Fr. Carter grew up in Milton, Massachusetts. Upon graduating  from Milton Academy (1962) he went to Yale University. After  college, he spent four years in South Korea working in public  health in the Peace Corps. Returning from Korea in 1971, he  started up a tree and landscape business which he operated for  seven years. A month-long trek in the Himalayas with his wife,  Deborah, preceded his decision to attend seminary. After  graduating from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1984, Rev.  Carter worked as Chaplain of the White Mountain School in  Littleton, New Hampshire. From there he went to St. Philip’s  Episcopal Church in Brevard, North Carolina, where he served as  Assistant Rector. Together with Deborah and three young sons,  the Carter family spent 5 years there before moving back east to  Connecticut where he served as Rector of Christ Church in East  Norwalk.             Fr. Carter was called in 1998 to be Rector of St. John’s in  Salisbury. He writes “It is a joy and privilege to continue growing  together in faith with a congregation that is so warm, open  minded, gifted, adventuresome and hospitable. The challenges  and generous rewards of our shared spiritual journey are  proclaimed in The Baptismal Covenant from The Book of  Common Prayer “To seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving  your neighbor as yourself, to strive for justice and peace among  all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.”   Fr. Carter’s interests include poetry, art, nature, travel, Hispanic  language and culture, reading, gardening, films, hiking and many  kinds of music.           The Carter Family         Deborah is a Licensed Massage Therapist with a practice in  Salisbury. Caleb is married and has entered a PhD program at  UCLA. Jacob works for an international student exchange  program called Youth for Understanding. Jesse is completing his  college studies at the University of Connecticut at Storrs. The  family cat is named Zoe.  Fr. Beizer grew up in the Northwest Corner, in Canaan, where  his father was a State Trooper. He attended elementary school  there and then graduated from Hotchkiss, ’56, where he  developed a life-long interest in both spiritual and ethical  issues. College at Brandeis University with a major in Socio-  logy was followed by a year of law school at Stanford Uni-  versity. Deciding that it was the wrong time in his life for  school, Lance left to spend four years as a Naval officer – in  Iceland and then Moffett Field, California. After earning a  master’s degree in English, Lance worked in Student Affairs  at the University of California, San Diego, while returning to  Law School, receiving his law degree in 1975 from the  University of San Diego.  A 25-year career with the Santa Clara County District  Attorney’s Office, during the last half of which Lance  represented children who were the victims of abuse and  neglect were, he says, “especially satisfying, since, though I’d  been married, I never had children of my own.” He retired in  January 2002 in order to attend seminary at the Church  Divinity School of the Pacific (Episcopal), one of the member  schools of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley,  California. Ordained as a priest in September 2005, Lance  served first at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Campbell,  California, and then at Trinity Cathedral in San Jose as  Canon-vicar.   Ann, who had lived in Massachusetts for some 30 years, and  Lance were married in July of 2007 at the Hotchkiss Chapel.  Their mutual love of New England led to his return to the  Northwest Corner after so many years away. They now live in  Canaan, literally within sight of the house Lance’s father had  built many years before. While in California, in addition to  filling several diocesan posts, and acting as chaplain of a  Chapter of the International Order of St. Luke the Physician,  he also served on the board of a YMCA, of the County Council  of Churches, and of the Child Abuse Council. Since his return  to this area, Lance has joined the Salisbury Rotary and the  board of the Housatonic Youth Service Bureau.  At St. John’s Lance is delighted to be in a position to assist  the rector in the sacramental and pastoral life of the church,  and has a particular interest in adult education. Ann and he  have very much enjoyed becoming part of the life of both  church and community, though, admittedly, they also  thoroughly enjoy traveling. As the Administrative Assistant  since  October 2007, Lisa coordinates various  administrative needs of the Church.  Prior to coming to St. John’s, she was  employed for seven years at St. Joseph’s  Church, St. Joseph’s Cemetery and St.  Patrick’s Cemetery in Canaan as the  Church secretary and Cemetery Sexton.  Lisa holds a Bachelors degree in General  Education from the University of  Connecticut and an Associates degree in  Secretarial Science, Criminal Justice and  a Certificate in Evidence from Tunxis  State College.             She is a parishioner at St. Joseph  Church in Canaan and is the Cemetery  Sexton for both St. Joseph’s and St.  Patrick cemeteries. She is an active  member of the Daughters of Isabella.  Lisa and her husband David have two  children, David Jr. and Chantel. David  Sr. works for Mohawk Industries;  Chantel is in nursing school at St.  Joseph’s College in West Hartford; and  David Jr. is studying Criminal  Justice/Law at Western Connecticut  State University.  Lisa Richards Adminstrative Assistant Prior to coming to St. John’s Church  in the spring of 2007, Ms. Mikesell  was choirmaster, organist and youth  choir director for seven years at St.  George’s Episcopal Church in  Newburgh, NY. While at St. George’s  Church she managed a community  outreach program called Grand Music  that included some of the Hudson  Valley’s finest musicians.             She is a graduate of the National  Leadership Program for Musi-cians  (LPM) Serving Small Congregations  at The George Mercer School of  Theology on Long Island. She is also  a graduate of the University of the  South’s four-year Education for  Ministry (EFM) program.             Ms. Mikesell has been a rehearsal and  performance accompanist for  classical vocalists and for regional  opera including a pro-duction in  2006 of Amahl and the Night Visitors  with full orchestra. At St. John’s she  is currently involved with the ongoing  African Drumming Project featuring  master drummer John Marshall.     Lillie Mikesell, Choir Director  © St. John’s Episcopal Church Gwenn Curtis Church School Teacher