Rector
The Rev. April Berends

Contact:
​aberends@saygrace.net
Office Phone: 423-698-2433

April's Bio

The Reverend April Berends comes to Grace Church from Christ Church Episcopal of Chattanooga, where she recently served as the vicar.  Prior to coming to the Diocese of East Tennessee, she was the rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Milwaukee for six years.  Before that, April served on the liturgy staff at  the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC. She was ordained in Miami, Florida, where she began her ministry at Trinity Cathedral. Before entering the priesthood, April worked for several years in nonprofit management at a large HIV/AIDS services organization in Miami. 

April began her ministry at Grace Church in December of 2017. She is particularly interested in building relationships within the parish and the wider community, and in helping congregations to listen to the world around us as we discern how God is calling us to engage with our neighborhoods and our cities.

April is a graduate of Yale Divinity School/Berkeley Divinity School and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree at Emory University. She enjoys hiking, cooking, growing vegetables, writing, pottery, photography and exploring both cities and forests. She has been married to The Reverend Drew Bunting, an Episcopal priest and songwriter, for 17 years.  They have two young children.   

Curate
The Rev. David Burman

Contact:
​dburman@saygrace.net
Office Phone: 423-698-2433

David's Bio

The Reverend David Burman is a recent graduate of the School of Theology at Sewanee, a seminary about an hour west of Chattanooga.  He was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but he mostly grew up in Knoxville, TN.

Before seminary, David took part in the Episcopal Service Corps in Connecticut and Colorado, where he worked for churches and non-profit organizations. He loves baseball history, and enjoys playing frisbee and “creative” croquet – a kind of croquet where the course is different each time. At some point soon, David hopes to adopt a cat. 

Staff Directory

Director of Christian Formation
Maria Hurt
Contact for:  Children's Ministry, Nursery, Preschool
mhurt@saygrace.net
Director of Music and Choirmaster
David Long
​dlong@saygrace.net
Bells of Grace Handbell Choir Director
Jerry Draper
Contact for: Handbell Choir
Parish Administrator
Paula Garner
Contact for:  Administration, Finance, Membership Information
pgarner@saygrace.net
Internal Communications
Dabney Carden
Contact for:  Parish Newsletter, Book Store, Rector's Calendar
dcarden@saygrace.net