Assisting Clergy

We are blessed to have several talented and faithful priests in our worshiping community at St. John’s. Combined they have roughly 150 years of experience serving in parishes across the country and across the world. Most have retired as paid staff from the parishes they served, however, here at St. John’s they continue to preach, teach, inspire and lead vibrant ministries in our community.

The Rev. Eliza Linley, (Amma Eliza)

PictureThe Rev. Eliza Linley
I’m Eliza Linley, and I’ve been an associate priest at St. John’s since 2002. I first came to St. John’s as an architectural/process consultant to help with the transition to a new building and then I stayed. What can I say? One of St. John’s special gifts is friendliness.

My husband, David Richardson, and I moved to Aptos full time in 2007 after years of commuting from Berkeley. Our home and my studio are now in Rio Del Mar.  I’m an artist as well as an architect, and I’m passionate about the visual arts and arts ministries. The arts are a whole theological language we can use to talk to and about God when words just won’t do the job.

I’m a silk painter and photographer, and I enjoy hiking, mushroom hunting, bodysurfing and cooking.

I think people come to St. John’s out of spiritual hunger, and stay to be part of God’s family where all our gifts are welcome. Communities change, like the old story of stone soup, when new gifts are poured into the pot. If you are looking for a church home, come and help us create community and a vision of the Reign of God.

​The Rev. John L. Duncan (Father John)

PictureThe Rev. John Duncan
I am a third generation Californian. Growing up in Campbell, I remember going to Church at St. John’s as a child while the family was on vacation in Capitola. I was educated at San Jose State, and Pacific School of Religion and Church Divinity School of the Pacific. In 1961 I married Janet Meckler, another California native. We have three children and six grandchildren.

Ordained in the Diocese of Northern California I served on the staff of Trinity Cathedral, as chaplain at Sacramento State, Director of Camp Noel Porter in Tahoe City and Vicar of St. Andrews in the Highlands before returning to central California and All Saints’, Watsonville. In 1971 I was Interim Pastor at St. John’s until the call of Larry Mickkelsen, and a few years later I was acting Rector while Larry was on Sabbatical Leave. In 1983 I became Rector of Grace Church, Fairfield and served there until retiring in 2000 and moving to my late mother’s home in Aptos/Seacliff.

In retirement I enjoy serving as Docent at Seacliff State Beach, playing tuba in the Cabrillo College Bands, being active in the Clan Donnachaidh Society (Duncans, Robertsons, Reids and others) and visiting Scotland and Ireland as often as I can afford. In 2006 I served as Interim Pastor at St. Philip’s, Scotts Valley, and these days Janet and I divide our ministry between St. John’s, St. Philip’s and Episcopal Marriage Encounter. I love Marriage Encounter, music, living on Monterey Bay, and I usually pray the Lord’s Prayer in Gaelic.
PictureThe. Rev. Mary Craig Caruthers
​The Rev. Mary Craig Caruthers (Rev. Mary Craig)

I grew up in a small town in Arkansas where I still have deep family ties.  In 1976 I married a fifth generation Californian and we have lived all over planet earth, including Latin America, the Middle East, the U.K. and the Caribbean as well as four different US states!  Also I love languages and speak fluent Spanish and basic Arabic and French.  Capitola is now home for us and we love living close to our three children and five grandchildren.

I am grateful for the Episcopal Church and its impact on my life.  It has largely been the vehicle for strengthening and nurturing my faith. I trained for ordained ministry at Sewanee and was ordained in 2001 after which I served in all levels of ordained ministry as curate, priest-in-charge, and rector. 

I love the friendliness and openness of St. John's, besides the fact that we get to worship outdoors!  In my retired life, I enjoy watercolor painting, walking, yoga, qigong and my grandchildren!
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​The Rev. Mary Lou McKenney (Rev. Mary Lou)

Picture​The Rev. Mary Lou McKenney
​​I grew up as a third generation family member in Morgan Hill where my entire family was active in the Church of St. John the Divine. My father served on the Bishop’s Committee and as Treasurer, my mother played the organ and directed the junior choir, and I and my sisters all sang in the choir, attended and taught Sunday School.

I married John, a geologist, whose work took us to different places in Arizona, California and Nevada. In 1994 we moved to Honduras where John worked at a mine about two hours up-mountain from San Pedro Sula. While there, I felt the call to ordained ministry and began my seminary work at Vancouver School of Theology in Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada.

I was ordained as a Deacon while in seminary and served at St. Helen’s Anglican Church in West Point Grey, Vancouver until my ordination as a Priest and graduation from seminary.

I then served as vicar at St. Mary’s, Tegulcigalpa, Honduras for two years.  I was called as Rector at All Saints, Watsonville where I served for eight years prior to retirement.​