Winnie was most recently the Episcopal Chaplain at Columbia University (2002-2009). She is a native Texan with family roots in the ancient Mar Thoma church of southwest India (State of Kerala). She serves on the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church and the Board of Directors of the Episcopal Service Corps. She has been active in peace and justice work as a board member of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship and a writer for The Witness Magazine. Winnie grew up in Dallas, Texas, graduated from Southern Methodist University and received a Master of Divinity from the Union Theological Seminary in New York. She was ordained in the Diocese of Los Angeles where she served as the Episcopal Chaplain at UCLA.

Winnie is featured in two influential national teaching series videos on progressive Christinity. Living the Questions is “an open-minded alternative to studies that attempt to give participants all the answers and instead strives to create an environment where participants can interact with one another in exploring what’s next for Christianity.” She is also featured in via media, a “video enhanced curricula designed to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ Jesus and to present the Episcopal Church in a contemporary context…what via media celebrates is a church that tells the truth about both its strengths and its challenges, inviting those seeking spiritual community to come and do the same.”

Winnie has published extensively about Christianity and social justice. Below are excerpts from a few of the articles published by Reverend Varghese:

The March for Women’s Lives, Witness Magazine,4/30/04
“This was a march that illustrated the rage at the war in Iraq, the lies of this administration, the state of the economy, the Patriot Act, and now, the misleading "partial birth" abortion ban. It challenged the Justice Department's attempts to subpoena women's medical records from Planned Parenthood clinics around the country - in some cases, all records - to intimidate women and their health care providers. . .”

Sowing Seeds of Dependence, Witness Magazine, 7/7/2005
“Justice means a local farmer may scatter seed, knowing that enough will grow to feed those dependent upon that crop, for their to be a gleaning, a loom, a school and clinic, not celebrities in every generation having to convince us that if we all gave a little more, we would give more food away."

The price of compromise, Episcopal Life, 10/1/2006
“In a public moment in which the Vatican is trying its best to restrict the use of contraception, religious extremism is the face of increasing violence around the world, the Republican Party throws around Christian language recklessly to defend hate and the Democrats quote Scripture awkwardly to claim faith, the Episcopal Church seems to some a compassionate and sensible religious voice. “

Brokeback church, Episcopal Life, 6/1/2006
“Does a bold stand by our national church against the war in Iraq and the possibility of war in Iran, give you support as you proclaim the gospel where you live? Does the consent to a gay bishop or the approval of a rite or pastoral privilege to bless same-sex unions send a message that you think is Christ’s message of love and hope to us? What if that means we have a different church structure into the future? What is worth explaining away? What are you willing to create as the obstacle that keeps people from seeking out your community?”

Jeannine Otis
Music Director

Jahneen Otis ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is the Director of Music at St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery. Her artistic excellence and deep spirituality help us to create a unique and inspirational musical experience for every service. In 1995 Jahneen was awarded the St. Mark's Griffin for distinguished service to the church and community.

Jahneen is an artist who moves effortlessly among musical styles, performing in Classical, Pop, Jazz, Dance, R&B, and Gospel. She has performed with Grover Washington, Webster Lewis and Arthur Prysock, has toured with Kool and the Gang and worked as one of The New Shirelles.

A graduate of Wellesley College (B.A. in Music and Sociology, Presser Foundation Music Scholar) and Emerson College (M.A. in Theatre), she is also a talented actress and dancer who has been seen in both musical and dramatic roles with the American Repertory Theatre (Steel by Gail McDermont of Hair, and Nobel Prize winner for literature Derek Walcott). She also coordinates St. Mark's Church's outreach to The Harvey Milk School.  She is also very committed to arts-in-education/outreach and continues to be a teaching artist/consultant in educational programming design.

Jeannine continues to work Nationally and Internationally (in London and Japan) with various projects that include work with NYU's  Gallatin Division (CAT), Marymount College, City of Los Angeles, DOE, SI Museum, NY City's Department of Cultural Affairs and Lincoln Center.

She has recently received honors from the Dana Foundation, the National Endowent, and the William A. Morris Award from the NAACP of Staten Island and serves on the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music for The National Church and is now a member of the Church Publishing Board.

Her recording SPIRIT SONGS and uplifting words in a collectiion entitled THE GATHERING as well as other publicaitons including the HIP HOP MASS PRAYERBOOK are available through CPI. Her recording MAGICS SONGS with Finnish composer Heikki Sarmanto (Warner European) is available on iTunes.

At St. Mark's, Jahneen directs an "open" choir. Anyone who loves to sing is invited to join in any Sunday morning. Rehearsal for the services begins at 10:00 a.m.

Jane E. Huber

Minister to Children and Families

Jane has served as Minister to Children and Families in parishes in the New York metropolitan area since 2006. A minister in the United Church of Christ, she has developed educational programming and curriculum for children in PreK through High School and is committed to community service work - participating in and leading student and family trips to Nicaragua, Mississippi and Vermont.

Jane is currently pursuing her PhD in Church History and Theology at Union Theological Seminary.  Her research focuses on medieval liturgy, and liturgical development and its reception among diverse communities. She holds a Master of Sacred Theology from Yale Divinity School, a certificate in Liturgical Studies from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music; and a Masters of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary.

Seminarian 2011-2012

Lindsey Briggs is a 2nd year M. Div candidate at Union Theological Seminary. She is originally from Northern California. She moved to Minneapolis in 2004 to live communally, study reconciliation and socio-cultural studies working in food justice.  This past Summer Lindsey was an intern at Bluestone Farm with the Community of the Holy Spirit. Help us welcome Lindsey!

More Staff!

• Jimmy Fragrosa, Sexton
  
• Gina Figueroa, Special Events Coordinator
• Jay Johnson, St. Mark's Administrator
• Jane Huber, Bookkeeper