About Our Family
About Our Family
I was born in 1972 in Daytona Beach, Florida. I have spent most of my life in Tallahassee. I attended school at Holy Comforter Episcopal Dayschool, Maclay School, Raa Middle School and Leon High School. I graduated from Leon in 1991. All during my early years in Tallahassee, I attended church at St. John's Episcopal Church.
I went to college at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL (GO GATORS!). I was there for five years, and worked for a CPA firm in Gainesville called Purvis, Gray and Company. After I graduated in 1996, I moved to Orlando, Florida, where I received an MBA in Accounting and Finance from the Crummer Graduate School at Rollins College. After graduation, I worked for one year at Vestal & Wiler, a CPA firm in downtown Orlando. While I was in Gainesville, I attended Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. While I was in Orlando, I attended St. Luke's Cathedral.
In July, 1998, I moved back to Tallahassee, and lived there until August, 2005. I moved back to St. John's Episcopal Church to worship and worked in the Tallahassee office of Purvis, Gray and Company until December, 2002. In January, 2003, I left public accounting to work as an auditor in the Office of Governor Jeb Bush, where I worked until moving to Nashotah, WI, in August, 2005.
I am now a seminarian at Nashotah House Theological Seminary, which is 25 miles west of Milwaukee, WI.
Lisa
Lisa was born on August 8, 1969 in Hialeah, a suburb of Miami, Florida. Her grandfather was a police chief in the southern Miami area. Lisa's parents are Dorothy and Lee Martin of Tallahassee, Florida.
Lisa and her brother, Brian, grew up as "military brats," since Lee is a retired Air Force officer. Lisa spent part of her early years growing up in Germany, since her father was stationed at Ramstein and Sembach Air Force bases. Lisa graduated from high school in 1987 in Blytheville, Arkansas.
Lisa attended college at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering. Upon graduation, Lisa worked for an environmental engineering consulting firm in landfill design and installation. She then moved to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection until 1999.
In 1999, Lisa realized that she was called to spend the next several years in the service of the Lord. She accepted a position as Director of Children's Ministry at St. John's Episcopal Church. Here, she met Townsend, since they were co-leaders of the St. John's Young Singles Ministry. They were married on April 27, 2002 at St. John's. Lisa worked at St. John's until June, 2005, when she resigned to travel to seminary with Townsend.
Lisa is now an independent beauty consultant with Mary Kay Cosmetics.
Benjamin
Benjamin Townsend Waddill, IV, was born on May 7, 2003 in Tallahassee, Florida. He is our first child. Benjamin has spent a lot of time at St. John's, and is very much a church baby, partly due to the fact that his mother worked there and his daddy is a future Episcopal priest.
Benjamin has been several times to the Walt Disney World theme parks and is a huge fan of Mickey Mouse. He calls the four park, the Big Castle (Magic Kingdom), the Big Ball (EPCOT), the Big Hat (MGM) and the Big Tree (Animal Kingdom). Benjamin is a very smart young man who is fully proficient with his ABC's, colors, and shapes, as well as counting to 20. He enjoys playing with Lincoln Logs and spending time with Mommy, Daddy, and his grandparents.
Benjamin would also be voted
most likely to be a verger at a very young age. He knows very well
the parts of the church and can ring the sanctus bells. Benjamin
insists every time that we go to the church that we stop by the chapel
for prayer time. He also keeps Lisa and I accountable at meal
times by insisting that we pray this prayer that Bishop Hathaway shared
with us:
Come Lord Jesus,
Our Guest to Be,
And Bless These Gifts
Bestowed By Thee.
Amen.