Our Staff

The staff here at Trinity Church is comprised of people who love, care and pray for every single person in the church. If you have questions for any of our staff, feel free to reach out and email them or call our church office to speak with them.

  • Rev. Jen Vath

    rector

    Jen came to Trinity Topsfield in June 2022, after serving as Assistant Rector of Christ Church in Andover, MA. She received her BA in Biology from Colby College, her MBA from Babson College, and her MDiv at Boston University School of Theology. Jen grew up in Topsfield, playing soccer at Masco, and worshiping at Trinity with her family through her high school years. After college Jen worked in the field of biotechnology, in a variety of operational and market research roles, and while working there met her future husband, Jim. 


    Jen is passionate about the spiritual life of children and families and helping people of all ages explore and act out their faith and calling. She was ordained to the priesthood in 2019. Jen and Jim now reside in Lynnfield and their family includes a set of twins, Jake and Emily, and older siblings Penny and Ben, who are thriving amidst the joys and challenges of college and young adulthood.


    In her free time Jen logs miles on the Peloton, enjoys paddleboarding, delights in her husband Jim’s cooking, loves to talk around the dinner table, and dream about the future of the church.


    You can email Rev. Jen at rector@trinitytopsfield.org

  • Rev. Ruth H. Bersin

    Priest Associate

    The Rev. Ruth H. Bersin has been Priest Associate at Trinity Church since 2000. She is the Executive Director of Refugee Immigration Ministry. She serves on the Diocesan Immigration Task Force, the Board of Directors of HAWC, the Board of Association of Refugee Service Professionals. Rev. Bersin graduated from Indiana University School of Education and taught for 7 years in elementary schools. She received an MAR from Colgate Rochester Divinity School and an M.Div from Yale Divinity School. She holds a Ph.D from Graduate Theological Foundation. She published an article: “Healing Traumatic Memories, a Spiritual Journey.” She has also worked as a Pastoral Psychotherapist since 1982.


  • Rev. Joyce Scherer-Hoock

    The Rev. Joyce Scherer-Hoock was ordained to the priesthood in 1989. She served churches in Salem, Melrose, Topsfield, Peabody, and Lincoln and most recently as Rector at St. Andrew’s, Ayer. In addition to preaching and celebrating the Eucharist, Christian Formation for all ages has been central in Joyce’s ministry. Joyce discovered the strength of Montessori based Christian Formation with “Young Children and Worship’ the precursor to Godly Play. This led her to be certified in all three Levels of the Catechesis

    of the Good Shepherd teaching adults that method. She especially enjoys building bridges between Roman Catholic and Protestant lay people in her courses and is now developing these courses in an online format. Before ordination she taught high potential learning-disabled adolescents at Landmark School. She grew up in West Palm Beach, FL but prefers New England’s four seasons. She and her husband Bob have two adult daughters and live in Topsfield, with their Shetland Sheepdog, a goat and miniature horse. For fun she likes to swim, bike and garden.

  • Laura Proctor

    Music Director

    Laura Proctor is delighted to be part of the Trinity Church staff. A lifelong musician and teacher, Laura has had a rich educational and performance background. She received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Ithaca College. She studied with soprano Johanna Meier at the Johanna Meier Opera Institute, where she performed leading roles in The Cunning Little Vixen, Arabella, and Tartuffe. She also studied in Italy with Opera Viva and La Musica Lirica, performing opera and oratorio, studying with soprano  June Anderson in master classes, and gaining fluency in the Italian language. Laura studied classical and jazz piano as well as vocal performance, and she has been praised for her expressive powers in both singing and piano performance, her appealing compositional style, clear diction, and her pleasant, sweet vocal tone.
    Laura has taught music privately and in classroom settings for more than a decade. She is a MA-licensed Elementary English as a Second Language teacher and taught in public schools for four years. Laura currently offers private piano and voice lessons at Trinity Church.

  • Susan Strachan

    preschool director

    Our Trinity Preschool Director Susan Strachan has announced her retirement effective June 15th of this year. We are all profoundly grateful for her lengthy and loving service to the children and this community. Susan will be greatly missed!


    We are  working with Susan and the Preschool Advisory team to identify and hire our next Director. Our intent is to continue the excellent quality care, education, and  programming for the children, to support the amazing teachers, and to make a smooth transition.

  • Adrienne Marchese

    Parish Administrator

    Adrienne Marchese is our Parish Administrator at Trinity Episcopal Church. She graduated from Simmons College with a BA in Business Management and is a licensed MA real estate agent. Prior work experience also included e-commerce sales. She and her husband moved to Topsfield in 2012 and share their home with their triplet sons; Benjamin, Logan, and Colby. They have a dog, six chickens and a turtle. Her husband is a local home health physical therapist. The Marchese family enjoys everything the North Shore has to offer. You might cross paths with her volunteering at the schools, community organizations, or assisting with her kids sports at the local fields. The family enjoys gardening, skiing, boating, and traveling.