Church of the Advent is an Episcopal community, members of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Rooted in deep commitment to following Jesus in ways which are curious, creative, honest, and brave, we long to connect the ancient roots of the Christian faith to vibrant expressions of community, art, music, and ongoing service to our neighbors in Walnut Hills, Ohio.

Our community has been in Walnut Hills since 1855. Over the years, we’ve gone through many changes. Liturgical changes, community changes, building changes—change isn’t new to us. We believe a living church is a changing one, and every generation is called to the hard work of figuring out what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ in their own time.

Today we’re a community of Jesus followers who have gathered around the following:

ABOUT ADVENT

Justice and service. We understand the Christian life as a call to seek justice and to oppose systems of structural evil in this world. Our parish has focused on the particular project of food justice, seeking ways to bring nourishing food to our neighbors in Walnut Hills. We pursue this work through our Open Door ministries: our neighborhood food pantry, our 24-hour free fridge, and our neighborhood veggie gardens.

Being both ancient and modern. We’re part of the centuries-old Anglican tradition which grounds us in the sacraments, the ancient rhythms of the liturgy, and the church calendar. We take our ancient Christian roots very seriously, and part of this commitment is finding new ways the liturgy can speak through story, symbol, and song.

The Arts. We believe that the arts aren’t just for decoration—they are a critical part of how God speaks in this world. There are things about God which can be said only through the arts, and so we embrace creativity in all forms.

The Earth. We believe that our Christian faith calls us to be mindful of our relationship with the natural world. We love gardens, flowers, veggies, and animals. We feel called to love our non-human neighbors.

Learning and education. We understand the call of Christian discipleship as an invitation to engage in committed study of scripture, theology, and church history. We gather regularly to learn as a community. We value dialogue, honesty, and hard questions.

Questions about Church of the Advent? Curious about who we are or what our church services are like? We’d love to talk with you! Fill in the form below and a member of our staff will be in touch!

Meet the Advent Staff

  • Rev. Dan Carlson

    Rector

    Year I started at Advent: 2023

    Favorite Figures of Christian history: Vida Dutton Scudder and St Guinefort

    Fun Fact: I once rode a camel up a mountain in Jordan

  • Rev. Rae Casurella

    Deacon

  • Junae Roberts

    Director of Open Door

    Year I started at Advent: 2015

    Favorite Figures of Christian History: My great grandmother Kathryn Eddington.

    Fun Fact: I love to do nails and create designs I never did. I love to listen to all genres of music.

  • Megan Suttman

    Minister for Land Justice and Family Support

    Year I started at Advent: 2024

    Favorite Figures of Christian History: Hildegard of Bingen, Teresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich

    Fun Fact: Megan can do a very good barred owl call.

  • Maaike Chertock

    Parish Administrator

    Year I started at Advent: 2020

    Favorite Figures of Christian history: St Barnabas the Apostle - Son of Encouragement and St Francis of Assisi

    Fun Fact: I was an Art major before changing to Economics

  • Jacob Taylor

    Minister for Arts, Media and Community

    Year I started at Advent: 2023

    Favorite Figures of Christian History: John of the Cross, Dorothy Day, Hadewijch, The Diggers, Daniel Berrigan, Simone Weil. Too many to choose from!

    Fun Fact: I’ve been to all but three states.

  • Fred Kimbrough

    Sexton

    Year I started at Advent: 2012

    Favorite Figures of Christian History: St. Wolfgang.

    Fun Fact: I have a dog named Wolfgang.

  • Kim Taylor

    Minister for Music

    Year I started at Advent: 2023

    Favorite Figures of Christian history: I adore Hildegard of Bingen, particularly for her musical contributions, and I also love The Rev. Pauli Murray, the first African American woman ordained as a priest in the Episcopal church. She was a fierce priest, poet, activist, and thinker who lived a fascinating life.

    Fun Fact: I grew up in Florida and was briefly in a water ski club where I started training to perform in a water-ski pyramid 

  • Chris La Rue

    Campus Minister

    Year I started at Advent: 2024

    Favorite Figures of Christian History: My favorite saint is St. Christopher! Legend says he helped carry a child across a river, who turned out to be Christ. The symbolism of mutuality between God and humanity is powerful to me, and I'm proud to have my namesake associated with him!

    Fun Fact: I have an identical twin brother named Alex

The Vestry at Church of the Advent

A vestry is the legal representative of the parish with regard to all matters pertaining to our corporate property. The basic responsibilities of the vestry are to help define and articulate the mission of the congregation; to support the church’s mission by word and deed, to select the rector, to ensure effective organization and planning, and to manage resources and finances. Read more here.

  • Stacy Purcell

    Senior Warden

    Member of Advent since 2022.

    Favorite saint/figure in church history: When I first joined vestry, this was a hard question for me to answer because I didn't know many of the Episcopal church's saints and historical figures. If you're reading this and are also still learning, know that you're welcome here. I recently learned that Thurgood Marshall is an Episcopal saint, which is especially meaningful to me as a public-interest lawyer.

    Fun fact: I've never lived more than a mile from the church that I attend. My partner and I moved to Walnut Hills a few months before joining Advent.

  • Tom Cunningham

    Junior Warden

    Member of Advent since 1996.

    Favorite saint/figure in church history: Thomas Aquinas

    Fun fact: I raced cars all over the midwest and east coast in my '20s

  • Esly Caldwell

    Member of Advent since 2018.

    Favorite saint/figure in church history: St. Francis of Assisi

    Fun Fact: I’ve been a pilot since 1966!

  • Carrie Vossman

    Member of Advent since 2024.

    Favorite saint/figure in church history: Mother Theresa

    Fun Fact: I lived in China for 5 years!

  • Sid Khullar

    Member of Advent since 2021.

    Favorite saint/figure in church history: Brother Lawerence

    Fun fact: I’ve made over 100,000 pizzas!

  • Chip Carson

    Favorite saint/figure in church history: I admire Saint Arnold of Metz (Arnulf d'Herestal), scholar, administrator, eventual bishop, who renounced higher appointment in favor of a monastic life and contemplation on the heavenly perfection derived through fermentation. He is recognized as the patron saint of brewers.

    Fun Fact: I am a descendant of the first European settlers of Walnut Hills, the Kempers.

  • Christina Mihalek

    Member since 2023.

    Favorite saint/figure in church history: Joan of Arc

    Fun Fact: I lived in Tokyo for two years while serving in the US Air Force. And no, I didn’t learn Japanese while living there, to my lament, but I did take Russian in college.