Leadership

Worship, spiritual direction, pastoral care, and Christian formation are primary responsibilities of our priests. In addition, all baptized persons are ministers in the Church and we enjoy a strong partnership between ordained and lay persons at Hickory Neck. This passion for leadership thrives in our Vestry as well.

Click on the image for the biography of Clergy & Staff.

Clergy & Staff

The Very Rev. Jennifer Andrews-Weckerly

Rector

The Very Rev. Jennifer Andrews-Weckerly

Rector

The Very Reverend Jennifer Andrews-Weckerly is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and was raised there and western North Carolina. She received her undergraduate education at Duke (Political Science cum laude) and holds Master’s degrees from Virginia Theological Seminary and the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business. She was ordained to the priesthood in 2010.

After serving a curacy at Christ Church Christiana Hundred in Greenville, Delaware, Jennifer was named Rector of the Episcopal Church of St. Margaret in Plainview, New York.In her five-year tenure on Long Island, Jennifer guided the congregation through a period of steady growth and became President of Planview’s inter-faith clergy group.She was elected Rector of Hickory Neck Church in 2016.

In service to the wider church, Jennifer has served on the Diocese of Long Island’s Commission on Ministry and social ministries board of trustees; college ministries task force and General Convention deputation in the Diocese of Southern Virginia; and as an officer of the Virginia Seminary Alumni/ae Executive Committee, serving a term as President in 2022-2023, with an ex officio appointment to the seminary’s Board of Trustees.She was also named Dean of her Convocation in the Diocese of Southern Virginia in 2023.Jennifer began her professional life as an AmeriCorps VISTA and Habitat for Humanity affiliate Director of Volunteers.

Jennifer is married to Scott, whom she met while serving as U.S. House of Representatives Pages in high school. Despite that unique and auspicious start, their proudest achievement is the two school-age daughters they share.

The Rev. Canon Charles Robinson

Pastoral Associate

The Rev. Canon Charles Robinson

Pastoral Associate

Charles joined the Hickory Neck community in the summer of 2022. He served in the Navy before attending seminary in 2001. Charles was rector of Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Suffolk, Va., and served as Vicar, Bruton Parish Church for nearly nine years. In 2016, he joined the Diocesan staff as Canon to the Bishop Diocesan, retiring from that office in 2019.

Rev. James P. Nickols

Rector’s Associate

Rev. James P. Nickols

Rector’s Associate

Jim joined Hickory Neck in the summer of 2022. He and his wife have been worshipping at HNC for about four years since Jim’s retirement from Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Norge. In his 48 years of ordained ministry, he has served in multiple parish settings and had a long career as a Navy Chaplain. In addition to his Masters in Divinity, Jim has multiple masters degrees in Communications, HR Management and Christian Spirituality.

Stephen Trumbull

Minister of Music

Stephen Trumbull

Minister of Music

Minister of Music Stephen Trumbull has joined Hickory Neck Church, having just moved to Williamsburg from Ohio. Stephen has been a professional church musician for over 45 years as a tenor soloist, accompanist, choirmaster, and conductor. Stephen is currently the Director of Music, Organist, and Choirmaster at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Granville, Ohio, just outside of Columbus.

Stephen has a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University in voice performance and choral education, and a master’s degree from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in church music. Prior to joining St. Luke’s, Stephen worked as a high school director of vocal music in Columbus City Schools, served at Beckenhorst Press, contracting, producing, and directing recordings of choral compositions, and has served as consultant, instructor, business owner, and community leader.

Robin J. Axness

Parish & Communications Administrator

Robin J. Axness

Parish & Communications Administrator

Robin Axness joined Hickory Neck Church as the Parish and Communications Administrator in August 2021. She moved to Williamsburg in 2019 where she worked as a marketing and development consultant for a local nonprofit before joining Hickory Neck. Robin has had two careers, first as a Marketing Director for luxury hotels and then entered the non-profit sector working in marketing and fundraising. Back in her hometown in Connecticut, Robin was very active at her church serving on various committees and is a Stephen Minister. After a year and a half with HNC, Robin moved back to Connecticut, taking Hickory Neck with her. She continues on in the same role and capacity working remotely in the HNC Connecticut office!

Amy Knowles

Parish Administrative Assistant

Amy Knowles

Parish Administrative Assistant

Amy Knowles has recently joined Hickory Neck as the Parish Administrative Assistant. Amy’s primary responsibilities are printing weekly bulletins, flyers, and other communications as needed, filing, maintaining the Parish office, and serving as a welcoming presence in the office. Amy grew up in Newport News, Va. and moved away after graduating from Mary Washington College. Her previous work experience, dealing in both customer service and general office duties, included working for the Dept. of the Navy in Crystal City, VA, and at Capital One in Richmond. She most recently worked at Rockbridge Area Relief Association as their Office Manager. Amy lives in Williamsburg with her husband. They have two daughters and a rambunctious beagle mix dog

Vestry

The vestry is composed of the Rector and a group of elected parishioners who administer the temporal affairs of the parish. Vestry meetings are held in the Wilkinson Center at 7:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month.