The Very Rev. Tammy Smith-Firestone Rector
Rev. Tammy came to faith in Christ at a young age, growing up involved in a small, evangelical church in Southern California. She majored in Religious Studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara and later completed an MDiv at Fuller Theological Seminary. After spending time in Latin America in her early twenties, Tammy and her husband, Rusty, moved in Bolivia in 1998, where she taught New Testament and anthropology and became involved in the Anglican church. Tammy was ordained to the diaconate in 2005 and was the first woman to be ordained priest in the Anglican Province of South America in 2015. During her ten-year pastoral ministry at Iglesia Anglicana La Trinidad in Cochabamba, Bolivia she established a regional leadership team and oversaw a new congregation. In 2020, Tammy and Rusty decided to move back to California to be closer to their college-aged kids. Soon after putting down roots in Chico, Tammy was invited to be part of the ministry team at St. John's. In 2023 she took a two-year call as interim priest at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Red Bluff. She also serves as Dean of our Alta California Deanery.
Rev. Tammy loves being a pastor and is overjoyed to return to St. John’s — a place where all people can experience the fullness of God’s love through Jesus Christ. In addition to spending time with her husband and two children, Thomas and Maddy, Tammy enjoys being outdoors under the trees of Northern California.
Dr. Jeffery Cooper Director of Music
Originally from San Jose, Jeffrey Cooper became the last organ major to graduate from CSU Chico. Having studied organ and choral conducting there with David Rothe, at the University of Notre Dame with Craig Cramer, and at the University of Houston with Robert Bates and Matthew Dirst, he finally returned to Chico to continue his work in church music at St. John's. He is also the artistic director of the chamber ensemble Butte Baroque.
Sherry Wallmark Parish Administrator
Rev. Annie Ryder Associate Priest
Anne (“Annie”) Ryder and moved to Chico from New Hampshire last summer. Of the many places she has lived, Chico felt most like home and the right place for this time of her life.
Annie was ordained to the priesthood in 1996 in the Diocese of El Camino Real. She served at All Saints Carmel, CA, for 18 months, St. Patrick’s in Pagosa Springs, CO, for 6 years, and Christ Trinity (Episcopal/Lutheran) in Sheffield, MA, for 12 years. Annie retired in 2016. During that time she traveled 12 times to Ghana where she volunteered at a Babies Home, assisted with worship in several settings, had many amazing adventures, and became family to two special young women. One of them named their son, Mr. Ryder!
Annie is Mother to Megan and Grandma to teenagers Molly and Maeve, who live in NH.
She has a little poodle named Rory.