Our mission is to be a beacon of hope and love in a fragmented and fraught world.

At St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, we believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us into members of God’s Holy Kingdom, where following the example of the risen and universal Christ we are empowered to humble ourselves and serve the world.

Clergy

The Rev. Gregory L. Millikin

RECTOR
(he/him)
rector@stmarksevanston.org

The Rev. Gregory L. Millikin has been the rector of St. Mark’s parish since August of 2023. He has previously served as rector of Grace Episcopal Church in New Lenox, IL, and associate rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA. Fr. Greg is active at the church-wide and diocesan levels in various roles including serving on the Standing Commission for Liturgy & Music and the Diocese of Chicago’s Commission on Ministry. Ordained to the priesthood in January, 2016, Fr. Greg holds a Master in Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He is the author of Being Called, Being Gay, from Church Publishing (2018), a primer for the LGBTQIA+ community discerning for ministry in the Episcopal Church. He has also contributed to Introduction to Ministry: A Primer for Renewed Life and Leadership in Mainline Protestant Congregations (Wiley-Blackwell, 2015) and Words That Listen: A Literary and Artistic Companion to the Lectionary (Church Publishing, 2018). He enjoys cooking, playing music, singing karaoke, and traveling.

Ministers & Staff

Westley Art Hodges

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC MINISTRIES
(he/they)
music@stmarksevanston.org

Westley Art Hodges has been the Director of Music Ministries at St. Mark’s since 2019. Prior to this, they served as the Director of Music in several Episcopal churches in Gurnee and Peoria, IL, McDonough and Alpharetta, GA, and Long Beach, MS.

Westley earned their Associate of the Arts in Music Education from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, studied Clarinet Performance at Delta State University, and earned a Bachelor of the Arts in Liberal Studies with a Minor in Women and Gender Studies from The University of Illinois Springfield.

Outside of church work, Westley performs as an accompanist and solo artist and teaches private music lessons. They are the clarinetist for Amethyst Winds, a Chicago-based Woodwind Quintet, and a Lakeside Pride Symphonic Band member and Clarinet Choir director.

Melissa has been the verger at St. Mark’s since fall of 2025. In this role she coordinates the volunteers in worship service, leads the acolyte team, and supports multiple ministries.

Melissa comes from a varied background of nondenominational, evangelical, and Episcopal churches. She has trained Benedictine and Ignatian spiritual practices, attended the College of Congregational Development, and studied the origin and history of Scripture under the contemporary scholar Karen Keen.

Professionally, Melissa creates user-friendly websites for nonprofits and churches. Visit Fishers of Folk Digital Design to learn more.

Melissa Ferguson

VERGER
(she/her)
verger@stmarksevanston.org

Rudy Burke

SEXTON
(he/him)

Rudy Burke has served at St. Mark’s as the Sexton since 2014. He oversees cleaning and repairs of the building and has worked faithfully to help keep our campus beautiful, clean, and safe.

Rudy is a deeply spiritual person and a devout church leader at North Side Tabernacle in Wilmette, IL. He has been known as an unofficial pastor of his home church for the mentorship he provided to the youth.

Contact the church office to make an appointment with Rudy.

Vestry

The Vestry is a group of lay parishioners elected by the congregation to grapple with where God is calling St. Mark’s and then discern together how best to get there by being good stewards of our resources. In the Episcopal Church, the vestry comprises of the Rector, Wardens and the elected Vestrypersons (who typically serve three-year terms). The Treasurer and Clerk may be appointed by the Vestry each year, and may sit on or off the Vestry.

If you are interested in serving as a vestry member at St. Mark’s, please speak with the rector or warden to learn more about this ministry.