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Conference and Worship Leaders

Bishop of Southwest Florida

The Rt. Rev. Doug Scharf

Conference Co-Leader

The Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, the Rt. Rev. Douglas Scharf leads the diocese where he was raised, ordained, and consecrated. One of the youngest bishops in The Episcopal Church, Bishop Scharf believes that Christ's love and transformational teachings paired with the authentic connection of a Church community can replenish the wellspring of the soul.

Bishop of Utah

The Rt. Rev. Phyllis Spiegel

Conference Co-Leader

The Rt. Rev. Phyllis A. Spiegel was consecrated as the 12th Bishop of Utah on September 17, 2022. She is passionate about The Episcopal Church’s work of deepening discipleship through daily practices of faith, believing that deepening our daily walk with God profoundly changes the way we walk in the world. Bp. Spiegel is committed to finding sustainable solutions for providing stability and dignity for the unhoused and those with mental illness.

The bishop graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2004. Her undergraduate work was at Emory & Henry College where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree. A

She has a daughter, who lives in England with her husband. The Bishop’s hiking partner is a 90-pound Dutch Shepherd mix named Samson, who loves his new life in Utah.

Senior Advisor to the Presiding Bishop

The Rt. Rev. Brian Prior

Conference Chaplain & Developing Leaders Speaker

The Rt. Rev. Brian N. Prior serves as Senior Advisor to the Presiding Bishop.

He was formerly the ninth Bishop of The Episcopal Church in Minnesota. Before becoming Bishop, he served as the founding Rector of The Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Spokane, Washington, Executive Director of Camp Cross, the Director of Education and Development for the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane, the Chaplain and Vice President for The Episcopal Church’s House of Deputies, and on the Executive Council for The Episcopal Church.

He currently serves as the Bishop in Residence and senior consultant for the Episcopal Church Foundation, on the Planning Committee for the House of Bishops, and as Chair of the Visionary Council for the Episcopal Camp and Conference Centers.

He received a DDiv and an MDiv from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific and a BA from Whitworth College.

Liturgical Folk

Melissa and Ryan Flanigan

Conference Music Worship Leaders

Melissa and Ryan Flanigan live in Austin, TX with their three children, Lily (16), Liam (14), and Noelle (12). They are both on staff at Resurrection South Austin (EDOT) as parish administrator/neighborhood engagement coordinator (Melissa) and music director (Ryan). Ryan is also the theological artist-in-residence at Baylor University in Waco, TX. The Flanigan family have a music project called Liturgical Folk, which seeks to create beautiful and believable sacred music for church folk and the world. They have released eight albums of new liturgical music (hymns, settings, choruses) since 2017 and have toured extensively. Their music is accessible to all ages and faith stages and is rooted in the inherently joyful sounds of the American folk traditions. Melissa earned a BA with an emphasis in Worship Arts from Judson University in Elgin, IL, and Ryan earned a BAS from Dallas Baptist University, an MA from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a CTS from the University of Oxford. Listen to Liturgical Folk's music at https://www.liturgicalfolk.com/music