Clergy and Staff

The Very Rev. Sarah Carper Morris

Sarah grew up on a farm near Christiansburg, Va. with her mother and two brothers. She is a cradle Episcopalian growing up at St. Thomas in Christiansburg. She was active in high school sports, drama, and 4-H. Sarah earned her B.A. in Health and Physical Education from Berea College in Kentucky where she also played volleyball and basketball. She received her Master’s in Curriculum Development and Instruction from The University of New Mexico.

She taught school in West Virginia, Virginia, and Germany before attending seminary at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN.

Sarah was a youth minister in Augusta, GA and Richmond, VA. She is a national trainer for the Journey to Adulthood Curriculum and she co-authored the Disciples of Christ 16/20 curriculum for senior high and young adults. During her time as a youth minister, she also led youth pilgrimages to Turkey and Greece; Germany, England and France; Spain; and Scotland.

Sarah was ordained in 2011 and served at Christ Episcopal Church in Pearisburg, VA. While there she has led two youth pilgrimages to Santiago, Spain and Belize. Christ Church has also worked to serve the low-income community in Pearisburg. During that time, she also taught and coached at Eastern Montgomery High School, in Elliston, VA.

Sarah is married to Robert Morris who is Presbyterian Minister at Old Brick Presbyterian Church in Radford, VA.

Ryan Whittington

Ryan Whittington is a Ph.D. in historical musicology at Florida State University. His research studies how music tells stories and his in-progress dissertation tells the history of how composers have transformed Shakespeare’s Tempest from the seventeenth to twenty-first centuries. He received a Master of Music degree in historical musicology from Florida State University and Bachelor of Arts degrees in music and German from Wake Forest University.

A native of Pilot Mountain, NC, Ryan grew up in the southern Baptist tradition, but discovered the Episcopal church in college, falling immediately and hopelessly in love with the liturgy. Ryan marked a milestone of his faith journey in 2018 when he was confirmed in the Episcopal Church.

Ryan has loved music—and keyboard instruments in particular—ever since music class with Sherri Collins at Westfield Elementary. He began his formal study of music at Wake Forest, taking piano lessons with Dr. Louis Goldstein and organ lessons with Dr. Dan Locklair. While living briefly in Bloomington, IN, Ryan was fortunate to study organ with Dr. Marilyn Keiser, a beloved mentor and continuing influence on Ryan’s musical style.

The organ bench at Trinity has long been a space where Ryan has practiced since returning to North Carolina in 2020, and he is thrilled to accept the privilege and honor of being Trinity's organist.

Tobi York

Tobi has served as Trinity's parish secretary since 2006 bringing previous accounting and sales management skills which is an asset to life at Trinity. She attended Woodland Christian School in Winston-Salem and Surry Community College.

Tobi was born and raised in Surry County and lives in Mount Airy with her husband and two sons, Hunter and Walker. She enjoys volunteering at local schools and is a supporter of the Backpack Program which helps provide food for children in need.

In her free time, Tobi enjoys reading, cooking, road trips, and spending time with family & friends.