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The Very Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith came to St. Paul's on-the-Hill from Richmond in September 2003. Following ordination in June of 2000, Hilary served at St. Paul's in Richmond for two years and then at St. James the Less in Ashland for a year. Hilary brings to St. Paul's much experience in the areas of young-adult ministry, campus ministry, youth ministry, newcomer ministry, and spiritual direction. Preaching and pastoral care are also central to her work as a priest.
Hilary holds a doctorate in history from the University of Virginia. Her dissertation is entitled, "Community and Belonging in Early Modern England: Life in the Trent River Valley 1520-1640." She had intended to teach at the college level, but, during the Ph.D. process, felt a strong call to ordained ministry. Issues of "community" and "belonging" continue to be of great interest to her as they relate to our life as a Christian community and to the role of faith in our world today. |
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She also received a B.A. in history from the University of Richmond; an M.A. in English Local History from the University of Leicester, England; and an M.Div. from the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria.
Hilary is a trained spiritual director having completed a two-year course in spiritual direction at Richmond Hill, an urban retreat center located near downtown Richmond, VA. She offers spiritual direction to seminarians at the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria and also serves the diocese by training parish discernment committees that work with those sensing a call to leadership in the church.
Hilary's monthly epistle messages can be viewed by clicking here, and her weekly sermons are also stored online. Please check out Hilary's blog, Stories from the Hill |
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Our Staff
Trudi Schwarting, Parish Secretary
Trudi came to us in October of 2007 after having worked three jobs commuting to Ashburn 6 days per week. She was secretary at Church of the Holy Spirit and a private piano teacher at Keyboard for Kids & More – both in the Ashburn/Lansdowne area. She also served as organist for Wesley
United
Methodist
Church here in Winchester.
Trudi was a music education major at Winthrop
University and has held many churches positions as soloist, organist, pianist, children’s choir director, adult choir accompanist and director/choreographer for several traveling singing groups.
The joy of her life is her six children and 12 grandchildren. Week-ends are filled with togetherness and love. All of her children are musical and love their mom, their families and their Lord.
“Working at SPOTH with Hilary and all of you is more wonderful than I could have imagined. I look forward to every moment and pray that God’s presence and His promised blessings will fill your days.”
 
Heather Ankerbrand, Director of Music Britney Ford, Nursery Attendant
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