“Come and see.”
Jesus found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” That was all Philip needed. He ran to tell Nathanael that he had found the Messiah. Nathanael had heard about this Nazorean and questioned whether anything good ever came out of Nazareth. All Philip could say to him was “Come and see.” Nathanael did and once he had met Jesus, he was hooked, too.
We all have questions about how to respond to the spiritual yearning that exists within us. There are any number of people who will tell you how to do that, but, like Nathanael and Philip, you have to see for yourself.
The Episcopal Church in Garrett County invites you to “Come and See.” We don’t claim to have answers for you but our church community is one that welcomes seekers warmly. We can tell you what we have found, but that’s all. You’ll have to come and see for yourself. We hope you will.
“Christianity is getting a lot of publicity these days; probably more than it should.”
Whether it’s a spiritual experience you seek, a quiet place to pray, or a place to help you define your true vocation in life, only you know, and it’s hard to take the word of another alone when you make your choice. So that’s why we say “come and see.” The Episcopal Church in Garrett County offers two different churches with several worship environments, one of which we hope will suit your needs.The members of our congregations come from all walks of Garrett County life and you will find them welcoming and open to new people and new ideas. We offer everything from the traditional Rite I service, a family service with Sunday school, to a contemplative Taize service, as well as bible studies, educational opportunities, and community outreach projects. There are many ways you can test out the spiritual yearning within you and find a place to serve your neighbor as a follower on The Way.
We welcome your questions. We all have something to learn from one another. That’s what true community is about. You’ll find a warm and welcoming community in the Episcopal Church in Garrett County.
Faithfully,
The Rev. Dr. Chip Lee
Rector
The Rev. Dr. Chip Lee has served as Rector of St. Matthew’s, Oakland, and Vicar of St. John’s, Deer Park since November of 1992. Chip’s vision is to enable all members of St. Matthew’s and St. John’s to be spiritually transformed to reach out effectively as Christ’s hands and heart in the world, and supported in Christian community. The Episcopal Church in Garrett County should be a center for learning and spiritual growth – for all ages, for outreach and meaningful worship, and a place of hospitality and welcome to all.
Chip holds a D.Min. in Congregational Development from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. His thesis, “Changing Times, Timing Change; The Rural and Small Town Church: Family Chaplaincy or Missional Community? Developing a Missional Church Ethos in the Family Church Context,” calls for a change in the way clergy are trained and called to small, rural churches so that congregations have the best opportunity to grow into missional communities. He received his M.Div. in 1989 from Church Divinty School of the Pacific in Berkeley, CA, and a B.S. in Communications from Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY in 1971.
Prior to entering seminary in 1986, Chip worked as a broadcast program director and air personality at radio stations in Syracuse, Seattle, Anchorage, and Bend, Oregon. He served as Vicar of St. James’, Kemmerer, WY, and Vicar of St. Bartholomew’s, Cokeville, WY from 1989-1992. He also served as interim Rector of St. Paul’s, Evanston, WY for a year during this period, and currently is priest-in-charge of The Church of the Transfiguration, a summer chapel in Blue Mountain Lake, NY.
Anne is an Associate Priest for Christian Education and Congregational Ministry. She was ordained deacon in July of 2008 and priest in June of 2009. She is Director of Religious Education at St. Matthew’s.
Anne was born in Portsmouth, VA and raised in the Tidewater area until her family relocated to Silver Spring, MD in 1972. Her father was an Episcopal Priest and was Rector of Good Shepherd until his retirement in 1990. Anne attended Montgomery College and worked as a purchasing agent for Visual Systems in Rockville, MD for seven years. She married her husband Butch in 1985. From 1991-2002 Anne worked as a self-employed, licensed day care provider while she raised her three children. The Byrne family moved to Oakland in 2002, and she has been working as an Assistant Teacher with Garrett County Head Start since 2004.
Anne was widowed in 2020 and was remarried to Harry Deitch in October 2023. Her blended family now includes five children and her precious grandson!