Our Staff and Vestry

Our staff

The Rev. Christopher Rogers
Rector

Christopher (he/him) joined St Matthew’s as our rector from London in September 2023, where he had experience working in two very different parishes. In his last parish he was responsible for social justice, working with refugees and homeless people. He is excited about St Matthew’s focus on prayer and discernment, and is keen for us to develop our focus beyond our walls to the wider community.

MiaLisa McFarland Millares
Director of Children's and Youth Ministries

MiaLisa Millares (she/her), was delighted to join St. Matthew’s as the Director of Children’s, Youth and Intergenerational Ministries in 2023. She has 15 years of youth ministry experience in the Episcopal Church. In particular, she enjoys finding creative ways for families to engage in Christian formation.

John Hoffacker
Interim Director of Music

John Hoffacker grew up in a steel town close to Pittsburgh, and following college and a stint in the Peace Corps (Chad), he taught and conducted in schools, universities, and churches in Oregon, New York, Maine, Texas, Georgia, and Massachusetts. For the past twenty years he’s enjoyed making music in Minnesota and raising two wonderful kids with his wonderful wife, Claudia, in Eden Prairie. His previous position was at St. George’s in St. Louis Park.

Lars Christensen
Office Manager and Communications Director

Lars (he/him) joined St. Matthew’s in 2006 and has been the office manager since 2018. Trained as an ethnomusicologist, in addition to his musical activities at church he directs the Indonesian gamelan ensemble at Macalester College. He is also a yoga teacher, and regularly offers yoga classes at St. Matthew’s.

Fariba Sanikhatam
Bookkeeper

Fariba is our part-time bookkeeper. She started at St. Matthew’s in 2016. She has over 20 years of experience in accounting. She lives with her husband in the neighborhood and also works for several other companies in the area.

Our VESTRY

Our vestry agrees to follow the Vestry Covenant.

Lis Christenson
Senior Warden

Lis is a lifelong member of St. Matthew’s and has a long history here—she grew up in our parish, and was confirmed and married to her husband Mike in our sanctuary. As a faithful Episcopalian, she has served on the vestry, participated in numerous capital campaigns and was employed as the Children’s Learning Director and Communications Director for many years. The children of our parish and the church website are very near and dear to her heart! In addition to serving as the Junior Warden this year, Lis participates as a member of the healing prayer ministry.

Kurtis Hanna
Junior Warden

Kurtis has attended St. Matthew’s for a number of years now, and volunteered as a member of Faithful Innovations, is currently a Verger, and trained and served with the Chalice Bearers and Altar Guild. He has a liberal arts bachelor’s degree with a major in Religion. In his professional life he previously worked as a window cleaner and bartender. He now works as a lobbyist at the Minnesota legislature. He has co-founded three non-profit organizations. Kurtis and his wife Kate were married at St. Matthew’s in 2025.

Linda Anderson

I am honored to be nominated to be a member of the Vestry of St. Matthew’s, where my husband Martin and I have been attending since 2018. I was raised in the Methodist Church and our family attended a Covenant Church prior to coming to St. Matthew’s. I retired in June 2023 as a Professor of Nursing and Program Director of Bethel University’s undergraduate nursing program. I have clinical experience in public health, pediatrics, and maternal child health. Martin and I have two daughters and two four-year-old grandchildren. At St. Matt’s you will often find me knitting or quilting with the crafting group, at the Wednesday Eucharist, and helping out in the kitchen.

Judy Johnson

Judy Niemi Johnson and her husband, Dan, have been members of St. Matthew’s since 2010. She was raised Catholic, attended a Baptist college, and worked in the evangelical church until 2002. She changed careers and landed in higher education. After working at Augsburg University and St Catherine’s University for 20 years, she currently works for the Minnesota Private College Council developing transfer partnerships with the MN State system. After finding a faith community at St Matthews, she has volunteered in a variety of areas including faith forums, hospitality, retreats, special events and healing prayer. She loves to teach, write and travel. She holds bachelor’s degrees in English education and theatre and master’s degrees in leadership and creative writing.

Linda López

My husband Mike and I have been members of St. Matthew’s for over 30 years. From the first time our family of six walked into the church, it felt like home. I have been active at St. Matthew’s and this is the second time that I have served on the vestry. Currently, I am part of the Sunday Morning Book Group, the crafters, the hospitality team, and help organize the Blue House Boutique. Outside of church, I belong to two book groups, am president of our HOA, volunteer at a wonderful non-profit called Daily Work, and most importantly, I am a new grandma to Gabriella!

Ron Matross

I was raised Episcopalian in small-town Montana by parents who had taught at an Episcopal mission school in Wyoming. After graduating from Columbia University in New York City, I came to the University of Minnesota, where I received a PhD. In counseling psychology. I married my wife Jeanne, and I took a position doing data analytics for the University’s Office of Undergraduate Education. During the ensuing years, we had two children, I got busy and I drifted away from the church. In the early 1990’s I was diagnosed with a progressive liver disease and felt a great need to come back. I found St. Matthew’s and immediately felt at home. I regard St. Matthew’s as a school for spiritual development and a community that helps us find the Way of Jesus and the strength to follow it.

Bruce Nerland

Bruce and his wife, Ann, have been members of St. Matthew’s since 1982, the year they were married. Bruce has been on the vestry several terms and has served as Senior Warden. He was the co-chair for fundraising for the church addition of 1996. He humbly realized he was not a very good teacher when he taught Sunday school one year! Bruce has been stewardship chair in the past and is delighted that his daughter, Elizabeth Anderson, has picked up that baton, being the co-chair this past campaign. Bruce retired as of March 31 and is looking forward to a much different chapter in life.

Margaret Whitworth

I started attending St. Matthew’s in the fall of 2021. After experiencing the genuine welcome and worshiping with intergenerational congregation, I quickly knew St. Matthew’s was the place for me. I grew up in a different tradition and found the Episcopal church while I was in college. I have lived in the Twin Cities for five years and currently reside in Roseville. I recently started a new job with the Minnesota Council of Churches as an Education Specialist in Refugee Services. In my free time, I enjoy crafting, baking, and spending time with my husband James and our dog Asoka.

Abbey Thomas, Vestry Clerk

I moved to Minnesota this past fall to begin work as a postdoctoral associate at UMN after completing my PhD in speech, language, and hearing at the University of Texas at Dallas. I study how listeners understand attitude from a talker’s tone of voice, and how this is affected by listeners’ past experiences and hearing impairment. Outside of work, I enjoy baking, writing, and training/playing with my dog, Chiki (“Cheeky”). This community has already been a great blessing to me, and I look forward to growing and serving alongside you all!