Our Clergy

PictureThe Rev. Dr. Warren Leibovitch, Rector









Fr. Warren – born in Montreal and ordained to the priesthood in 1992 – has served as Rector of St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada, for the last twelve years and, before that, St. Margaret’s Anglican Church in Barrie, Ontario, for fifteen years.  Fr. Warren and his wife Annette, a Communicative Disorders Assistant (CDA) working in speech and language therapy.  They have three sons, and, lest we forget, the family includes a Jack Russell named Piper.  In July, 2019, Fr. Warren completed a doctorate in Educational Leadership specializing in Faith Formation and Congregational Development at Virginia Theological Seminary.  His many interests include cooking, reading, astronomy, almost anything having to do with nature, and daily walks with his wife.  
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The Rev. Becky Williamson, Deacon
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​The Rev. Becky Williamson grew up in the mountains of Wyoming and Colorado where she learned about Franciscan Theology before she identified with this way of living.  Becky has work experience as a teacher, coach, counselor, social worker, spiritual director, and chaplain.   Becky was ordained as a Deacon in 2011 and served at St. Augustine’s Tempe where she also led a Contemplative Prayer group.  Among her passions is providing a listening ear to those in need and meeting the Christ in each individual.    She and her spouse, Sue, enjoy traveling in their RV, cooking, music, and being with their two dogs, Frida and Emma.  
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THE REV. NELSON MENDOZA, CURATE
​The Rev. Nelson Mendoza is a graduate from the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, TX. While he was born in the Philippines, he spent his formative years growing up in southeastern Virginia followed by a five year period in Phoenix, AZ. Prior to seminary, Nelson was a community organizer around LGBTQIA+ equality and inclusion, interfaith community building, race and reconciliation work, and much more. He has a passion for social innovation, young adult/professional empowerment, civic engagement, and service leadership. His ministry is governed by his belief in the Gospel’s Call towards justice; one of his favorite quotes is “Justice is what love looks like in public,” by Cornel West. Outside of the pews, he enjoys traveling on adventures to new places, playing and streaming video games, and exploring new ways to practice self-care. 

Our Staff

All staff can be reached by phone at 520-625-1370.  Our office email is office@stfrancisgvaz.org.
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Gerald Near, Parish Administrator, Director of Music

​​Gerald is well known as a composer of liturgical music. The present Hymnal of the Episcopal Church includes both hymns and service music from his considerable output. Gerald holds degrees in music from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with advanced work in conducting from the University of Minnesota.
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Deborah Harby, Financial Officer

​Deborah received her B.A. from Wayne State University in Michigan but moved to Arizona before the next snowfall. She is transferring from a fifteen-year career managing financials for insurance agencies and capital groups in Tucson. In addition to number crunching, she is long-time volunteer with the Sahuarita School District and a parishioner at Our Lady of the Valley. She is married to her high school sweetheart and together they are raising their two children in Sahuarita. 
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J. Michael Case, Organist
​​A native of North Carolina, Michael holds a degree in organ performance from Indiana University, and a teaching certificate from the University of Wisconsin. He has served as organist in various churches and performed solo organ recitals for over forty years and has taught music in both public and private schools, at college level, and privately.  Michael has been doing work as a music engraver for MorningStar Music Publishers since 1992. When not on the organ bench or engraving music, he is also a professional dog trainer, is an approved evaluator for the AKC Canine Good Citizen program, and an AKC Agility Judge.
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Deana Bond, Lead Sexton
​Deana J. Bond began her lead sexton position on July 1, 2021. She becomes the chief custodian for the building, spaces, and grounds at St. Francis in partnership with the Rector and Junior Warden.
 Most recently she was self-employed as a general contractor and handy ma’am.  Prior to that, she was an integral part of a residential design and build remodeling company.  Over 27 years of employment she moved through the levels of work (production) to near the top of the company.
 Deana is a doer and has experience managing up to 30 people. She values achieving excellent outcomes through effectively overseeing, coordinating, and organizing. She prefers the straightforward approach to solving problems using a team approach. She believes in respectful communication and bringing out the best in each person with whom she interacts, collaborates, and partners. 
( By the way, it is Deana as in Dean, the name of her father! )
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John Colip, On Call Sexton
​​A Green Valley resident the last thirteen years, my wife Trudie, dog Tess and I have lived in Colorado, Washington and northern California.  We have two children and four grandchildren.
John recently retired as lead sexton after many faithful years of service to St. Francis.  John has graciously agreed to be on call for special occasions, like whenever there is a crisis.