This “Lay Leadership Spotlight” was originally published in the Diocese of Florida’s Bishop’s Institute Newsletter, V. 41 (May 2023 issue). The wonderful Marcy Muldrow Sanders, a dedicated parishioner and a member of our church vestry, is no stranger to the people of St. John’s. However, we are pleased that our brothers and sisters throughout the Diocese of Florida have been given a chance to get to know Marcy. Her personality and dedication shine through in this interview, a testament to her growing faith to love and serve the Lord.
An Interview with Marcy Muldrow Sanders
By the Rev. Cn. Dr. H. Douglas Dupree,
Canon Theologian & Rector, The Bishop’s Institute for Ministry and Leadership
Marcy, I have enjoyed meeting you through the current Bishop’s Institute LLM Pastoral Care course that meets monthly since March. I was particularly struck by your commitment to your church—St. John’s Episcopal Church, Tallahassee—and willingness to serve on their Vestry and assume other leadership roles in the church.
Thank you, Doug. It has been a great pleasure to meet you as well. That is a fantastic question, that didn’t come easily as a matter-of-fact. When I was approached about serving on the vestry, I had to take a period of prayer and discernment about it. In previous churches that were not Episcopal churches, I did not have a good experience serving in leadership. Those experiences often led me to find new churches, because once I got behind the curtain, I discovered how dysfunctional those churches were and it destroyed my worship experience in those spaces.
As for St. John’s, I had such a wonderful experience leading the Becoming Beloved Community Consultation with my co-chair Jim Messer that I knew that I would have a good experience serving in leadership at St. John’s because it was such a welcoming and inclusive place.
I am the oldest child of three children. We’re all six years apart. My dad didn’t want three kids in college together at the same time. I have a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s, and a PhD in Public Health Epidemiology. I am a retired Navy Commander. I am a Florida licensed Certified Building Contractor. My family has a construction company, so I grew up in the construction industry. My octogenarian dad is still working every day with the company. He has a PhD in Management Information Systems. His family were mostly educators and of course, my mother, who is a retired English and reading teacher and really instilled a love for learning and education in me. So, my entire life, from being the oldest child to a career in the military, has pretty much led me to take leadership roles. It’s natural for me to step in the gap.
At St. John’s, that has led me, as I mentioned, to Co-chair the Becoming Beloved Community Discernment Committee at the request of the former Rector, to serving on the Property Commission, Vestry, and any other area where I feel I can stand in the gap.
My career in the Navy was very diverse. Antisubmarine warfare was my specialty, though I spent the last 14 years of my career on staff commands culminating as the Secretary of the Joint Staff at United States Central Command (CENTCOM). I always felt during my career that the most important thing I could do was take care of my troops. That wasn’t always the post popular position I could take with my superiors, but it let me sleep at night knowing that the needs of some young Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine’s needs were met. In the church, we call that pastoral care. At CENTCOM I and my office were the places the Command Chaplain would seek respite. I was so grateful that I could offer him comfort. I still am. Jesus calls us to take care of his lambs and sheep. I think learning to be there for people was God’s way of preparing me for where he is leading me now into this role of pastoral care.
It took three years for me to come back to St. John’s and the Episcopal Church. My journey back started in 2016 during Lent. My office was a block away from St. John’s, so I used to go over for lunch in the café. Then I started attending Wednesday noonday services during Lent. I had a few conversations with Fr. Rick [Effinger] that helped me understand that I was missing the liturgy of the church. I was raised in the Episcopal and African Methodist Episcopal (AME) tradition. My dad was Jewish for a time, so I chose it and practiced for about a decade, so I’m an EpiscoJew, or at least I was. When I married my husband, he was Science of Mind, we decided to practice something that was closer to his practice and we landed in Unity for about 30 years. Some things happened and I realized that Unity wasn’t feeding my soul anymore and while they are great and prayer and spiritual life they aren’t a hands and feet church. I missed that too. The people of St. John’s always made me feel welcome, so in 2019 I made it my full-time church home and I am so grateful I did. When my husband died, they descended on me like a dove and have cared for me ever since.
Yes. On the Vestry I am the Pastoral Care Commissioner. I requested it as my commission though I don’t recall if it was my first or second choice. I am in my third and last year of this term on Vestry and have spent the entire time charged with Pastoral Care. I am the only commissioner to ever spend more than one year with Pastoral Care at St. John’s. I am very proud of that. I wanted to learn about all of the offerings of our commission and accepted the call to become a Stephen Minister which I finished the training in December 2021. I discovered through this Vestry opportunity that I have a heart for Pastoral Care. It is a beautiful ministry to be able to walk with people through some of life’s most challenging times. This year Erik Salsgiver is co-chairing the commission with me, and he will take over next year. This will give the commission continuity we haven’t had before. I am grateful I have been able to steady the ship in some small way.
St. John’s was blessed to grow during the COVID shutdown, and we are now just south of 1,800 parishioners. That is a lot of people to care for, and while we have a robust Stephen Minister group of current and retired ministers it is a very structured relationship. Also, St. John’s is very good at growing Associate Rectors into their next opportunity which always leaves us short of Pastoral Care ministers that can visit hospitals, nursing homes, etc. I feel especially called to care for our parishioners in this way. To continue to provide care whether we are in a transition or not. Coming to Jacksonville seemed like a small sacrifice considering what Jesus sacrificed for me.
I am loving how this course has us look introspectively to see what we bring to our ministry based on how we view the world, and it also helps us better understand the people we may care for. I do see a lot of the Stephen Minister training in this training as well but expand on that training in this broader ministry. I expect that I will be better at providing pastoral care and I am grateful to be able to do that outside of the structured Stephen Ministers framework. I will definitely recommend this course to others that I believe have a heart for pastoral care.
