Clergy Program Staff Administrative Staff
Clergy
The Reverend Elizabeth Marie Melchionna, Rector
The Rev. Elizabeth Marie Melchionna began serving as the 29th Rector of The Chapel of the Cross in August of 2016.
The Rev. Melchionna (pronounced mel-shio-na) is a native of Roanoke, Virginia. She has always felt curiosity about God and how encounters with God shape people’s lives and communities. This curiosity led her to study and work both domestically as well as in Madagascar, England, New Zealand, and Thailand.
After working in outdoor education and leadership development, Mother Elizabeth Marie began her ordained ministry as a Luce Scholar teaching at Payap University and facilitating interfaith dialogue at the Institute for Religion, Culture and Peace, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Always serving with an attentiveness to leading for healthy change, Elizabeth Marie has worked as a parish priest at St. Mary’s in Arlington, VA and as the Davidson College Episcopal Campus Minister and Associate Rector at St. Alban’s in Davidson, NC. Most recently she served as the Canon for Discipleship and Parish Life at St. John’s Cathedral in Denver, CO.
Elizabeth Marie holds degrees from Davidson College (magna cum laude) and Yale University’s Divinity School (summa cum laude). Additionally, she holds graduate certificates in Anglican Studies (Berkeley Divinity School at Yale), Liturgy (Yale Institute of Sacred Music), and Conflict Transformation (Eastern Mennonite University).
As Rector (senior pastor and chief of staff), Elizabeth Marie gets to engage nearly every aspect of life at The Chapel of the Cross, from preaching, teaching, pastoral care and leadership development, to budgets, administration and financial stewardship. She is passionate about worship and music, the process of formation for all ages (informed by putting our faith into action), creating systems for healthy change, and in cultivating leaders who know, love, and follow Jesus.
Elizabeth Marie and her spouse Will Roberts parent three kids.
Email The Rev. Elizabeth Marie Melchionna
The Rev. Mary Catherine Young, Associate Rector for University Ministry
Chaplain Mary Cat has been serving as a campus and young adult minister for over 20 years. In her previous role as Chaplain to Canterbury Downtown (2011-2019), she ministered with students from NYU and surrounding campuses in Lower Manhattan. During that time she also served as the Coordinator of the Young Adult Network in the Diocese of New York and organized city-wide 20s-30s events with parishes across four boroughs of New York City. Before moving to New York with her husband Chad (UNC ‘96), Mary Cat was a priest on staff at Church of Our Saviour in Rock Hill, SC for five years where she served as youth minister and founding chaplain of WELCM: Winthrop Episcopal Lutheran Campus Ministry. The Youngs have a daughter named Vin.
Email The Rev. Mary Catherine Young
The Reverend Keith Esposito, Associate Rector
Keith grew up in the small town of Ledyard, CT. He graduated from Boston University in 2011, where he studied Religion and International Relations. Afterwards, he joined the United States Peace Corps and served in Ukraine where he taught English and led youth development projects. Returning to Boston, he studied at Harvard Divinity School where he received his Masters of Divinity in 2018. Before pursuing ordination, Keith’s career was in higher education administration, and he has worked in various offices at Boston University, Harvard University and Wake Forest University. Most recently he completed a Diploma in Anglican Studies at Virginia Theological Seminary in May 2022. Keith cares deeply about contextualizing the Episcopal tradition to our contemporary world, sharing his faith and doubts, and engaging with the wider community and world. He and his spouse, Robin, have two sons and are excited to be back in North Carolina.
The Reverend Dr. Karen Connor McGugan, Associate Rector
The Rev. Dr. Karen Connor McGugan grew up in Greensboro. From a young age, she felt both a strong sense of empathy and a grounding in the life and rhythms of the Church. She spent four joyful and formative years in Chapel Hill (B.A. Religious Studies, highest honors, 2008), where she became fascinated with how ancient Christians read and understood Scripture. Karen then headed north to Yale Divinity School (M.A.R. Biblical Studies, summa cum laude, 2012) and eventually to Harvard University (Ph.D. New Testament and Early Christianity, 2020). Her doctoral dissertation, Suppers in the Times of the Kingdom: Food, Drink, and the Resurrected Body in Early Christian Thought, explores how the anxieties and griefs of life in antiquity shaped how early Christians imagined the resurrected human body.
Returning to NC, Karen worked in pastoral care and chaplaincy until her ordination in 2023. At the Chapel of the Cross, she delights in facilitating authentic community in which middle and high schoolers can encounter the Holy—and in growing, with parishioners of all ages, towards a faith that is compassionate, contextual, and rooted in Christ’s sacramental presence.
Karen lives in Raleigh with her spouse, Will, their children, Clay and Catherine, and a small menagerie of furry and scaly creatures.
Email The Rev. Dr. Karen Connor McGugan
The Venerable Scott Balderson, Deacon
Scott Balderson came to the area after completing his training as a Physician Assistant to join the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Duke University in 1998. His specialty is minimally invasive thoracic surgery in patients with lung cancer, esophageal cancer and other malignancies of the chest. Scott, while active as a parishioner, spent a long time in discernment before entering the deacon formation process. His ordination to the diaconate was in 2017. His work with oncology patients is very much part of his diaconal ministry to serve with one foot in the Church and one foot in the world. Scott and his wife Christina are both natives of Virginia Beach, Virginia having grown up together attending the same Episcopal Church. They started dating in high school and were married in that church in 1992. They have two children, Carter and Isabel.
Email The Rev. Scott Balderson
The Rev. Dr. Vincent Joseph Kopp, Priest Associate
The Rev. Dr. Vincent Joseph Kopp has been married to Katherine Craft Kopp for over 45 years. Together they have three adult daughters–Margaret, Elizabeth (Bitsy), and Katherine (Kappie)–all of whom were baptized and grew up in the parish. Along with their daughters’ spouses Richard, Eric, and Becky, respectively, Vincent and Katherine are blessed with five grandchildren–Lucille, Walter, Arthur, Hazel, and Josephine–and special adoptive grandson Colin.
Most recently Vincent served as Rector at St. Stephen’s (Oxford, NC) from October 2020 until his retirement in July 2022. He previously served as Priest Associate at St. Michael’s (Raleigh, NC), Interim Director of Campus Ministry at Cheshire House (Raleigh, NC), Supply Priest at St. Augustine University (Raleigh, NC), School Chaplain at St. Timothy’s School (Raleigh, NC) and Assistant to the Rector at St. Timothy’s (Raleigh,NC).
Ordained in 2018, Vincent completed his Theological Studies at the University of the South (Sewanee) in a special program for dual career/second career candidates for ordination. This program supplemented previous course work completed at Duke Divinity School while still practicing medicine.
Prior to ordination in 2018 (deacon at the Chapel of the Cross, priest at St. Timothy’s) he served on the UNC-CH School of Medicine faculty from 1992-2002 and from 2008-2016, with roles in the Departments of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics, Social Medicine, and the Undergraduate Honors College. From 2002-2008 he was in private practice as the Chief of Anesthesia at Albemarle Hospital (Elizabeth City, NC).
Prior to joining the UNC-CH faculty Vincent founded and ran Chapel Hill Children’s Clinic from 1985 until 1992 when he sold the practice, which continues in operation. A 1982 graduate of UNC-CH School of Medicine, he completed a rotating Internship at then North Carolina Memorial Hospital in 1983, a Pediatric residency at Duke University Medical Center in 1985, and an Anesthesiology residency at UNC Hospitals in 1992.
A 1973 graduate of UNC-CH, were he studied English and Religion, in retirement Vincent enjoys gardening, writing, advocating for children, supporting UNC-CH, and being with his family.
The Rev. Dr. Beth Humphrey
The Rev. Dr. Beth Humphrey joined us as a non-stipendiary Priest Associate in 2022. She brings with her a depth and breadth of intellect and wisdom, having earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry at The University of North Carolina and worked as a NASA Chemist and college chemistry instructor. Her work in ministry led her to serve as a Director of Christian Formation in Alabama, and then to a rich career in School Chaplaincy, both at St. Albans School in D.C. (Lower School and Upper School) and the Groton School in MA. The Rev. Dr. Humphrey received her M. Div. from Sewanee (where she won the Holmes Excellence in Preaching Award). She is married to Jonathan Glazier and together they share five children and five grandchildren. We will look forward to welcoming her into pastoral, teaching, and liturgical ministries.
Program Staff
Boykin Bell, Director of Christian Formation
Boykin graduated from Wellesley College with a B.A. in Philosophy and a focus on medieval writers. She received an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of South Carolina, where she worked at the South Carolina Center for Bioethics. Boykin has worked at the Chapel of the Cross since 2006, in both Children’s and Adult Formation. Her writing – faith-focused and short fiction – has appeared at Building Faith, Episcopal Relief and Development’s Lenten Meditations and various little magazines. Boykin is married to Greg Bell, who plays organ and guitar in Children’s Chapel every Sunday. Together, they have three grown children and two grandchildren.
Frank Boles, Interim Director of Music & Organist
Frank Woodhouse Boles has been an active church musician for more than 50 years, serving in a variety of leadership roles as organist, conductor, and composer. At St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, he established an RSCM-based intergenerational choral program for boys, girls, and adult singers. He also founded a Choir School for young singers and developed a Choral Scholar Program providing scholarships for private instrumental study.
He also established the St. Paul’s Music Foundation, an outreach arts ministry of the parish dedicated to connecting sacred and secular music-making, building community partnerships, developing young musicians, and presenting high-quality arts programming for the broader community.
As a composer, conductor, and organist, Frank is deeply engaged in all aspects of the sacred music tradition. He has served as a guest conductor and clinician for numerous festivals and professional organizations, including the American Guild of Organists, RSCM America, the Association of Anglican Musicians, and the American Choral Directors Association. His work is particularly focused on the development of both young and mature voices through disciplined and expressive vocal training.
A native of Jonesville, North Carolina, Mr. Boles earned a Bachelor of Arts in Organ and Church Music, cum laude, from Pfeiffer College, and a Master of Music degree with High Distinction in Organ and Church Music from Westminster Choir College. His organ studies were with Stanley Scheer, Joan Lippincott, Harold Vogel, and Larry Smith, and he studied conducting with Richard Brewer, Dennis Schrock, and Joseph Flummerfelt.
In June 2022, Frank and his spouse, Harry Mamlin, relocated to Swannanoa, North Carolina, with their three dachshunds, Lily, Lester, and their recently adopted rescue, Roselle. While both are semi-retired, they remain active in church music and education. Mr. Boles also enjoys cooking, gardening, and exploring Western North Carolina.
Administrative Staff
Raymond B. Farrow III, Executive Director
Prior to joining the Chapel of the Cross in July 2026, Raymond was senior director of development and communications at the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the preeminent American biologist and author E.O. Wilson.
For more than two decades, Raymond served as a senior administrator and lead development officer at UNC-Chapel Hill, many of them leading major international initiatives across campus, including as associate provost for global affairs. In addition, Raymond was director of development and finance at the Hunt Institute, a public education policy think-tank founded by former N.C. Governor Jim Hunt. He also served as director of development and strategic initiatives at Carolina Performing Arts and as executive director of the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.
A graduate of Wake Forest University, Raymond received a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He was one of 18 young Americans selected as a Luce Scholar by the Henry Luce Foundation and served a one-year internship in Taipei, Taiwan.
Raymond and his wife Molly are longtime Chapel Hill residents and have two adult children, Dylan and Lucinda.
Gentry Hodnett, Director of Parish Giving
Gentry has more than a decade of experience in nonprofit development and communications, with a background in violence prevention and community-based organizations. Her most recent role was as Development Director at the Compass Center in Chapel Hill, where she supported mission-driven work through thoughtful fundraising and stewardship. She has also served in development leadership roles with the Orange County Rape Crisis Center and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A Chapel Hill resident since 2009, Gentry is grateful to help nurture a spirit of generosity within the parish and enjoys singing and community theatre, exploring local restaurants, playing trivia, and spending time with her partner and their two cats.
Carlee Baldwin, Worship, Liturgy, and Music Coordinator
Carlee Baldwin is an accomplished mezzo-soprano, actress, and director with a rich and varied career in the performing arts. She earned her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Indiana University South Bend and a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts Performance from Utah Valley University, grounding her artistry in both rigorous training and creative exploration. Over the years, Carlee has built a multifaceted career spanning performance, directing, arts education, and account management, bringing a unique blend of creativity, leadership, and organizational skill to every project she undertakes. Outside of worship and the arts, she and her husband,
Dallin, enjoy traveling, cooking, watching TV and films, and spending time with their two
goldendoodles, Gilmore and Norman.
Jeff Crawford, Director of Communications and Community Engagement
Jeff has been rooted in the Chapel Hill area for over twenty years. He is passionate about fostering community and telling stories, reaching back to writing for The Daily Tar Heel while attending UNC, and as a music and podcast producer. Jeff has operated Arbor Ridge Studios in Chatham County for over fifteen years and is mostly retired from a touring career in several bands traveling all over the country and overseas. Jeff has frequently partnered with local nonprofits throughout his career and has served several local churches, including the Gathering Church and Oak Church in music direction and church leadership. He lives with his wife Molly and two children in Chatham County.
Ellen Cole, Parish Life and Worship Coordinator
As Parish Life and Worship Coordinator, Ellen works with pastoral, engagement, fellowship, worship, administrative, outreach, and Christian education staff and volunteers. Her duties include newcomer integration, volunteer engagement, parish registrar, liturgical scheduling and logistics, and general database management.
Ellen is a North Carolina native. She and her husband, Russ, are members of the parish and raised their two children, Janie and Ben, in the pews and parish hall of the Chapel of the Cross.