STAFF

  • THE REV. DAVID LANGILLE

    Rector

    The Rev. Dave Langille is our Rector, coming back to serve at Messiah in 2020. Before accepting this call, he was Rector of St. Martin’s by-the-Lake in Minnetonka Beach, MN.  Fr. Dave is no stranger to Messiah, having served here first as Lay Associate, then as Priest Associate, from 1999-2011. Dave is married to Diane, a Minneapolis Public Schools teacher. They have two adult sons, Sam and Luc.


    Fr. Dave is a Canadian citizen, having lived in Minnesota since 1994. He is a graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, and Regent College, Vancouver.  He completed his Anglican year of study at the Atlantic School of Theology, Halifax, Nova Scotia.


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  • JEFF KIDDER

    MUSIC DIRECTOR

    Jeff Kidder has led Messiah’s Music Ministry since 1991. He is grateful for his family heritage of music and Christian worship, which provided roots for his own ministry and faith renewal, rekindled when he began attending Messiah in 1989. Jeff's main work is to plan and lead music for Sunday worship and other services. Jeff directs the Festival Choir, serves on the Worship Arts Committee and coordinates music and worship for the community, offering resources and supporting activities in a variety of contexts (adults, youth and children, small groups, etc.). 

    Jeff also offers music ministry in other contexts in ECMN and in his neighborhood, including Shobi's Table food truck and Recovery Cafe Frogtown.

    Jeff is married to Kristen (who first brought him to Messiah), teaches private guitar students, enjoys performing for special events, spending time with his grown sons and grandchildren, bicycling and other outdoor recreation.


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  • PAUL JOHNSON

    associate minister for youth and parish life

    Paul has been on staff at Messiah since 2004 and Youth Director since 2018.  Paul's happy place is driving a 15 passenger van full of teenagers on an adventure (really!) and is passionate about seeing youth and adults become lifelong disciples of Jesus. His wife Libby grew up attending Messiah. They have three boys, Gibbie, Ezra, and William. He is also an award-winning fine art photographer and a coffee enthusiast. Paul is a Postulant for Holy Orders in the Episcopal Church and a seminarian at Nashotah House Theological Seminary.


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  • Jennifer asp

    Children's Ministry Director

    Jen is new to Messiah and so grateful to be here. Jen is an enthusiastic learner and enjoyer of Scripture, people, and ministry work. She has a master’s degree in education specializing in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and spent about a decade teaching ESL in Lima, Peru; Boston, MA; Reston, VA; and St. Paul, MN as well as writing local and national curricula. She earned a master’s degree in 2022 in Biblical and Theological studies from Covenant Theological Seminary and is currently finishing her Master of Divinity degree from the same seminary. She and her husband, David, have two children: Caroline and Joshua plus a crazy puppy named Bob Weir. Jen delights in the creativity and rhythms of children’s ministry and is excited to participate in the discipleship of children at Messiah.


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  • karen carr

    connections coordinator

    The connections coordinator responds to callers, congregation, and clergy, compiles reports, assists in financial record keeping, and provides support for ministries. Karen and her family came to Messiah in 1999 and she started in her current position at the beginning of 2018. Karen worked in the Registration Office of the Extension School at the University of Minnesota for a number of years before being an assistant to Edith Schaeffer and later homeschooling her children. Karen lives in Saint Paul and loves spending time on the North Shore. She is an avid reader of literature and participates in two book groups.


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  • the rev. dr. george slanger

    PRIEST IN RESIDENCE

    In May, 2001, George Slanger retired from 30-year career as an English professor and administrator at Minot State University in North Dakota. That same month, he was ordained as an Episcopal Priest in All Saints Episcopal Church in Minot, where he served as a volunteer Assisting Priest until 2011, when he moved to Lakeville. He and his wife Joanne have four grown children. Their daughter, Julie Saxton, and her husband, Paul, are also members at Messiah.


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