Our Clergy & Staff

The Right Reverend Jacob W. Owensby, PhD, DD  Bishop
​The Rt. Rev. Jacob W. Owensby, Ph.D., D.D. was consecrated and seated as the 4th Bishop of The Episcopal Church in Western Louisiana on Saturday, July 21, 2012, in St. Mark’s Cathedral, Shreveport. At the time of his election in April of 2012, he was serving as Dean of St. Mark’s Cathedral.

A graduate of the School of Theology at Sewanee, Bishop Jake, as we call him, was ordained to the diaconate and then to the priesthood in 1997, in the Diocese of Florida. He served on staff at St. Mark’s, Jacksonville, as assistant rector for Christian Formation until accepting a call to be the rector of St. Stephen’s in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2003, Bishop Jake became rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in metropolitan St. Louis and served there until coming to St. Mark’s, Shreveport, in the fall of 2008.

Before ordination, Bishop Jake earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from Emory University, where he also received both bachelor's and master's degrees. At Jacksonville University, he served on the philosophy faculty and taught a range of both advanced and introductory courses. Bishop Jake is the author of A Full Hearted Life: Following Jesus in this Secular Age (Abingdon Press, 2024), Looking for God in Messy Places: A Book About Hope (Abingdon Press, 2021), A Resurrection Shaped Life (Abingdon Press, 2018), Your Untold Story (Church Publishing, 2018), and Gospel Memories (Morehouse, 2016). He has three adult children and lives in Alexandria, Louisiana, with his wife Joy and rescue pup, Gracie.
The Rev. Canon John D. Bedingfield  Rector
​The Rev. Canon John Bedingfield came to St. James in November of 2021.  He was called as Rector in January, 2022.
 
Canon John was ordained in the Diocese of Texas, after having received a Masters of Divinity degree from The Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest – what is now Seminary of the Southwest.  He also earned a liberal arts B.A. from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a law degree (Juris Doctor) from the University of Texas School of Law. 
 
Canon John practiced law for a number of years before being ordained to the priesthood.  He has served congregations in Houston and Silsbee, Texas; and Lafayette, Opelousas, St. Joseph, and Alexandria, Louisiana. 
 
Canon John is married to Donna.  They have two grown children and nine grandchildren in Florida and Texas.  You will see them with Taylor, their youngest, on Sundays.  Taylor has Down Syndrome and is very proud of having graduated from high school in 2020 and is currently enrolled as a student in the Louisiana State University at Alexandria SPERO Program.  The Bedingfield family also has a dog and a cat (who are very close to each other in size, and who run the household).  Canon John appreciates most genres of music and loves playing the guitar.
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The Rev. Shelley Martin  Curate
Originally from Durham, North Carolina, Mother Shelley has lived across the country and internationally as a former military spouse, eventually reaching Augusta, Georgia in 2016. While stationed there with her young family, she was able to complete her undergraduate coursework at Augusta University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Integrated Studies focusing on Anthropology and Communication. 

She went on to serve that same campus community as the Episcopal Campus Ministry’s missioner, and it was from this space that she heard God’s call to ordained ministry. She and her child, Penn, left Augusta for The University of the South (Sewanee, TN) in 2021, where she received her Master of Divinity degree in May of 2024. From there she accepted the call from the Diocese of Western Louisiana to serve as curate at St. James Episcopal Church in Alexandria. Mother Shelley was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests by Bishop Jake Owensby on behalf of Bishop Frank Logue on Saturday, October 12, 2024 at St. James Episcopal Church.

Mother Shelley and Penn enjoy many shared hobbies – crafting, painting, disc golf, nature walks –and are both often found with books in hand. Their small retinue is made complete by Abbot, Eliza, and Sage, their much-loved and quirky rescue cats, along with their dog, Hattie, and eight fish.
The Rev. Deacon Michael Parham  Deacon
The Rev. Michael Parham was ordained a permanent deacon at St. James in October of 2019, and later joined the clergy at St. James, coincidentally or with the work of God's Spirit, in December of 2019. 
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Michael brings to St. James a very fresh and authentic expression about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. He shoots from the hip, as it were, yet in a very loving way.

Michael grew up in LaSalle Parish and was a member of the Baptist faith. After a long absence from organized religion, he found his way to the Episcopal Church in 2012, having been invited to services at St. James by a friend. It was just a few years later that he discerned a call to ordained ministry.

Deacon Michael's passion for ministry involves those who live with hunger, the unhoused, those living with HIV /AIDS, addiction/ recovery, and visiting those in prison. He believes that his calling involves extending the healing love of Jesus Christ to all people. 

Michael currently serves as Chair of the Bishop’s Commission on Addiction and Recovery.

In his "other life," Michael works as a Chief Quality Officer for a local hospital. Michael's hobbies include travel and photography. He resides in Alexandria with two dogs, Charlie and Chester. 
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Lisa Harp  Parish Administrator
​Lisa began her ministry as Parish Administrator in September of 2021, and in this role she maintains the financial records of the church, which includes accounts payable and receivable, and payroll. In addition, she works with Canon John and the Treasurer to present the Vestry and other lay committees, such as both the Finance and Investment Oversight Committees, the most up to date financial information for budget forecasting and stewardship decisions.

Lisa works with the Treasurer, Canon John, and the vestry in both developing and reporting the church's budget, as approved and overseen by the vestry. She also assists Canon John with decisions on the daily/weekly use of church property, oversees the manager of Mt. Olivet Cemetery, maintains congregational membership data, and is the point of contact with contractors and vendors.

Lisa worked for 26 years as the Office Manager/Controller for Brittain & White Construction in Alexandria, and has been an active community member throughout CENLA.
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​Rita Klock  Administrative Assistant
Rita is one of the first voices you may hear when calling St. James. She has been the parish, Administrative Assistant, since 2011, after retiring from 33 years of teaching in the local Alexandria school system. She spent a good bit of her career teaching children with special needs. 

In addition to her many duties centered around administrative tasks, Rita coordinates our Ministry Fund, an outreach effort in which we meet monthly with local residents to determine assistance for rent, utility assistance, or food. 

According to Rita, being "a mother and grandmother is my most fulfilling role by far."
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Michael Sterne  Music Director
Michael has served as Music & Choir Director since 2012, and he has been very active as both an accompanist and choral director for community theatre and music productions around Alexandria. Michael has 30 years of music teaching experience, especially piano. 

Michael has served as the accompanist for the Louisiana College Corale for 15 years, which toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe. He has been the Musical Director and/or accompanist for more than 50 productions for the CENLA (Central Louisiana) area, working with LBM Productions, City Park Players, Lagniappe Theatre, and Hallelujah (sponsored by the Alexandria Museum of Art). Michael has also performed with the Rapids Symphony Orchestra and has composed original scores for several local productions. 

Michael lives in Alexandria with his daughter, Emma. 
Melva Villard  Organist
A Central Louisiana resident for most of her life, Melva has enjoyed a fulfilling career in music education as well as in church music ministry. She holds both national and state certification as a teacher of piano through the Music Teachers National Association and the Louisiana Music Teachers Association. In 2021 she was honored to be named as the LMTA Outstanding Teacher of the Year, and currently serves as the Vice President of Certification for LMTA.

Melva holds a Bachelor of Music degree as well as a B.S. in Public Administration from Louisiana Christian University (formerly Louisiana College) and a Master of Music degree from Northwestern State University. She recently retired as Director of Music and Liturgy from St. Rita Catholic Church.

Melva and her husband Marty have an adult daughter, Morgan, who is a student in the SPERO program at LSUA. The family pets include Diamond Doves, House Sparrows, a green-cheeked conure, and a calico cat.
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