Clergy & Staff

The Rev. Jimmy Bartz

Rector

The Reverend Jimmy Bartz serves as the Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson, Wyoming, and The Chapel of the Transfiguration in Grand Teton National Park. Known for his deep love of the outdoors and passion for spiritual rewilding, Jimmy brings a theologically rich, story-driven, and relational approach to ministry. With a heart for inclusion, mercy and justice, and pastoral care, his leadership invites people into deeper connection with God, one another, and the sacred rhythms of creation. Jimmy’s work is shaped by his commitment to love-spreading, difference-making community, and his belief that the church is called to be a bold, compassionate presence in the world.

The Rev. Brian Nystrom

Brian grew up in Iowa and has lived in Jackson Hole since 1980. He has three grown children, Adam, Jack, and Lucy, who are the light of his life. An avid bicyclist and skier, he has been a member of St. John’s since 2001, and was ordained a priest in December of 2016. After a lifetime of work in the construction industry he looks forward to serving the people of St. John’s for many years to come.

The Rev. Mary Erickson

Mary was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and studied English Literature at the University of California, Berkeley, then began her career in marketing and public relations in the software industry. In 1991, she left California for the East Coast, receiving her Masters of Divinity at Harvard, only to return to the Bay and a life in marketing. Then fate intervened, and Mary followed her heart to rural South Dakota in 1997 to marry her husband, Bruce. Together with their daughter, Adele, and son, Oscar, they moved to Jackson in 2006, seeking a perfect combination of rural/urban living – a town small enough for Bruce, but with enough going on to keep Mary engaged. Having found her church home, Mary decided to finally pursue ordination to the priesthood, becoming a transitional deacon in 2009, and a priest in 2010. After 7 years at St. John’s, Mary became the Executive Director of One22, then the Executive Director of Coombs Outdoors. She returned as a full time Associate Rector at St. John’s in January, 2021.

The Rev. Dr. Travis Helms

After serving with the Peace Corps in Madagascar, Travis attended seminary at Yale Divinity School, then received his PhD in theology and literature from the University of Cambridge. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2017, while serving at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Austin, TX, then served for three years as the Campus Missioner to the University of Texas. In 2018, he founded LOGOS Poetry Collective, a monthly liturgically-inflected reading series that congregated in an east Austin brewery, and now hosts events online and throughout the country. He also helped build EcoTheo Collective, a nonprofit that offers a variety of programs grounded in the intersection of ecology, spirituality, and art. Travis is the author of Blowing Clover, Falling Rain: a theological commentary on the poetic canon of the American Religion (Wipf & Stock, 2020), and his poems and essays have been published in Image, Poetry Northwest, Gulfcoast, The Adroit Journal, North American Review, The Austin American-Statesman, and other journals.

In addition to priesting and writing poetry, Travis loves spending time with his wife, Gracie; their daughter, Helen; and their pups, Roo and Bunny. He loves skiing, climbing, long runs on the trail, and live music. His primary responsibilities at St. John’s include overseeing its children’s, youth, & family ministry, and helping lead the CAMPFIRE community + storytelling series. Travis has a passion for exploring how creativity and the imagination can draw us closer to one another, and the divine — and is always eager to catalyze a little conversation over coffee or on the trail.

The Rev. Dr. Christie Laughery

The Rev. Dr. Christie Laughery graduated from the North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, and was ordained as a priest in 2022. In addition to role as deacon, she makes veterinary house calls overseeing pet care services like preventative health and maintenance and pet sitting. Christie maintains strong bonds through her affiliations with PAWS of Jackson Hole, Rotary Club, and is an active member of our Sage Living ministry as well as our Caring Ministries Team.

The Rev. Suzanne Harris

Suzanne grew up in the New York area and served several churches in New Jersey before moving to Jackson in l992 with her husband George to “recycle” themselves. She felt spiritually moved by the landscape, sky and the fact that there are more animals than people in Wyoming. Suzanne loves her family (8 grandchildren, including one in heaven) dogs, music, reading, gardening and friends.

Robyn Reed

Robyn was raised in a rural community in Virginia surrounded by the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In her mid-twenties, she moved to a small southern suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, where she spent the next twenty years raising her three daughters and working and volunteering in an inter-denominational church as the Administrative Director in their media department. In 2011, her heart stirred for a change and to get back to the mountains. She went big and moved West to Jackson Hole and the majesty of the Tetons! She now lives in Star Valley Ranch with her husband, Jim. She enjoys hiking and exploring the hills that surround her, photography, cooking, and spending as much time as she can with her daughters and five amazing granddaughters.

Haley Ross

Born and raised in the North Georgia mountains, Haley and her family moved to Jackson in 2010, from the hustle and bustle of city life in Atlanta. She is an avid marketing professional and an event planner at heart who excels in details. She maintains multiple projects simultaneously, but isn’t multitasking proven unsuccessful now?! Haley a co-creator of Mindfulness for Mamas, a community support group created to promote self-care and empowerment of mothers in Jackson Hole. She also enjoys teaching fitness at Pursue, a multi-discipline group fitness studio serving the greater Jackson community. Her specialties consist of excellent written and verbal communications, a knack for team-leadership, adaptability, decision-making (well, sometimes!), stress tolerance (namaste), collaboration (two heads are better than one), and web content management. Her passions include baking, Pilates, music, reading and travel. She and her children have been lucky enough to call Jackson home for more than 10 years, and they enjoy living in this amazing community.

Lonnie Brown

Born and raised in Colorado, Lonnie brings a wealth of experience from a career rooted in retail and customer service management. Since relocating to Jackson in 2011, Lonnie has become a deeply committed member of the St. John’s Episcopal Church community. As the Outreach Coordinator for St. John’s and Director of the Browse ‘n Buy mission, Lonnie is driven by a heartfelt passion for community engagement and transformative outreach. He approaches his work with intentionality, empathy, and a strong commitment to fostering relationships grounded in love and mutual respect. Lonnie is currently leading the Browse ‘n Buy expansion project—an exciting and meaningful endeavor. He is inspired by the opportunity to steward this growth and is eager to witness the new facility become a beacon of love, service, and connection throughout the Jackson valley. Lonnie and his wife, Michelle, have three adult children, and have all experienced time serving the community through the church and Browse ‘n Buy.

Stephanie Abbey

Ron Fabry

Ron grew up in Connecticut and attended Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey where he received a double Masters Degree in Church Music & Organ Performance. While doing postgraduate studies in upstate New York at the Eastman School of Music, Ron taught conducting, hymnology, choir training methods and group vocal techniques in the Diocese of Rochester’s certification program at St. Bernard’s Institute. Being the Music Director at St. John’s Church, he finds joy in working with both the Adult and Handbell Choirs. Currently he also enjoys teaching piano, organ, and voice lessons and is the director of the Jackson Hole Chorale. In his leisure time, Ron takes pleasure in hiking, playing cards (especially Bid Euchre and Six Handed Pinochle), and trying to learn how to cook healthily!