The following members of our congregation are serving their Church by giving their time
and talents.
Carol Ann "Deedie" Phillips Marshall, Rector
Born in Orangeburg, SC, she attended schools there
and in Atlanta, and, after two years at Erskine College, graduated from
USC-Columbia with a degree in French Language and Literature. She taught French in secondary school and then
worked in the Admissions Office at USC.
She began exploring the ordination process at St.
John’s Church, Columbia in 1992 with the support of Bishop Beckham. After a year at Lutheran Southern Seminary,
she completed training for the priesthood at Sewanee School of Theology and was
ordained as Deacon in June 1999 by Bishop Henderson. She has served as deacon in charge of
Christian Formation and Pastoral Care at St. Francis, Chapin and St, Martin’s
in the Fields, Columbia; as assistant to the chaplain at Still Hopes Episcopal
Retirement Community and as Chaplain Resident at Arkansas University Medical
Center and Deacon at St. Margaret’s, Little Rock, AR. She completed additional training in clinical
pastoral education at Palmetto Richland and Palmetto Baptist Hospitals and at
University of Arkansas Hospital in Little Rock.
After returning to Columbia from Little Rock, she
served three years as pastoral assistant at St. Albans, Lexington, before being
sent by Bishop Henderson as Deacon and
later priest-in-charge to Christ Church,
Lancaster, in September 2006. She was
ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Henderson in October 2006 and elected as
10th rector of Christ Church in November 2007.
Deedie has also served the Diocese in many
positions and currently is on the Diocesan Executive Council (elected 2007)
where she chairs the Commission on Convocations and serves on the Planning
Committee for the election of the new bishop and as coordinator of the
Community of Hope Pastoral Ministry. She
teaches in the School for Ministry.
The Rev Carol Anne Phillips Marshall married David Scott Phillips in 1972 (two sons: D. Scott Phillips, Jr. and Benjamin A. Phillips). David Phillips was killed in a hunting accident, 1993. She married Bruce Marshall in June 2007.
Connie Murphy, Parish Administrator
Connie is a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church in Seneca. She is married to Tom; their son, Christopher,
attends Seneca Middle School. Connie and her family moved to Seneca from Ft. Myers, FL in 2004.
They love experiencing the four seasons, hiking the trails in the mountains, and boating on many lakes in the
area. Connie and Tom have started their own furniture woodworking business, specializing in bunk beds.
She enjoys the close friendly atmosphere at Ascension and is happy to be part of our family.
Marsha Cabbage, Organist/Choir Director
Dee Mango, Senior Warden
Dee was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. After graduating from HS she went to Robert Morris Jr College for two years. She was a secretary for a law firm in the downtown area and then was an office manager for Sauerisen Cement Company that was involved in the Space Program providing different materials to NASA.
She is married to her husband Sam for 49 years. They have four children and six grandchildren. They moved to SC in 1989, and then she worked as office manager for OMC Wellness Center. On February 10, 2008 both she and Sam were Received into the Episcopal Church.
Lou Leffler, Junior Warden
Lou was raised in upstate New York as “essentially” (ask him if you want details) a cradle Episcopalian. After becoming an electrical engineer at RPI in 1959 (now you know when the cradle years were), he went to work in New Jersey for the electricity sector in power plant and grid operations and later, critical infrastructure protection; he retired in 2006. His wife is Barbara. They have Heather (Jules is her husband), Jason (Jasmine is his wife, daughter: Ariel, son: Ethan), and Stewart (Diane is his wife, and daughter, Meghann).
They were part of the St. Mark’s Community in Mendham, NJ. Lou served on Vestry including Warden. He worked with the Acolytes, helped teach Sunday School, served as Lay Eucharistic Minister in the Diocese of Newark, was a delegate at Diocesan Conventions, facilitator for the Anti-racism program, and active in Cursillo.
“Now, here at Ascension, I love our Church Family and greatly enjoy participating in our Services and activities.
Connie Spencer, Treasurer
Robbie Grider, Bookkeeper
Theresa Bryson, Clerk
Sid Bryson
Sid was born in Clinton, South Carolina. He has a Bachelors degree in Chemistry
from Erskine College and a Doctorate in Medical Dentistry from the Medical
University of South Carolina.
Sid's dental practice is in Walhalla.
His wife is Theresa Bryson.
Sid joined Church of the Ascension in 1995 and has served two terms on the Vestry.
Lynn Childress
Dr. Lynn Childress is a freelance copyeditor for Oxford University Press.
She received her doctorate in English Language and Literature at Oxford University in 1994. She has taught both British and American literature at Oxford University, the Williams College Oxford Program, and Clemson University.
Danny Hawkins
Danny is a retired South Carolina Law Enforcement Officer. He is employed as Manager of Hi Falls Express. He is Chaplain in the Masonic Order and 32 Mason. Danny is a Notary Public, South Carolina.
At Ascension he is Eucharistic Minister and Acolyte.
Danny is a graduate of Tri-County Technical College in Police Science; Anderson University in Chaplaincy. He also graduated from the SC Criminal Justice Academy and Correctional Officer Academy.
He enjoys Church (Being a Christian), reading, working with computers, guitars, and motor cycles.
Carol Pope
Carol graduated from the University of California-Berkeley in 1957, married Bob, and taught school for two years before their first daughter was born. Her husband's career took them to 13 different states before they retired to South Carolina in 1997.
Carol is a widow with two married daughters and two young granddaughters. They are all currently living in the Chicago area.
Carol became a member of Ascdension in 2002. She has served on the Outreach Committee, the Vestry, Search Committee and as ECW secretary. Currently she is the ECW treasurer, Breakfast Club treasurer, co-chair of the Altar Guild, and will begin a new term on the Vestry.
Betty Stephens
Bob Wilson
Bob was born in Terre Haue, Indiana. He served in the US Navy as Hospital Corpsman. After receiving his Pharmacy degree from Butler University he moved to Florida where he owned and operated the Lucerne Pharmacy in Lake Worth. After receiving his MS in Public Adminstration Bob served as Director, Mid-County Medical Center in West Palm Beach. He served as Florida's State Director for Pharmacy Service.
He and his wife (deceased) have two children.
Bob has served on the Vestry as Junior Warden and is currently also on the Good News and Christian Formation Ministries.
Pam Whitaker
Born in New York and raised on Long Island, Pam has an Associates degree from Centenary College for Women in Hackettstown, New Jersey and a Bachelors and teaching degree in Special Education from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She completed a Masters in Medical Science degree from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in 1971 where she met her husband, Allen. They moved to Wilson, North Carolina where they lived for 35 years and raised two sons, Alex and Wes. While in Wilson, they attended St. Timothy's Episcopal Church. Pam worked as a Speech and Language Pathologist in Wilson for 15 years before returning to school to complete requirements for a Masters in Social Work degree at East Carolina University in 1991. She then worked another 15 years in the mental health field as a private psychotherapist in a group practice. Pam retired in 2007 when they moved to their new home in Salem, South Carolina.
In addition to serving on the Vestry, Pam currently serves Ascension as chairperson of the Greeting Committee, member of the Christian Formation Committee and as a representative to the Diocesan Convention.