The Very Reverend Steve Lipscomb, Dean

A native of Northwest Georgia, Father Steve Lipscomb received an associates' degree (in General Studies) at Georgia State University, Atlanta, and a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Kennesaw State University, Marietta, GA.

He received a master's degree in Divinity from the School of Theology at The University of the South, Sewanee, TN, and was ordained in 1991. After ordination, he became deacon-in-charge, then priest and vicar, of St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church, Columbus, GA.

From 1993-2001, Father Lipscomb served as rector of the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Sautee-Nacoochee, Georgia. Father Lipscomb became dean of Grace Cathedral on February 1, 2001.

Dean Lipscomb is married to Robyn Matthews Lipscomb. Their son, Ian, his wife, Briana, and grandson, Nate, also live in Topeka.

The Reverend George Pejakovich, Assistant to the Dean

Rev. George Pejakovich, a native of New York City, and Northern New Jersey, graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY in 1967, with a BS in Civil Engineering. After service as an Infantry Officer for ten years, during which he received an MA in English Literature from Duke U, he resigned to attend Lutheran Theological Seminary in Columbus, OH. Ordained in 1979, Rev. George served as an Army Chaplain for another twenty years. He served units and congregations in the USA and Germany, and culminated his Army service as the Commandant of the US Army Chaplain Center and School. After serving Living Springs Lutheran Church, Columbia SC, he moved to Topeka in 2001. In addition to his ministry as Assistant to the Dean, Rev. George is a chaplain for Heart of America Hospice, Topeka.

He is married to Joyce Woodard Pejakovich, and their blended family includes five adult children, nine grandchildren and their standard poodle Ritter.

Deacon Donald A. Chubb, B.Sc.

Deacon Donald Chubb grew up in Grace Cathedral and has become Topeka's own historian, charming church and community with tales of our past. Ordained in 1978, a business broker and commercial realtor with Griffith & Blair, Don can be seen regularly visiting in the hospitals. Married to Janet, an attorney who is currently the Assistant Secretary of State, the Chubbs have a grown daughter, Molly.

Steve Burk, Organist-Choirmaster

Steve Burk began his duties at Grace Cathedral in January of 2002. As the director of music activities, he is responsible for planning Cathedral worship services, conducting the various choral ensembles and handbell choirs, managing the GREAT SPACES Music & Arts Series, and is principal organist.

A native of California, Steve has lived in Lawrence, KS, since 1986, when he came to work for Reuter Pipe Organs as their Vice President for Sales and Marketing. After marrying and starting a family, he returned to school at the University of Kansas where he completed a degree in Music Education with a Minor in Organ Performance.

From 1993 to 2001, he taught in public and private schools and was the Director for Youth Music at Trinity Parish, Lawrence. While at Trinity, the children’s choir developed a reputation for excellence such that they were invited to sing at the National Cathedral, Washington DC, and other locations. He has served churches, synagogues, and a community choir as music director and/or organist in Kansas City, upstate New York, and California.

In addition to his church work, Steve has worked with children’s and school choirs and enjoyed teaching and being the Choral Assistant at Southwest Junior High School, Lawrence.  While there, he worked the school’s 120-voice auditioned choir of 8th and 9th grade students. After serving 22 years in the Air Force and the Kansas Air National Guard, he retired as the Commander of the 190th Maintenance Operations Flight, Forbes Field.

Steve is an active member of the Royal School of Church Music in America and has served as the Residential Manager for the King’s College RSCM Summer Course in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He is also an active member of the American Choral Directors Association and a past Board member of the Kansas Choral Directors Association as the Kansas Repertoire & Standards Representative for Music and Worship.

He is married to Sally Burk who works at the World Headquarters for Collective Brands, Inc., Topeka. They have twin daughters, Katie and Maggie who are attending St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN.

Sylvia Hamilton, Assistant Organist

Sylvia Hamilton completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance in 1995 at the University of Kansas where she studied with James Higdon. She was awarded honors for her dissertation, “Catharine Crozier Gleason, Virtuoso Organist: A Documentation of Her Performing and Teaching Career.”

Sylvia holds the B.M. summa cum laude from Augustana College in Illinois, and her M.M. in organ from New England Conservatory in Boston. During a residence in Europe, Sylvia studied organ with Lionel Rogg at the Conservatoire de Genéve, Switzerland, and Louis Robilliard in Lyon, France.

Syliva has been a church musician for over 30 years, and most recently served as organist and choir director at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Topeka, where she directed the adult, children’s, and handbell choirs and served as principal organist.

Since 1996, Sylvia has served as Director and Instructor of Music and Movement with Miss Sylvia, a studio for children infant though age 7. The studio is located at Grace Cathedral and serves over 115 children. She is certified as an early childhood music education specialist through the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association.

Sylvia and her husband, Jim, are the parents of three children, Robert, Anna and John.

Jeremy Manternach, Music Assistant

Jeremy Manternach first began singing at Grace Cathedral in the Spring of 2008.  He is currently a Choral Scholar and director of the Cathedral Gentlemen’s Chorus.  He received his B.A. from Saint John's University/College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota.  He received his Master of Music Education degree at the University of Kansas where he is currently pursuing his PhD.

Previously, Jeremy was a choir director and performer in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.  He spent four years as the Vocal Music Director at Andover High School and two at Apple Valley High School. He also served for two years as the Assistant Artistic Director for the St. John’s Boys’ Choir in Collegeville, MN.  In addition to conducting, Jeremy has been a hired tenor soloist for several church and civic organizations in Minnesota and Kansas. 

In 2006, Jeremy was honored as a recipient of the TOP (Teacher Outstanding Performance) Award from the Anoka-Hennepin School District.  He was also one of three selected to participate in the Minnesota Chorale "Emerging Conductor" program.  He has presented to the Voice Foundation, the Physiology and Acoustics of Singing Conference, the Acoustical Society of America, the Phenomenon of Singing Conference (St. Johns, Canada), the Southwest American Choral Directors Association (SWACDA), the Kansas Music Educators Association (KEMA), and ACDA of Minnesota.  He is a member of MENC, ACDA, and the VoiceCare Network. 

He currently lives in Lawrence, KS with his wife, Anna, and his dog and cat, Bubba and Koshka.

Connie Vosburgh, Office Manager

Connie began attending Grace Cathedral in 1989, became the editor of The Cathedral Chimes newsletter in 1998, and joined the staff as Office Manager in 2001.

Connie holds a degree in journalism from the University of Kansas, and from 1980-1995, worked as a radio news broadcaster in the Topeka market. She also spent several years as a free-lance desktop publisher and promotions manager for a community theater.

Connie is married to Mason Vosburgh and has two children, Max and Samantha.

Kent Wingerson, Cathedral Verger & Finance Officer

A lifelong member of the cathedral, Kent was baptized, confirmed and married here. He served as a boy chorister in the Men and Boys Choir, then as an Acolyte and later Master of Ceremonies until 1984, when he was appointed the first Verger of Grace Cathedral. Today, his ministries include Finance Officer, Facilities Manager, Acolyte Director, Sacrist, and Wedding Coordinator.

From 1986 until 1995 he worked as a lay professional in the areas of liturgy, finance, and facilities at the cathedral. Kent returned to the staff in June, 2001. He has completed the four-year Education for Ministry program administered by the School of Theology, the University of the South (Sewanee, TN). Kent has participated in a number of liturgical conferences, and has been a presenter several times as well. He’s currently co-chair of the Liturgy, Arts and Music committee for the Diocese of Kansas. He authored The Verger, Tract number 15 in the Order of S. Vincent publication series. Kent joined the Church of England Guild of Vergers in 1985, and is a charter member (1989) of the Vergers’ Guild of the Episcopal Church. He has been a member of the National Network of Lay Professionals.

Kent received an Associate of Science degree from Highland Community College, and attended Kansas State University. He received a Bachelor of Arts (Communications – departmental honors) degree from Washburn University in 1978.

Kelly Wadsworth and Kent wed in 1979 and they have two grown sons. Kelly is an Altar Guild team leader, and belongs to the Daughters of the King.

Kathy Smith, Director of Children's Ministries

Kathy Smith began attending Grace Cathedral in 1990 and became the Director of Children’s Ministries in 2009. She is enjoying coordinating the weekly Children’s Chapel and Sunday School programs, as well as the nursery for the infants and toddlers.

Outside of church responsibilities, Kathy is the Executive Director of ARTSConnect, and has enjoyed volunteering as a Brownie Girl Scout leader, Fine Arts Chair for Jay Shideler Elementary School, and as the President of the Topeka Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumnae Association.

A 1985 graduate of Topeka West High School, Kathy attended Westminster College, and graduated with a BS in Art Education from Kansas State University. Kathy is married to Randy Smith, and has three children, Madeline, Bennett, and Lauren. She and her family love to spend time creating art, making loud music, reading books and playing outside.

Michael Massey, Ministry Coordinator

The role of this position is to aid in building vibrant lay ministries through monitoring and coordinating the work of existing functions and facilitating the development of new opportunities and special projects.

Michael received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1975 where he was director of the student agency that sponsored rock concerts, speakers, film festivals and fine arts events for students and the community.  He moved to Kansas in 1983 and spent twenty years in state government, where he conducted statewide workshops and focus groups for social services staff and clients.

Active in the life of the Cathedral, Michael served on staff as Youth Director as well as participating in numerous lay ministries including chalice bearer, acolyte, lector, greeter, Doorstep coordinator, and member of the parish life and outreach committees. With Cathedral Campus Minister Kathy Slawson, he co-directed Diocesan Happening week-ends for senior high students and junior high summer camp at Camp Wood. He has also served on the Diocesan Youth Commission.  Michael is an Oblate of St. Benedict with the Cathedral group affiliated with Mt. St. Scholastica monastery in Atchison.

Kathy Slawson, Campus Minister

Kathy leads the Cathedral’s outreach ministry to the Washburn University campus. A native of Topeka, she has been active in the life of the Cathedral community as a member of the choir and leader in the congregation’s youth ministries. She serves as a member of the Board of the Washburn Ecumenical Campus Ministry and the Diocese of Kansas Young Adult and Higher Education Commission. She recently completed Peer Ministry training through the national church to use as a foundation for campus ministry.

Kathy is active in youth ministry at the Diocesan level, serving as co-coordinator of the Happening weekends for senior high students. She has also been co-director of the junior high summer camp at Camp Wood and worked with the annual MIQRA weekends at the Cathedral. A 1975 graduate of Seaman High School, Kathy attended Washburn University where she was active in music and theatre. She currently works as a meeting planner for the Kansas Bar Association.

Mike Godfrey, Cathedral Sexton

Mike Godfrey has worked as the Cathedral sexton since 2000. A native Topeka, Mike now makes his home in Holton, Kansas. He is the father of a daughter and two sons, and the grandfather of seven.