Our Story

Hear stories of St. Paul’s members and learn more about our community.

The Rev. Dr. Jarred Mercer

Fr. Jarred is our Parish Priest, or Rector. He leads our mission and communal life together, administers the sacraments, teaches, and encourages our spiritual life of worship and prayer. Fr. Jarred came to St. Paul’s in May of 2020 after 11 years in the UK where he was a priest in the Church of England and an academic researcher and chaplain at the University of Oxford. His passions include poetry, music, books, books, books, politics, and raising young activists (i.e., his three children). His interests used to include rock climbing and backpacking, but life as a parent has gotten in the way of these things the past dozen years. Fr. Jarred is married to Chelsea, who is much more fun and likeable than he is. He is available for pastoral care, personal confession, or to talk to anyone for any reason.

Email Fr. Jarred

Deb Hay, Parish Administrator

Deb is our Parish Administrator. She oversees the administration of the parish alongside the Rector and Senior Warden. Deb is involved in all aspects of St. Paul’s life and is the main point of communication for the church. She also coordinates the use of the church buildings for recovery groups, Among Friends, and other services and ministries.

Email Deb, 978 465 5351

Mark Meyer, Music Director

Mark is the Music Director. He directs our choir and leads our music for Sunday worship. Before coming to St. Paul’s, Mark served as organist and choir director for churches in Boston, New Jersey, Illinois, Maryland, and Virginia. In addition to directing adult choirs, he has led children’s, youth, and handbell choirs. He is a graduate of Concordia College, New York, and has a Master of Church Music degree from Concordia University, Chicago. Mark and his wife Virginia are originally from New Jersey, where they met when he was hired as the music director at her church. Since 1995 they have lived in Lowell. Virginia is a math teacher at Lowell High School and sings alto in St. Paul’s choir. She is involved in several other activities at St. Paul’s, not the least of which is turning pages for Mark.

Email Mark

The Rev. Canon David Lee Carlson, Priest Associate

The Rev’d Canon David Lee Carlson was born in New York on the 24th of December in 1958, the youngest of three sons.  He received a BA from Hamilton College in 1981 after which he attended The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.  After London he moved to Manhattan and joined The Church of the Ascension on 5th Avenue.  While serving in that parish’s food pantry and homeless shelter the call to the priesthood, which he had been struggling with since the age of 11, could no longer be ignored.  The Rector and Vestry agreed and sponsored him for ordination.  After attending The General Theological Seminary, where he served as Seminarian at San Juan Bautista Mission in the South Bronx, David was called to be Curate of The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Manhattan.  He was ordained priest at St. Mary’s on the 29th of September, 1992 (Michaelmas).  He went on to be the Rector of St. Augustine’s in Croton-on-Hudson, NY; and then Rector of The Church of the Good Shepherd, Manhattan.  After two rectorships he was called to serve as Canon Missioner of The Delaware Catskill Ministry in the Mid-Hudson Region of the Diocese of New York.  David and his husband Timothy Smith, retired in 2021.  Back in 2014 they purchased one of the oldest homes in Newburyport, dated to 1678 by a recent dendrochronology study.  Over the last ten years they have attended St. Paul’s mostly while vacationing in Newburyport.  This spring they formally joined the parish as members.  Their primary residence is in Haverhill, New Hampshire, but St. Paul’s is their spiritual home. 

Church Wardens

Our Vestry, the representative leadership of the parish

Deirdre Budzyna, Senior Warden

Stu Tuthill, Junior Warden

Susan Acquaviva, Clerk

Nick Ives, Treasurer