Our Leadership
For pastoral care, please contact our Rector, Aaron Klinefelter.
Our office is open Monday to Friday 10am -5pm. You can contact our Office & Facility Manager, Donna Araiza, at (408) 252-4166. Emails can be sent to office@saintjudes.org and will be answered promptly during working hours.
Aaron can be reached at aaron@saintjudes.org, or via the office by calling (408) 252-4166 and leaving a message.
Below is a listing of all our leadership and a bit about them. We’re happy to hear from you!
Our Rector
Aaron Klinefelter was born and raised in Kentucky. He has degrees from Asbury University, Fuller Theological Seminary, and the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. He has served as a youth minister, Christian education director, college campus minister, house church planter/pastor, and priest in a wide variety of contexts and theological traditions. Aaron co-parents his three lively and creative children, Cloey, Timothy, and Elizabeth. They have one bouncy dog named Orca.
Our Associate Rector
Annalise Deal first felt called to the priesthood as a teenager at Trinity Church in Menlo Park. Following that call, she studied theology at Boston College, and then spent two years teaching middle school in Boston. In 2020, she returned to California to attend seminary, earning an M.Div from Church Divinity School of the Pacific and an MA in History of Religion from the Graduate Theological Union. She has worked with young people in a variety of contexts within and beyond the church, and is excited to share God’s love with people of all ages at St. Jude’s. Annalise and her husband, the Rev. Kevin Deal, live in the Mission District of SF, where Kevin serves as vicar at St. John the Evangelist. They have a dog, Pemi, and two one-eyed cats, Pablo and Marmalade.
Our Deacon
Robin Poppoff was born and raised in Palo Alto, and now lives in Mountain View. She has degrees from San Jose State University, Heald College, and the School for Deacons in Berkeley. The last 20 years of her secular career was spent working in medical device start-ups. Robin’s diaconal ministry has been spent in parish work and is delighted to be serving as St Jude’s deacon, sharing her belief that we are all the heart, hands and feet of Jesus in the world. Robin is a member of the diocesan Deacons Council. She happily shares her home with her one-eyed Siamese cat, Xena the Warrior Princess.
The Vestry
The Vestry
The Vestry is the elected governing body of St. Jude’s. Vestry members serve as legal representatives of the parish, sharing leadership with the Rector in carrying out our mission and ministry. They hold responsibility for finances, property, and human resources, but their role goes deeper than administration. They are called to a sacred ministry: discerning where God is leading St. Jude’s and helping articulate a hopeful vision for our future together.
Wardens
The Vestry is led by two wardens. The Senior Warden serves as the Rector’s primary lay partner in the leadership of the parish. The Junior Warden, known at St. Jude’s as the People’s Warden, serves as a direct representative of the congregation, giving voice to the needs and concerns of the community.
What does the Vestry do?
The Vestry’s responsibilities include discerning what God is calling our community to be and do, developing new leaders from across the congregation, stewarding the parish’s budget and property, and serving as the canonical governing body of St. Jude’s under the laws of California and the canons of The Episcopal Church.
Vestry members are elected at the Annual Meeting and serve three-year terms. They are not simply managers of church affairs. They are partners in mission.
The current Vestry members, by the year that their term ends, are:
2026
Diane Fitzpatrick
Sue Ramar
Mary Souza
Jennifer Stern
2027
Evie Azar
Doug Bailey
Pam Helmer
Amanda Williams
2028
Jill Batterson
Ken Foot
Elena Rapaka
Kristina Stone
Senior Warden: Pam Helmer
Junior Warden: Amanda Williams
Treasurer: Scott Rotondo
Vestry Clerk: Louise Marriott
Staff
Donna Araiza, Office & Facility Manager
Donna came to St. Jude’s after a long career in the Display Advertising department at the San Jose Mercury News where she was able to exercise her creativity. At St. Jude’s she runs the office and attends to facility rentals. She works with the Rector, music and liturgy teams to pull together the weekly bulletin. She is a diehard Nebraska Cornhusker fan where she graduated with a BA in Journalism & Advertising. She is the first place to start if you have a question about (nearly) anything. In her spare time Donna enjoys spending time with her family and dog, and traveling.
Cameron Clendaniel, Minister of Musical Arts
Cameron is a cradle Episcopalian whose love of music was nurtured at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in
Marion Lynch, Children and Youth Minister
Marion Lynch grew up attending St. Jude’s and taught Godly Play in high school. Now that she is back in the area she is excited to join the team to continue the high-quality children’s programming she experienced as a child. She recently graduated with a Biology undergrad from McGill in Montreal, where last year she ran children’s ministry at a downtown church. In her free time, Marion enjoys listening to audiobooks, watching Sharks hockey games, and swing dancing. She is eager to continue sharing the love of God with children at St. Jude’s.
Kristin Cameron, Communications Specialist
Kristin joins St. Jude’s with over a decade of experience in nonprofit communications. Brought up in San Jose, she studied Film and Media at U.C. Berkeley and began her career as an Art Teacher for 3rd-8th graders. Kristin loves exploring the world with her camera and spending quality time with friends and family.
Steve Swayze, Watchperson
Steve is our Watchperson. He ensures that the campus is safe and secure, assists with physical set-up for church activities and other events, and works with staff and parishioner leaders on various projects around the St. Jude’s campus.
Bishop of the Diocese of El Camino Real
The Right Reverend Lucinda Ashby was elected as our new bishop in 2019, replacing longtime bishop the Right Reverend Mary Gray-Reeves. Her consecration was in January 2020. Previously, Bishop Lucinda was the Canon to the Ordinary in Idaho since 2011.
Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
The Most Reverend Sean Rowe is Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church. He is the Chief Pastor and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer, and as Chair of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church.
ST. JUDE THE APOSTLE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
20920 McClellan Road
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 252-4166
office@saintjudes.org
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