Rector
On the 1st Sunday in Advent of 2019, we joyfully welcomed The Reverend Samuel Kirabi Ndungu as the 19th Rector at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Phoenixville. Our congregation was so happy to welcome Father Sam, his wife, Sylvia, and her daughter Leah!
Father Sam previously served as Assistant Rector at the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas for four years. He is excited to work with the members of St. Peter’s to promote our missions.
In Father Sam’s words, “I strive not to be a ‘by-stander’ as I minister to others. I feel a strong inclination toward pastoral care. It is at the heart of my ministry. I bring my deep faith in God, in God’s love and God’s presence with us, and I journey with people in their pain.”
Click here to email Father Sam.
Deacon Joe Dietz was ordained to the vocational diaconate in October 1994. He served at St. Peter’s for nearly 5 years under the Rev. Thomas Wand and came back for a few years as deacon assistant under the Rev. Marie Swayze and the Rev. Robert Miller. In his most recent term, Joe has been serving St. Peter’s as deacon assistant since 2011 and in October 2019 celebrated this 25th year of service at St. Peter’s.
He assists with Sunday services, leads Sunday Bible Study, and serves on the Food Pantry Committee.
Click here to email Deacon Joe.
Prior to serving as a priest at St. Peter’s, David Hyatt was the rector at Trinity Episcopal Church Gulph Mills (King of Prussia). Nowadays he is well cared for by his daughters Lynn and Sarah, and lives in Phoenixville with his two cats, Duke and Ginger.
Our Staff
We are blessed to have Derek Maninfior as our Director of Music, organist and choirmaster since 2018. Derek is a stunningly expressive performer on both the organ and piano. He is a cheerful, engaging, inspiring leader for the adult choir that provides enlivening, and sometimes exhilarating experiences at St. Peter’s services. During our 8:30am Sunday practices, he is clear, articulate, and open to suggestions, while continuously bettering musical performances.
At every service, Derek demonstrates his extensive training and experience in piano performance, teaching, rehearsing, accompanying, and leading the musical aspects of worship. He previously served as Director of Music at The Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township, NJ and was principal organist at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Charleston, IL, where he provided music for worship services and led the church choirs. He has also performed at Carnegie Hall.
Derek received his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at Eastern Illinois University and his Master of Music in Piano Performance at Indiana University.
Music complements Derek’s competitive side as an Associate Attorney at Buzgon Davis Law, in Lebanon, PA. Derek lives in Lancaster with his wife, Liz, and daughters, Claire and Abigail.
Click here to email Derek.
Judy has been the Parish Administrator since 1996. She is the mother of 3, grandmother of 5, and is an avid gardener. Judy enjoys reading books by many authors and loves spending time at the New Jersey shore.
Click here to email Judy.
Katie Druckenmiller joined the staff at St. Peter’s in October 2022 as the Director of Family Ministries, a part-time position where her primary role is to lead and coordinate the Youth Group, Godly Play, and Children’s Chapel programs. As an active, dynamic parishioner at St. Peter’s since 2001, Katie has served on the Vestry and Capital Campaign Committee, led the Youth Group, and volunteered in many areas. She graduated from Ursinus College in 2002 and has also completed the Education for Ministry program. She continues to work in the Donor Relations profession. Katie lives in Royersford with her husband Peter and their two daughters, Hannah and Grace, who are all active at St. Peter’s.
Click here to email Katie.
Our sexton, Lola, is originally from Moreles, Mexico, by way of South Carolina. Her husband brought her to the Phoenixville area from SC, because after retiring from a career as a polo player, he became a horse trainer here in PA. They have five children and live in South Coventry township. Lola is a quiet and humble blessing for St. Peter’s.
Our Vestry
Judi has been a member of Saint Peter’s since 1979, when she moved to Phoenixville. She and her husband Don were married in Saint Peter’s and her children were baptized here. She lives in North Coventry Township in Chester County with her husband, Don, and daughter, Ashley. Her son Drew is married to his lovely wife Jess, and they make their home in Douglassville, PA. Judi is a retired Speech/Language Pathologist and enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time in Cape May Point.
During her time as a parishioner, she has chaired and participated in several ministries, including the Evangelism Committee (now known as the New Member Ministry), Greeters, taught Sunday School, and worked on the Community Lunch Program for several years.
One of her core beliefs is to serve others wherever and whenever it is possible. She has previously served on Vestry for four 3-year terms, with four years as Junior Warden and two years as Senior Warden. As a vestry member, she will work to ensure that the Vision and Mission of Saint Peter’s are fulfilled.
Click here to email Judi.
Shawhan Fox joined the Vestry in 2023, and will be the liaison to the Property Committee, amongst other activities. He grew up in Chester County and in 2015 moved just outside of Phoenixville with his wife, Andrea Steck, who introduced him to St. Peter’s shortly before the pandemic shutdown. His first introduction was through Friday night Zoom prayer meetings. Upon joining St. Peter’s, Shawhan became active on the Property Committee, and has been one of its most active, productive members since 2020.
St. Peter’s has become his spiritual home and family through the fellowship he enjoys with Property Committee and worshipping with a wonderful community of parishioners.
Shawhan is a graduate of The Hill School (1986) and Juniata College (BA Business 1990). He currently he works for Norfolk Southern Railroad as a freight locomotive engineer out of Abrams terminal, King of Prussia. He’s a proud father of two college students, Isabel and Alex, and two hard-working adult stepsons, Frank and Neil. He’s a Hands-On DIY person who enjoys and gets satisfaction from activities like cooking, gardening/landscaping, working on his cars, and home improvement projects. When he can, he likes to escape to the Chesapeake for a weekend on the water sailing.
Click here to email Shawhan.
As a former commercial banker in corporate cash management, it is a blessing to have Dennis as our Accounting Warden. He is a Fishtown (Philadelphia) native and graduate of La Salle College High School and La Salle College, where was in ROTC program, leading to his commission as an officer in the United States Army and two years of active-duty. Dennis then started his 33-year banking career, working for Girard, Mellon, and Citizens Banks. He married Karen in 1982 and they lived in Lansdale for 37 years. They were members of Holy Trinity, Lansdale until 2000, then at Trinity Church, Ambler until 2019. In both churches, Dennis served on the Vestry and was the Accounting Warden for many years. In 2019, Dennis and Karen downsized and moved to Royersford.
“We immediately started a search for our new church home, and after visiting several local churches, our search brought us to St. Peter’s on the Ash Wednesday prior to the pandemic. Following that service, specifically hearing Father Sam’s sermon, both Karen and I decided that St. Peter’s would become our new church home. During the pandemic we participated in many Friday night Zoom meetings with Father Sam and many others from the congregation, enabling us to get to know many church members.”
When the pandemic restrictions were relaxed, the Reids volunteered in the Saturday morning Pantry until it was closed, and now volunteer in Saturday morning breakfasts. Karen is the ministry leader for “The Order of the Daughters of the King” and is a member of the Gardening team.
Click here to email Dennis.
Todd Jackson lives in East Vincent and has attended St. Peter’s for more than 15 years. He has been married to Jyl Harrington for more than 40 years, and together they raised daughters Eryn and Rachel. Todd was co-chair of the discernment committee that called Fr. Sam to St. Peter’s, working closely with the Vestry. He actively supported the food pantry, producing the state and federal reports of pantry clients served. He was part of the Godly Play staff and the pastoral care committee, and now serves as the liaison to The Free Clinic, housed in the former Rectory at 143 Church Street.
Todd retired after 42 years in the nuclear power industry, having completed 30 years as a health physicist and project engineer for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He also served as Chemistry Manager at the Limerick Generating Station, and as an emergency responder at
Three Mile Island and in Tokyo, Japan after the 2011 earthquake.
Click here to email Todd.
I have been a member at St. Peter’s for nearly 14 years. My husband Sam and I found our church home just before our son Ethan was born. We were both raised in the Catholic religion and were searching for a spiritual home that better aligned with our desire for a welcoming and inclusive church with a focus on both service and social justice. Both of our children, Ethan and Emmy, were baptized at St. Peter’s and have participated in all of the many children’s programs St. Peter’s offers.
I have served in various roles related to children’s faith formation, including both leader and coordinator of Children’s Chapel and Sunday school teacher. I was also part of the founding Godly Play team and continue to participate in the program in any capacity needed, including teacher. I have volunteered with the food pantry and most recently served on the Discernment Committee.
Professionally I’ve worked as both and elementary and middle school counselor. I currently work as a school psychologist in the Methacton School District and also maintain a small private practice.
Click here to email Danielle.
Carl Rennie joined the Vestry in 2022. He was born and grew up in the then small town of Monrovia, the capital of Liberia (West Africa). He attended Cathedral High, a catholic high school, then came to the United States to attend college. He graduated from West Chester University with a BS in Business Administration. Carl has seven brothers and two sisters, all in the US. He is married to Lady Sharper-Rennie, and they have lived in East Coventry Township since 2002. They have two adult children Brittney and Brandon. Carl and Lady joined St. Peter’s in 2003, where he and Clem Young co-lead the Ushers ministry and he assists Clem and Richard Green with video live streaming, while Lady is a greeter and participates in other church activities.
Carl currently works for Invision Human Services in Reading, PA. He loves to travel, plays a variety of sports, and enjoys working with others. He is a team player.
Click here to email Carl.
Robert Gauthier joined the Vestry in 2023, and he seeks to increase St. Peter’s Outreach network, involvement, and partnerships. He is the Executive Director of the Campolo Center for Ministry of Eastern University and Palmer Theological Seminary. He has lived in or near Phoenixville since 2009 and is proud dad to Ella, a Phoenixville Area HS senior headed to Colby Sawyer College (New London, NH) for the fall 2023 semester. At St. Peter’s, Robert been involved in Gardening, spiritual seeking with The Order of the Daughters of the King, and will be involved with Stewardship that leverages his professional fundraising experience.
Robert loves cooking, reading, arts and culture, and the freshwater lakes, mountains, and maple syrup of New Hampshire, where he grew up and visits as often as possible. He is grateful for the “family” of St. Peter’s and humbly honored to serve the church and community through the Vestry.
Click here to email Robert.
My husband Michael and I first attended St Peter’s Church over two decades ago, where we found our spiritual home. Since then, our family has been deeply ingrained in the fabric of this loving community, embracing every opportunity for growth, service, and fellowship that our small but mighty church has to offer.
My commitment to service within St. Peter’s has been long and multifaceted, ranging from fundraising (two Capital Campaigns, Cristosal) and community outreach (Cristosal, food pantry) to family ministries (Youth Group, Sunday school) and Altar Guild.
One of the most transformative experiences of my time at St. Peter’s was the global mission outreach to El Salvador in 2014. Traveling with my daughters and their fellow youth group members, I witnessed firsthand the profound impact of our collective efforts in supporting Foundation Cristosal’s human rights initiatives. This experience ignited a passion within me to dedicate my time, talents, and resources to ongoing fundraising endeavors in support of this vital cause.
I have cherished the opportunity to mentor our youth as they have deepened their faith and explored their spiritual journeys. Serving on the Altar Guild since 2016 has provided me with a deeper appreciation for the sacred rituals and traditions that are central to our worship experience.
My most rewarding role is being a wife and mother. While raising our three children, Courtney, Stephanie, and Michael, I was actively involved in all their school activities, including leading several fundraising campaigns.
I grew up in Paoli, PA, graduated from Conestoga High School, and earned a B.S. in Communications & Public Relations from East Stroudsburg University. Professionally, I started my career as a mortgage consultant. Later, I transitioned to entrepreneurial ventures with a health and wellness company and an athleisure brand.
I am filled with excitement and anticipation for the opportunities that lie ahead as I join the Vestry. Together, let us continue to strengthen our community, deepen our faith, and shine the light of God’s love into the world around us.
Click here to email Erica.
Doug and I were looking for an inclusive, diverse and welcoming church when we attended St Peters in the summer of 2018. After we attended that first Sunday, we believed we had found our home church.
Since that first Sunday, I have been involved in the food pantry program, leader of team 2 breakfast program, choir and Eucharistic Minister. These ministries have given me the opportunity to use my gifts in serving others.
Before I retired, I was the Director of a Hospice program. My responsibilities included staffing our program, marketing, maintaining Medicare Regulations and profit and loss. We have a grown son and two grown grandsons.
Click here to email Gretchen.
Tine hails from Germany (hence the unusual spelling, pronounced like Tina and short for Christine) and came to the U.S. to marry Craig in 1985 after finishing her education to be a foreign language teacher. Her first career was being mother to their three children: Vincent, also a member at St. Peter’s, Marcus (who lives with his family in Germantown), and Sonia who has lived in Germany for about 10 years now. After moving around with the military stations during Craig’s service and attending a variety of churches, they started attending St. James Episcopal Church in Springfield MO, where Craig was the Assistant to the rector while attending seminary. They moved to Phoenxiville in 1996 to work at the Valley Forge Christian College. They have been active members at Washing Memorial Chapel in VF and the Church of the Good Samaritan in Paoli since 2003 and found their Phoenixville home at St. Peters a few years ago.
Tine just recently retired from her career as a German teacher after 17 years at the High School here in Phoenixville. She looks forward to having more time to learn more about gardening, to do small projects around the house, to enjoy sewing, knitting, cooking, and other crafts, and especially spending time with her baby grandson. She became Clerk of the Vestry in 2024.
Click here to email Tine.