The Rev. Gregory L. Milikin, Rector
The Rev. Gregory L. Millikin (he/him) began as rector of St. Mark’s Parish in August of 2023. Prior to this, Greg+ was the vicar and then rector of Grace Episcopal Church in New Lenox, Illinois, as rector. His first call after seminary was as the Associate Rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, in Alexandria, Virginia. Ordination followed his ten years in the film industry primarily at Fox Searchlight Pictures, in the creative advertising department.
Greg is also active at the church-wide and diocesan levels. He was a deputy to the 80th General Convention of the Episcopal Church in July 2022, where he also served as an Assistant Chaplain to the House of Deputies and as a secretary in Committee 12 on Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music. Greg was appointed by the President of the House of Deputies to the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music in October 2022.
In the Diocese of Chicago, Greg volunteers his time as the diocesan liturgist. He is the Vice-Chair of the Commission on Ministry and a member of the Congregations Commission of the diocese. He previously served on the Board of Trustees of Episcopal Charities. Greg 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 was ordained to the presbyterate in January 2016 and holds a Master in Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary. He is also a proud alumnus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications in 2001. At UNC, he served as a student leader of the Episcopal Campus Ministry at the Chapel of the Cross, and contributed as a staff writer to the Daily Tar Heel.
Westley Art Hodges, Director of Music Ministries
Westley Art Hodges (he/they) is a native of New Orleans and resides in Chicago, IL, as of 2018. Currently, Westley serves as the Director of Music Ministries at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Evanston, IL. Before being at St. Mark’s, they served as Director of Music for The Annunciation of Our Lady Episcopal Church in Gurnee, IL, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Peoria, IL, St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church, McDonough, GA, St. Aiden’s Episcopal Church, Alpharetta GA, and St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, Long Beach, MS. Outside of church work, Westley performs as an accompanist and solo artist and teaches private music lessons to a studio of 24+ students.
Westley earned their Associate of the Arts in Music Education at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Perkinston, MS, studied Clarinet Performance at Delta State University, Cleveland, MS, and earned a Bachelor of the Arts in Liberal Studies with a Minor in Women and Gender Studies at The University of Illinois Springfield.
Currently, Westley is a Lakeside Pride Symphonic Band member and the director of the Lakeside Pride Clarinet Choir. Westley is also the clarinetist for Amethyst Winds, a Chicago-based Woodwind Quintet.
Outside of work, Westley enjoys spending time with their husband Joseph, and Daylie-Lark (Westley and Joseph’s black lab).
Rudy Burke, Building Services Technician