Laurie Rofinot • Patrick F. Strohl • C. Christopher Thompson • Molly Dale Smith • Harrison West

The Rev. Laurie Rofinot

The Rev. Laurie Rofinot is a priest in the Diocese of Massachusetts, working at St. James's Church, Cambridge, as a field education supervisor and community organizer. She has been on the Massachusetts Clergy Association (MECA) board for four years and currently serves as its treasurer. Laurie has been married to Patrick Michaels since 1980, and they have one teenage daughter, Marian.

The Rev. Patrick F. Strohl

The Rev. Patrick F. Strohl is a vocational deacon from the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania where he has served as Chaplain to the Bishop of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, The Rt. Rev. Nathan D. Baxter, since March, 2007. He was ordained in November, 2005 and served the mission parish of St. Benedict’s in New Freedom, PA. until June, 2007. Patrick serves as treasurer of St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, Harrisburg, PA; co-treasurer of the Episcopal Home of Shippensburg, PA (a personal care home for seniors); chairperson of the diocesan Commission on Prison Ministry; secretary of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania Clergy Association and serves as a member of the diocesan Communications Commission. Pat is also a member of the board of Camp Mt. Luther, a camping and retreat center owned by the Upper Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He was a volunteer at General Convention in 2006 and has been elected as first alternate to the General Convention 2009 in Anaheim. He is serving his first term as a member of the board of NNECA

Originally from the Chicago area, he lived in Central Florida for twenty-one years before moving to Central Pennsylvania in 1993. He is a retired certified public accountant and retired controller of L. B. Smith, Inc., a heavy construction equipment and automobile dealer based in Camp Hill, PA.

He and his wife Sandy reside in Mechanicsburg, PA and have two children, four grandchildren and two cats.

The Rev. C. Christopher Thompson

The Rev. C. Christopher Thompson is currently serving as Rector of Eastern Shore Chapel in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Diocese of Southern Virginia. He has served in the Diocese of West Virginia, Southern Ohio and Southwest Florida. Chris is a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary and has been ordained since 1979.

The Rev. Dr. Molly Dale Smith

The Rev. Dr. Molly Dale Smith, an Episcopal priest, has served as a trained Intentional Interim Pastor since 1998. Canonically resident in the Diocese of New Jersey, she has served churches in the Dioceses of West Missouri, Newark, New Jersey, Florida, New York and Tennessee. Currently she is President of TMEC (Transitional Ministries in the Episcopal Church), formerly NAEIMS (National Association of Episcopal Interim Ministry Specialists), and president –elect of NNECA (National Network of Episcopal Clergy Associations). She has received the PTS (Professional Transition Specialist) designation from the Interim Ministry Network. As an IMN faculty member, Molly enjoys working with people from a variety of religious traditions.

In addition, Molly is a Consultant in Transition, Search and Congregational Development. She has studied consultancy at the Center for Congregational Health and through the Alban Institute with Alice Mann and Speed Leas. Believing that change brings challenge and opportunity, Molly enjoys helping both individuals and congregations to discover new and viable approaches to transition.

The Rev. Harrison West

Since August 1995, Harrison West has served as the Associate Rector of St. John’s Church, Norwood Parish in Chevy Chase, MD. He previously served Grace Church, Chattanooga, TN as Assistant and then Interim Rector, as well as Chaplain of the parish’s St. Nicholas’ School. After undergraduate study at Carleton College (Northfield, MN) and graduate work in art and architectural history at the University of Oregon (Eugene), he worked in real estate and his family's automobile parts warehouses before entering The School of Theology at The University of the South (Sewanee, TN). After graduation in 1990 Harrison returned home to Oregon for ordination and service at Grace Memorial Church, Portland.

In the Diocese of Oregon, Harrison first participated in the Clergy Association movement. He quickly became convinced of the benefits of gatherings of clergy colleagues -- whether diocesan, regional, or smaller groups -- for learning, mutual support, advocacy and spiritual growth. In the Diocese of Washington, Harrison has served on the board of the Washington Episcopal Clergy Association, on the Diocese’s Human Resources Commission, and Commission on Ministry, and has actively participated in regular regional (deanery) clergy gatherings and a colleague group mentored by Family Systems therapist Margaret Treadwell (editor of works by Rabbi Edwin Friedman). He has been a member of NNECA’s board since 2005.