Father Burgess became the thirteenth rector of Christ Church in February 2005. A native of Southwest Florida, he previously served as Rector of Saint John’s in Brooksville, Florida, and then as Associate Priest and Chaplain of the Parish Day School at Saint Luke’s in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana and a Master of Divinity degree (with honors) from the University of the South–School of Theology in Sewanee, Tennessee where he was awarded the George Thomas Shettle Prize for Excellence in Liturgical Reading and currently holds a clerical seat on the Board of Trustees. Father Burgess is a Priest of the Society of the Holy Cross (Societas Sanctae Crucis), recently held a three-year elected position on Diocesan Council and has served as Dean of the Woodbury Convocation.

Father Sullivan joined Christ Church’s family in 1998 after retiring as Rector at St. John’s Chews Landing in Blackwood, New Jersey, where he served from 1972 to 1997. He is a graduate of Princeton University and the Divinity School of Philadelphia.

The Reverend Dr. John E. Bird, Jr., Assisting

Father Bird retired from St. Uriel the Archangel Church in Sea Girt, New Jersey in 1998, and returned to Woodbury to live and assist at Christ Church, where he was a Curate from 1969 to 1975. He has also served as Rector at The Church of the Good Shepherd in Jacksonville, Florida, and at St. Luke and the Epiphany in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Monmouth College (cum laude), the Divinity School of Philadelphia, and earned his doctorate at the Virginia Theological Seminary.

The Reverend Canon William Rauscher, Assisting

Canon Rauscher retired as the 11th Rector of Christ Church in 1996, where he served for 36 years. Previously he was Vicar of St. Stephen’s Church in Florence, New Jersey, from 1957 to 1960. He is a graduate of Glassboro State College (now Rowan University), the Divinity School of Philadelphia, and was made an Honorary Canon at Trinity Cathedral in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1971.

Ms. Marietta Hutchison, Parish Administrator

Ms. Marietta Hutchison joined the staff of Christ Church in the summer of 2010.  As office administor, she is responsible for designing and editing our Sunday service sheets, producing our parish newsletter and maintaining the church website.  Additionally, Marietta writes articles for outreach publications and coordinates relations beyond the church community.  She holds a B.A. in Fine Arts from George Washington University in Washington, DC, has three children and lives in Wenonah, NJ.

Mrs. Mariana Torres, Parish Sexton

Mariana officially joined our staff as part-time parish Sexton in February 2009. She maintains direct oversight and is responsible for the successful maintenance and orderly presentation of parish buildings, facilities, and grounds. Mariana, formerly of the Dominican Republic, is highly respected as a valued member of a local school maintenance staff, being hand-selected for maintenance responsibilities that pertain to the Superintendent’s office and board facilities. Mariana is married and the mother of  two children. She possesses a personality that is both pleasant and contagious. In her spare time Mariana loves to cook.

Mr. Richard W. Kurtz, Parish Organist and Choirmaster

Richard has been on staff as Organist and Choirmaster since 1976. He attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, and graduated from Westminster Choir College in Princeton. He and his wife Gloria have two grown daughters. As a partner of the R. W. Kurtz Organ Company, he is responsible for tuning and maintaining pipe organs in NY, NJ, PA, & DE.

Mr. George T. Mitchell, Jr., Assistant Organist

Mr. Mitchell studied piano and organ in Philadelphia with teachers and associate faculty members of the Clark Conservatory. He served as Organist/Choirmaster for several churches from 1953 to 1962 when he accepted that position at Christ Church, Woodbury. He left that post in 1969, and from then until the present he has continued to serve as Assistant Organist at Christ Church, as well as a substitute organist for area churches under the auspices of the Southwest Jersey Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, of which he is a member.

Mr. John Burrows, Assistant Organist

From an early age, John Burrows was a choirboy at S. George’s Church in Newcastle-under-Lyme, England.  At fourteen he was appointed Assistant Organist at the church and two years later passed the Associate of the Royal College of Organists examination.  He went on to become Organ Scholar at S. Edmund Hall in Oxford, finally graduating in organ performance from the Royal Manchester college of Music.  Before moving to the USA, he spent twelve seasons on the Music Staff of English National Opera and was the Musical Director of a wide range of musicals in London’s West End.  In 1983, he founded the Lyric Opera of Dallas and acted as the company’s Principal Conductor and Artistic Director for ten seasons.  He has also served as Chorusmaster of Des Moines Metro Opera and the Pennsylvania Opera Theater.

Mrs. Emily Piskun, Sunday School Superintendent

Emily, a Woodbury resident and lifelong Christ Church member, has many fond memories of her youth in Christ Church and Woodbury. Emily graduated from Woodbury Jr.-Sr. High School. She earned her BS in Elementary Education from Bucknell University and her Masters in School Administration from Rowan University. She has a varied career in elementary education, having taught kindergarten, transitional 1st, 2nd and currently 5th grade for the Washington Township School District. At Christ Church you have seen Emily in the Youth choir, as a 5th and 6th grade Sunday School teacher, and most recently as a Confirmation class teacher. Emily has been a member of Vestry since August 2006. Her bright smile accompanies all her tasks.

Ms. Jennifer Allbright, Nursery Sitter

Jennifer joined the staff as part-time Nursery Sitter in April 2008. A life-long member of Christ Church, she was baptized and confirmed here. Jennifer has the perfect personality for working with our children; she is bright, energetic and has an engaging laugh. Jen conveys a love for our parish that is contagious. Professionally, Jennifer has recently obtained her Home Health Aid Certification. She enjoys her job immensely, and her training in this area only enhances the gifts that she brings to this important ministry of hospitality and education.

Mr. John Beardsworth, Facilities Manager

John joined the staff of Christ Church in May of 2012.  He is a graduate of Collingswood Senior     High School and a veteran of the United States Coast Guard, having served honorably for four years as a Storekeeper 2^ndClass (E-5).  His professional experience includes working within the maintenance department Lakeland in Blackwood, New Jersey; for the Borough of Pine Hill in Pine Hill, New Jersey; and for 27 years, as an employee of the U. S. Postal Service.Since retirement from the Postal Service, John has volunteered on behalf of the American Legion George Walton Post 371 in Gibbsboro, NJ where he has been an active member for 26 years.  John is the father of a grown son and he presently lives in Pine Hill, New Jersey.  John’s hobbies include golf and fishing.

Ms. Susann Kaback, Preschool Teacher
Susann Kaback began the Preschool Program at Christ Church in 2012 as a necessary response to the parish’s tremendous growth in the nursery.  Susann graduated from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) with her MA in Library Science and is the childrens’ librarian at Deptford Public Library.  She has served as a long-time Sunday School teacher at Christ Church and brings her enthusiasm for early education, growth and learning to this very important aspect of parish life.