Staff and Vestry

Fr. Ron

Reverend Dr. Ronald B. Taylor

canismajorm41@yahoo.com

The Reverend Dr. Ron Taylor has been the rector at St. Peter by-the-Lake since August 1st 1996. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services from Wingate University, a Master of Divinity Degree from the School of Theology at the University of South, and a Doctor of Ministry Degree also from the University of the South.

Father Ron is married to Karen and they have two adult children, Matthew and Caitlin. Father Ron’s hobbies include reading, tennis, astronomy and music.

“I believe that being a follower of Jesus means putting what we say we believe into some form of concrete action in the world. Loving God and neighbor means far more than ‘belief’ in a set of creeds or principles…it means ‘following’. Whether it’s visiting the sick and shut-in, or serving meals to the hungry, or working with children and youth, or hammering nails…every one of us has been given a gift of ministry. We are all called to find those gifts and to use them for the building up of Christ’s Kingdom.”

Mother Tara

Reverend Tara Bartal

mthr.tara@spbtl.com

The Reverend Tara Bartal was ordained to the transitional Diaconate on April 15, 2023. She graduated and obtained her Master of Divinity Degree on May 12, 2023 from the School of Theology at the University of the South. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design and Media Arts from Southern New Hampshire University.

Mother Tara started in May, 2023 as the new Curate for St. Peter By-The-Lake. Once Tara is ordained to the priesthood, she will fill the role of Associate Priest. A particular ministry that Tara will be focusing on is Pastoral Care.

“Pastoral care is a practice and a part of everything we do in the Church. Through pastoral care we seek to build around caring, compassionate love that meets people where they are instead of the expectation of where we think they should be.”

Mother Tara enjoys hiking, painting, and creating with wire. “I enjoy creative outlets because they allow me to process ideas in ways that take on a metamorphic process. It is exciting to see the development of something that started as an idea in my mind and watch it develop into the visible and tangible.”

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The Rt. Rev. José A. McLoughlin was consecrated as the seventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina on October 1, 2016. Prior to his election as bishop of the diocese of Western North Carolina, McLoughlin served as the Canon to the Ordinary and Chief-of-Staff for the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma since 2008.

Ordained in 2005, McLoughlin earned his Masters in Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Central Florida. Prior to his call to the priesthood, McLoughlin worked in the criminal justice field serving in the State of Florida as a police officer and in the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. in various capacities, most recently as the special assistant/senior advisor to the assistant attorney general.

McLoughlin and his wife Laurel have been married for 23 years, and together have two children, Alexander, 17, and Alyson, 14. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, McLoughlin is bilingual, enjoys music, playing the drums, and studying 18th century American history.

Link to The Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina