Rev. Joanne Epply-Schmidt

A native of New England, Joanne grew up in a vibrant college town, which inspired her lifelong interest in learning, her faith, the arts, and outdoor sports. After high school she traveled extensively before attending Princeton University, from which she graduated in 1982. It was there on an Ash Wednesday that she happened into the Episcopal service on campus, and began the journey into the Episcopal Church and ultimately to ordination. Two years later, she began her studies at Yale Divinity School from which she graduated in 1988. Integral to her studies was her work as a hospital chaplain and her engagement with the power of the arts and storytelling in ministry and preaching.

In the first ten years of her ordained ministry (1990-2000) Joanne served as assistant priest at Saint Matthew’s Church in Pennington, New Jersey, where she developed an extensive church school program and youth ministry based in Jerome Berryman’s program “Godly Play.”  In her last year at Saint Matthew’s, Joanne began to apprentice with Storytelling Arts, Inc.--a secular nonprofit of 14 professional storytellers who worked as teaching artists in underserved and urban communities throughout the state of New Jersey. Having an interest in ministry with teenagers, Joanne was invited to serve as a teaching artist in the Juvenile Justice System, working with maximum-security adolescents.

 Joanne returned to Diocesan ministry as a supply and short-term interim priest, serving nearly 40 parishes in eight years. She also mentored students in Preaching and Storytelling at Eastern Baptist Seminary and Princeton Theological Seminary.

 An experienced teacher and workshop leader, she provided storytelling workshops for laity and clergy at several locations in the United States and Canada, including Sorrento, Saint Stephen’s (Calgary), Star of the Sea (Salt Spring Island), and Christ Church Cathedral (Vancouver).   In December 2015, Joanne was delighted to return to the Episcopal student congregation at Princeton University as interim chaplain.

In June of this year, Joanne retired from her six-year appointment as Associate Rector at Trinity Church Princeton. In this large congregation, she established a thriving youth group, an anti-racism program, pastoral care in local assisted-living facilities, and innovative worship.

Appointed by her bishop, Joanne has served as Vice-Chair of the Campus Ministry Foundation, Chair of the Campus Ministry Commission, and member of the Anti-Racism Commission. In the wider community of Princeton, Joanne has served in leadership with the Campaign to End the New Jim Crow--a social justice advocacy organization—and as Trustee of the Bridge Academy of New Jersey, a school for children with language-based learning differences. In the Canadian community, Joanne headed up the American branch of fundraising for the O’Driscoll Forum, which was inaugurated at Vancouver School of Theology this summer. Joanne has been blessed to share her life with her husband Paul and her adult sons Aidan and Alexander. Serving as Interim at St Laurence is a new and exciting opportunity for which Joanne is very thankful.