the Diocese of Milwaukee. The highlight of his time in seminary was the summer he was able to study under the hermits of New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur, California. Fr TJ experienced a profound awakening during this time, and came to the realization that the world needs more priests who are steeped in contemplative spirituality. It was during this time that he also developed a passion for helping Christianity to recover its long lost wisdom tradition.

In his final year of seminary he was nominated to attend the Episcopal Church’s Preaching Excellence Program. Later he found out that he and a few other students were selected to have their sermons published. Shortly after graduating from seminary, Fr TJ was hired by the good people of St Paul’s to serve as their next priest.

Fr TJ is married, and he and his spouse have two children. He is an avid hockey fan (Let’s Go Blues!). He also loves going on back-country backpacking trips, listening to music, sipping on good bourbon, playing Legos with his children, discussing good (or not so good) books with his spouse, and spending as much time as each day will allow in contemplative prayer.

Fr TJ’s theological passions are centered on the Christian contemplative tradition and ancient Hebraic temple mysticism, and much of this passion comes out in his preaching and teaching. He once had a professor in college tell him to ‘preach where the fire burns,’ and he has sought to do just that ever since.

Contact: frtjhumphrey@gmail.com

About The Rev. Gregg Schneider, Deacon

Rev. Gregg Schneider

I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, left the church for 12 years. A friend brought me back to the Lutheran Church (ELCA). I switched to the Episcopal Church after meeting my wife in 1993. I started my training to become a deacon in the Diocese of Fond du Lac in 2000, then transferred to the Diocese of North Carolina in 2002. I was ordained by Bishop Michael Curry on June 13, 2004.  

 I served at The Prince of Peace in Apex NC until moving back to Wisconsin at the end of 2007. I have been at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church since early 2008.

 I worked in Special Education as a teacher and administrator for over 40 years when I retired in January of 2018.

Contact: deacongregg.stpauls@gmail.com

About The Rev. Meg “Mo” Trimm, Deacon

Rev. Meg “Mo” Trimm

Rev. Meg or “Mo” Trimm (they/she/he/xe) is transitional deacon in the reunified Episcopal Diocese of Wisconsin, an artist, and storyteller with over ten years of experience in program management, public speaking, conflict management, and community organizing who recently graduated with their Master of Divinity degree from Bexley Seabury Seminary where they were a St. Marina Scholar. 

On any given Sunday, Meg shares a palpable joy in the Holy Spirit and a zest for life which is rooted in personal experiences of love overcoming barriers. One of Meg’s core passions is pointing through the sacraments of the church to the sacramentality of the universe. Can we raise our awareness that Christ really is at the heart of all things? Can we turn to Christ together, no matter what we face, with our good questions, with humility, tenacity, and hope? 

Their vision for engaging Christian life in the 21st century holds tradition and innovation in prayerful balance. Mo’s ethics professor described them as, “Delightfully and passionately forging paths by integrating knowledge streams others overlook, a role model for discerning how to constructively engage conflict, uncertainty, and struggle.” 

Curious, creative, and thoroughly rooted in the Anglican and Episcopal branches of the Jesus movement, Meg has an appreciation for ecumenical and interfaith relationships while drawing a sense of call from Christ. As a person with ordained gift, Meg seeks to embrace all people in the communal life of the church, draw sacred awareness to our four core relationships and uplift the dignity of our connections with God, ourselves, others, and Creation. By providing pastoral care, practicing and teaching community as a spiritual discipline, preaching, facilitating liturgy and sacraments, investing in the gifts of lay people, and finding opportunity to engage the wider community toward a healthy ecosystem inside and outside the church doors, Mo hopes to support the spiritual lives of those around her.  

Along with their family, church, and God, Meg loves art, food, folklore, nature, history, cultural diversity, spirituality and religion. You can always snag their attention with random facts (especially about bugs and plants!) or corny jokes!

Contact: rev.megmotrimm@gmail.com

About The Louise Austin, Deacon

Rev. Louise Austin

Hello and Peace of Christ be with you!

I am a life-long Episcopalian with historical membership ties in both Trinity

Episcopal Church in Janesville, WI and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Beloit, WI.

I grew up in Kirkwood, MO (a suburb of St. Louis), was married, divorced, have 4

grown children and 8 grandchildren scattered in different parts of the country. I

have lived in St. Paul, MN, Spooner, WI, Menomonie, WI, and Janesville, WI

before joining Peace Corps as a non-traditional Volunteer, serving in both

Macedonia (now North Macedonia) and Romania. Upon my return to the U.S.

following my Peace Corps work, I went back to school to get a WI teacher license

and taught high school social studies for several years in Marion, WI. Upon

retirement, I moved to Beloit, WI to be near my youngest grandchildren, did some

substitute teaching, and lots of volunteer work. I am delighted to be serving as

deacon for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and Trinity Episcopal Church!

Contact: louiseaustin2002@yahoo.com