The Rev. Ryan Whitley, Rector

Fr. Ryan came to the Christian faith as a young person, growing up in the Episcopal Church and serving from a young age on the acolyte team and lay reading team of St. Hilary’s his home church in Ft. Myers. He was an active member of the youth group there (the “Cool Beans”) and even served on a search committee as a youth representative for a new youth director. But it was in the Diocesan Happening program (a spiritual renewal weekend retreat for high schoolers) that he really began to take his faith seriously, and where he first heard his call to ordained ministry. After ordination, he served St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Tampa as a Youth Minister and loved leading weekly youth group meetings, taking an annual youth group summer trip, and directing high schoolers to the Happening program. In his family life now, he is married to Elise and together they have Jackson and Caroline. Caroline is currently serving as an acolyte and Jackson is an active participant in Sunday School. Elise is a St. Thomas' Bell Ringer in the Handbell Choir, a Eucharistic Minister, and is one of our Sunday School teachers. All together they love trying new restaurants, family movie nights (with popcorn!), and spending time at the beach and in the mountains.