Meet Our Pastor
Meet the Pastor
Pastor Pati Mary Andrews brings an energy and vitality to our ministries to those of all ages. She lives into a profound call to help people grow in their love and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and with one another. Among her many gifts are those of spiritual direction and retreat leadership.
Married over 40 years to her high school sweetheart, Pati Mary and Ronnie raised their three children in Loudon County, and now live in Gainesville with their faithful companion, Molly, a King Charles Cavalier. Several years ago they lost their daughter to a drunk driver. Their two sons and their families, who live nearby, are a great joy to them. Pati Mary has had the honor and pleasure of baptizing four of her five grandchildren.
An undergraduate of George Mason University, Pati Mary was a professional writer in the commercial workplace before attending seminary. She was ordained in 2000. Her first call was to a large church in Valrico, Florida, where she served as associate pastor. There she honed her gifts for children and youth ministries through the Godly Play model and Journey to Adulthood. She and Ronnie returned home to Virginia in 2005, and she accepted the call to St. Stephen’s in 2006.
Pati Mary, a breast cancer survivor, enjoys rose gardening, reading and journaling, and her to-do list includes learning to knit.
Pastor Pati Mary is deeply committed to the family that is St. Stephen’s Church, a country church with a world vision to reach out to those around us with the message of hope and love.
“…sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever.”
Sermon of the Week
Pastor's Corner
Keep your eye on God
January 1, 2012
Be Like the Lizard: Keep an Eye on God One of the things I love about being a pastor is the opportunity to minister to children. One of the great joys about children and youth is the many ways they minister to us. Children have a way of helping us think outside the box. [...]
Holidays Are Not Always Easy
November 17, 2011
Holidays Are Not Always Easy Sometimes I am sad when I should be happy. Sometimes I am down when I ought to be up. I wonder if you, too, struggle with your feelings not living up to what you or what others expect. The holidays especially can be an emotional roller coaster. When my daughter [...]
Nothing is so Sweet as One of Our Sundays
October 16, 2011
Nothing is so Sweet as One of Our Sundays Sunday Worship at St. Stephen’s Church includes the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion. We believe that in the mystery of receiving the sacrament of Christ’s most precious Body and Blood, in the Bread and the Wine, we are transformed. After receiving communion we leave different [...]
Musings: four-year-olds and God
June 3, 2011
Earlier this spring, I began leading Chapel for the preschool at St Stephens Episcopal Church in Catlett VA. I have truly enjoyed my time with these children. They are all such a blessing; full of love, wonder and the joy of life! Now that the school year is almost over, I have been reflecting on [...]
Swaddled by the Spirit
March 15, 2011
Seventeen years ago in July of 1993, my daughter Arabella was born. Now that I am preparing to be a grandmother, I am looking back with excitement, the joy of having a baby in my life. I remember the first time she smiled, her holding my index finger while she was in her baby bathtub, [...]
The Gift Giving Season
December 16, 2010
I am one of those people who love to receive gifts. I especially enjoy unexpected gifts. I love gifts that are beautifully and creatively wrapped. I appreciate gifts that have been carefully planned, gifts that are uniquely mine. Because I love receiving gifts, I tend to like giving gifts as well. I delight in giving [...]
The Thanksgiving Game
October 18, 2010
It is great that we set aside an entire day for thanks giving, a day devoted to the sole purpose of giving thanks. When my children were growing up my husband and I looked for ways to make Thanksgiving Day a special and unique tradition in our home. We set the table in the dining [...]
The Power With In Us
September 2, 2010
Sometimes I am absolutely struck to the core by the strength and courage I see in the lives of ordinary people living with extraordinary challenges. Daily I witness people who are battered by troubles yet not broken. They seem to have some extra special power to live strong lives. What is that? Look at Lance [...]
Hold on to God in Times of Grief
June 9, 2010
When my children were little we spent a week of each summer at the seashore. I have memories of sand castles landscaped with sea shells, of sea gulls scavenging for cookie scraps, of the smell of Coppertone, eating French fries on the boardwalk at noon, flying bright red and yellow kites at sunset, and steaming [...]
