Meet the staff & vestry of the Episcopal Church of the Messiah.

BLESSED ARE OUR CLERGY, STAFF & VESTRY

Our clergy, staff and vestry are here to support and guide. Please take a moment to meet them.

Clergy

The Rev. Roy Tripp

Vicar

Dear Friends of Church of the Messiah,

Grace and peace to you.

I am writing with deep gratitude and genuine excitement as I introduce myself as your new Vicar. I am honored to have accepted the call to serve the Church of the Messiah, and I look forward to beginning this shared ministry together.

What makes this call especially meaningful to me is the opportunity not only to serve this parish, but for my wife, Liz Devoir and I to live among you here in Myrtle Beach. I will be the first of your vicars to reside in the community, and I believe deeply that ministry is strongest when the church is rooted in the everyday life of its people—present, visible, and engaged.

I come to you with a deep love for parish ministry: worship that is reverent and alive, pastoral care that is personal and faithful, and a church that knows its neighbors by name. Alongside this, I bring an entrepreneurial approach to spirituality—one that is creative, adaptive, and attentive to how the Holy Spirit is already at work beyond our walls. In a storefront setting especially, I see opportunity: to experiment, to listen closely, and to grow organically as a community shaped by prayer, hospitality, and mission.

My hope is that the Church of the Messiah will continue to be a place where tradition and imagination meet—where ancient faith speaks clearly to present lives, and where all are welcomed to encounter Christ with honesty and hope.

I am eager to meet you, to hear your stories, and to begin discerning together what God is calling us to be and to do in this season. Please know of my prayers as we prepare for this new chapter, and I ask for yours as well.

With gratitude and anticipation,

The Rev. Roy Tripp

The Rev. Jim Craig

Priest Associate

Fr Jim and his family relocated to Myrtle Beach in July 2019 after retiring from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Leominster, MA where he served as rector for 23 years. He assists Fr. John and celebrates the Eucharist a couple of times a month.

Fr Jim and his wife Cindy have been married for almost 49 years and have six children. Their two biological children, Eric & Sarah, two grown adopted daughters, Moriah & Jenna, and their two young grandsons, Jayden & Mason, whom they have permanent guardianship of.

In their spare time Fr Jim and Cindy enjoy going to the gym and spending time with the boys at the pool and beach.

The Rev. George Welles

Priest Associate

Annie & George Welles. Still very happily 66 years married. Natives of New England, born and raised outside of Boston. Both of us were teachers as well as directors of waterfronts. Annie was a swimming champ in her days. George a Virginia Seminary graduate. Over the years, they co-pastored several mission congregations, with George the vicar and Annie the organizer of church dinners. Parents of 8 children, a family that’s grown into 25 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. And now happily enjoying life here in Myrtle Beach with the Messiah folk, our new church family, as well as frequently zooming with our very large family.

Staff

Charles Jones Evans

Director of Music

Originally from Dallas, TX, Charles has been a resident of Myrtle Beach since 1996. He has served as Music Director at Messiah, playing organ/piano and directing the choir, since 2013. He is also Music Director of the Long Bay Symphony, this area’s professional orchestra. Charles holds music degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music, Southern Methodist University and the Eastman School of Music.

Patty Tate

Parish Secretary

Patty joins us with over fifteen years of behind the scenes work at churches. You will find her in the office Tuesdays & Wednesdays from 8:00 to 4:00. Her job duties are varied and include:

communication (website, enewsletter & soon the Sunday bulletin)
membership (transfers, updating records, directories)
general assistance to members & visitors

Her goal is to support the staff, vestry, parishioners and visitors so that the church may grow into their vision.

She is married to Larry for over 30 years and they have two grown children, Allie & Gar, who live out of state. When not working, Patty plays pickleball, does yoga, volunteers at a food pantry, reads, and walks on the beach.

Chelsea

Children's Church Minister

Chelsea considers herself a Myrtle Beach local after moving to this beach paradise in 2005 from Cleveland, Ohio. A passionate Sunday School teacher, she brings over 15 years of babysitting experience, including time caring for children in the community, to her lessons. Chelsea creates engaging and interactive lessons every Sunday that will leave your child excited to come back next week.

With experience ranging from newborns to teenagers, Chelsea's childcare expertise is vast. She even spent over 5 years as a nanny in Australia, demonstrating her ability to thrive in different environments. Since returning to the States in 2022, Chelsea has completed her Paralegal degree at Horry Georgetown Technical College and is currently pursuing a Marketing Degree at Coastal Carolina University. A well-rounded individual, when Chelsea isn't nurturing young minds or hitting the books, you can find her enjoying the outdoors with her 3 puppies, soaking up the sun at the beach, or curled up with a bestselling novel.

Vestry

What Is a Vestry?

The vestry is the legal representative of the parish with regard to all matters pertaining to its corporate property. The number of vestry members and the term of office varies from parish to parish. Vestry members are usually elected at the annual parish meeting. The presiding officer of the vestry is the rector. There are usually two wardens. The senior warden leads the parish between rectors and is a support person for the rector. The junior warden often has responsibility for church property and buildings. A treasurer and a secretary or clerk may be chosen. These officers may or may not be vestry members. The basic responsibilities of the vestry are to help define and articulate the mission of the congregation; to support the church’s mission by word and deed, to select the rector, to ensure effective organization and planning, and to manage resources and finances.

Messiah's Vestry Roles

Rick - as Senior Warden he works closely with the Vicar and on occasion the diocese. He guides the vestry to ensure that both long and short term needs of the church are met.

Monica - as Junior Warden she is a member of the executive team with the Vicar and Senior Warden as well as being the personnel liaison.

Christine, Eileen, Kristi, Pat - as vestry members they tend to the operational tasks while ensuring everything aligns with our long-term vision. Pat also serves as our clerk.

Charlie - advises the vestry on legal issues.

Peggy - is our treasurer. Reach out to her for questions regarding your pledge or giving.

Our vestry is elected each year at our annual meeting. Each vestry member serves a 3-year term. Legal adviser and treasurer are not elected positions. Vestry member is an elected leadership position open to members who have been actively involved for at least a year. If interested in serving, look for information in the late fall.