Clergy & Staff

Rev Canon Bruce A. Jackson

Rev Canon Bruce Jackson joined Advent Episcopal Church on February 1 as our full-time interim rector. He will be with us until we choose a new rector. 

Canon Bruce previously served as the interim at Good Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal Church in Cave Creek. Before that, he was an interim at St. Anthony on the Desert Episcopal Church in Scottsdale.

Several of our parish members know him from his 10 years at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Glendale. 

We are excited to welcome Canon Bruce to the Advent community!

Affiliated Clergy

Rev Janet Gooltz

The Reverend Janet R. Gooltz, DMin began theological studies while raising four children. She is a graduate of Vassar College and Weston Jesuit School of Theology and holds a Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care from the Graduate Theological Foundation. Following ordination in 1984 she became the first Director of Pastoral Care at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA. She is board certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains.

She describes herself as being of “Missouri farm stock” and has a large backyard garden in which she grows much of her own produce. Janet’s four children, her deceased husband’s four, and her surrogate daughter have given her 21 grandchildren. Her user name is Retired Sorta!

Rev Janice Watts

Janice joined the Episcopal Church in 1998 after being a lifelong Catholic. She had always felt called to ordained ministry. She graduated in 2007 from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston IL with a Master of Divinity and spent 3 years at All Saints in Western Springs, IL. After ordination in 2010, Janice was called to All Saints of the Desert here in Sun City as the Associate and later spent six years as Assisting Priest at St. Andrew’s Glendale. In October 2019, she and her husband Patrick joined Advent. They have enjoyed every day of serving and celebrating here in this wonderful community. Patrick and Janice have been married for 51 years. They have two grown children and a grandson in Denver CO.

Rev Beverley Rader, Ph.D.

Rev. Bev has recently relocated to Phoenix from the Diocese of Idaho, where she was a longtime friend of Deacon Debbie Greenleaf! Dr. Rader is the Assistant Clinical Professor of Nursing at the north valley campus in Phoenix of Northern Arizona University. She looks forward to being part of the Advent Community.

Rev Canon Geoffrey Dibbs

When Canon Geoffrey Dibbs and his wife Margaret came to Sun City West in late 1992, Canon Dibbs had already retired from the Anglican Church of Canada in 1988. The story is told that Margaret was adamant that when they first attended Church of the Advent, Geoff was not to wear his clerical collar or divulge his occupation. That lasted just two weeks.

Canon Dibbs was born in Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England. He was educated at Manchester University, Oxford University and the London School of Journalism. He holds a Doctor of Theology degree and is a Fellow of the Philosophical Society (England). After moving to Ontario, Canada, he graduated from Ryerson College, Toronto, in TV Production and produced radio and television programs for the diocese. He also performed as a professional magician. His sermons were always notable for his sense of humor and great collection of clerical jokes.

Among his notable rector positions was his call to be Rector to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in the parish of Burton Agnes, a position he held for 8 years. Canon Dibbs served as Associate Rector for Pastoral Care for 22 years at Advent, including regular participation in worship services and preaching.

Read Newspaper Article About Canon Dibbs

Deacon Debbie Greenleaf

Deacon Debbie Greenleaf started attending the Episcopal Church in Idaho in January 1996 and in 2002 joined St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Boise. She was at once drawn to join the Mission Committee at the church and became actively involved in their many outreach programs. In 2010, Debbie started the process to become a deacon. She wanted to not only help her community but felt the need to inspire others to go out and serve as well. In the fall of 2012 she attended the Utah Ministry Formation Program in Salt Lake City, UT and was ordained on December 6, 2015 in Boise.

Deacon Meg Lewis

Deacon Meg Lewis remembers thinking in November 1983 as her class of deacons stood to be ordained that her feet hurt ... forewarning of future ministries on the streets. She walked the streets of Honolulu to work with prostitutes – lost souls looking to be seen and heard, and then the streets of Seattle working with hungry teenagers, too young for adult shelters to help them. The food program for teens involved 23 churches, many civic groups and organizations. As full-time assistant for St Andrew’s, Seattle, Meg learned more about Pastoral Care. Forming support groups for Cancer and Death and Dying gave her experience and training with her parish family. Meg's current volunteer work is with grief support groups. She helps people see the wounded world and ease their many concerns.

Sharon Mather

Sharon Mather is a "cradle Episcopalian". She is a graduate of Education for Ministry (EFM), serves as a lay minister, and belongs to the Order of the Daughters of the King, Clare of Assisi Chapter. Other parish involvement includes Advent's ECW, Helping Hands for Children in Crisis, Advent's Neighborhood Link Coordinator. She is licensed by the Diocese of Arizona as a Pastoral Care Leader and as such will be doing pastoral home and hospital visitations offering the comfort of anointing, healing prayers and Eucharist.

Music Director - Eldon Wold, Jr

Eldon Wold, Jr., was raised on a farm in Ottawa, Illinois. In elementary school he began piano lessons and began playing for Sunday school services at his family Lutheran church when he was 10 yrs old. Organ lessons were added and he began playing for church services at age 13. In high school, he received the Chopin Award given annually to an accompanist. He continued organ and piano in college (Southern Illinois University), was a member of the Dean's College Scholar Program and completed a double major in Music Education and Piano Performance. After 35 years of teaching music, he retired to Surprise in March 2017. Shortly after, he attended a service at Advent and found he enjoyed many things about the service and the acoustics. Thus began a new adventure!

Sexton David Booth

David Booth is our new (2022) Sexton. David is originally from Waukegan, Illinois, but moved to Phoenix in 1980. He retired from the U.S. Postal Service after 35 years of service. David is married to his wife Marygrace. They have 3 adult children and 4 beautiful grandchildren. He enjoys traveling and spending time with family.