Clergy & Staff
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
The Rev. Sarah DiCarlo-Watts, Priest-in-Charge
sarah@ststephenshsv.org | 256-783-1805
A native of Huntsville, Alabama, Sarah grew up at The Church of the Nativity, where she first fell in love with the life of the church as an acolyte and chorister. She is a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College (Forward, Ever!) and Virginia Theological Seminary. Along the way, Sarah spent meaningful time as a Reconciliation Intern at Coventry Cathedral in England and served as a Ministry Assistant at Christ Episcopal Church in Exeter, New Hampshire.
Sarah comes to us from St. John’s Episcopal Church, where she served as Associate Rector for four and a half years. At the diocesan level, Sarah is active with the Commission on Ministry, the Women’s Leadership Planning Team, and the LGBTQ+ Ministry Team.
Outside of church life, Sarah is usually curled up with a good crime novel or spending time with her wife, Jen, and their two dogs, Abby and Cooper. And for the record—Go Bills.
Abby Murphree,
Parish Administrator
office@ststephenshsv.org
Abby comes to St. Stephen’s after working at Temple B’nai Sholom as the office Administrator for almost 7 years. Her passion is helping an organization run smoothly, and she is happy to bring her skills here. She has a heart for service and enjoys getting to know parish members. Previously, she worked with United Way of Madison County and the Community Free Dental Clinic in administrative positions. She successfully collaborated on several education initiatives and was honored as the 2017 United Way of Madison County Volunteer of the Year. Before that, she spent seven years teaching preschool and tutoring math in Montgomery. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University Montgomery in childhood education.
She enjoys scrapbooking and other crafts, singing, and studying the Jewish background of the Bible and the Christian faith. She has two babies - Riley, a sweet Shih Tzu old man, and Hyacinth, a bearded dragon.
Cherry
Keeton,
Organist
Cherry has served extensively in the field of music ministry in a variety of different capacities at several local churches. Cherry's passion includes exploring how different genres of music can enhance the worship experience and engage people in new and meaningful ways. Cherry began her career as a church pianist at the age of 12, and continues as an organist/pianist at several local churches. Cherry studied piano locally and continued with her studies at the University of Alabama. One of her favorite Martin Luther quotes is "Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world." Cherry is awed by the power of music in her life.
Riley Murphree,
Parish Pup
office@ststephenshsv.org
Riley clocks in with Abby each morning to supervise the office, monitor snack distribution, and offer a gentle sniff to all who come to our office.
St. Stephen's Child Development Center
Autumn Watkins
Director
Autumn has worked in childcare for 8 years and has an Associate’s degree in General Studies from Calhoun Community College. During her time at St. Stephen’s, she has worked closely within all age groups as a teacher, her favorite class being the 3’s. Her favorite part of being a director would have to be the relationships she has gotten to build with both staff and families.
Autumn has two boys and has been married to her husband for 4 years. As far as hobbies go, she loves to read, garden, kayak, and hike with her family.
Tamara White
Assistant Director
Tamara started working at St. Stephen’s in 2017 as a nursery teacher. She has always had a love for children and has two of her own. Her favorite thing about the CDC is having the opportunity to watch children grow, learn, and gain confidence. She loves to make them feel safe. Following her time in the nursery, she became the Assistant Director in 2022. Her greatest fulfillment in this position is ensuring St. Stephen's CDC meets the highest safety standards. Her hobbies include puzzles and shopping.
Nikki Davis
Classroom Coordinator
Nikki has been working in childcare for 3 years and wouldn’t trade it for anything else! The children bring her pure joy and she loves clocking in to be with them every day. She has a daughter and has been with her fiancé for 4 years. She loves the CDC admin team and all of the wonderful team of teachers! Her hobbies include swimming and spending time with her family. As a child, the pool and beach were always her go to. She is a big family-oriented person.