Fr. Tim Backus

A native of North Carolina, Fr. Tim graduated from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, with undergraduate degrees in psychology and music therapy before heading off to Seminary. While attending App State (ASU), Tim used to hike and ski in the mountains of North Carolina. Now that he has been to Colorado, he understands why many people in the west call the Appalachian Mountains ‘hills.’

After graduating with an M.Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2009, Fr. Tim first began his ordained career in the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast as the Associate at Christ Church in downtown Pensacola for five years with a primary emphasis on youth ministry as well as young adult ministries. During that time, Tim was in charge of weekly junior and senior high groups as well as summer programs, mission trips, lock-ins and everything in between including ‘Worship on the Water,’ their summer youth paddle board ministry. There were multiple young adult groups under his helm including ‘Theology Pub Club,’ an informal spiritual conversation held at one of the local pubs in the downtown area. In 2015, Fr. Tim received the call to serve as rector of St. Francis of Assisi, Gulf Breeze, just outside of the Pensacola area where he served until his new call as vicar of St. Brigit in Frederick, beginning Aug 1st, 2021.

During his time in the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, Tim served on a variety of commissions including the Commission for Youth, Young Adults, Cursillo, and Commission on Ministry (COM). Across the greater church, Tim has attended CREDO, was invited and attended a Gathering of Leaders conference, was selected as a participant and convener of a peer preaching pilot program through the Episcopal Preaching Foundation, and did a month-long cultural immersion in Burma (Myanmar), which included co-leading an Anglican Conference for students in the Diocese of Toungoo.

Tim has grown up playing drums and percussion most of his life including the drum-line of the ASU marching band, percussion ensembles, and Steely-Pan Steel Drum Band. Tim also plays guitar, loves most sports, and any post-apocalyptic show or movie is right up his alley. Tim’s wife, Sarah, is a Pensacola native and middle school teacher. They have two talented children, Haven (18) and Simon (15) Slay. Email: [email protected]

Sean McGaughey–Bishop’s Warden

My families’ coracle landed at the shores of St. Brigit in August of 2018. I have been a confirmed member of the Diocese of Colorado since 2000. I am an insurance agent by vocation, and a father of a multi-generational household that includes my wife Chelli, our 29-year-old daughter, 14-year-old daughter, and 6-year-old granddaughter. My avocations include playing guitar, singing in the choir, graphite pencil drawing, and playing chess. I have been active in the diocese including taking kids up to Quest, vestry leadership in another parish, and participating in leadership in Cursillo. I am a cancer survivor of two rounds of stage 4 head and neck cancer in 2017 and 2019. I love the feeling of hospitality and outreach of our St. Brigit community, and feel called to help discern in community the direction in which the Holy Spirit calls us to live out our mission as a church family. [email protected]

Ann Magnuson–Member at Large

Ann Magnuson has lived in Colorado her whole life. She grew up in Fort Lupton. She is a cradle Episcopalian. Growing up as an acolyte, attending many youth camps through the diocese and getting confirmed. One of her fondest memories was Taize.

She Graduated with a BA in Speech Communications from Colorado State University. She has spent most of her professional career in healthcare and Human Resources. Her greatest accomplishment to date is raising her daughter Mia (16). She lives in Firestone and has been a member for five years.

Jeff Nieusma–Property Warden

Jeff Nieusma was a 2005 Vestry member of the parent church, St. Mary Magdalene. The Nieusmas were an anchor family and volunteered to move to Frederick in 2008 to help launch the new mission church.  Jeff was appointed the first Junior Warden of the Bishop’s Committee in charge of facilities and maintenance of the property and buildings.  He designed and coordinated the construction of the original sanctuary in the 1000 square foot garage, finished Feb 1, 2009. He then helped design and construct the 2500 square foot (current) sanctuary east of the garage, consecrated Feb 1, 2013.  Afterward, he designed and built the Kildare room, bathrooms, and classrooms in the original space, finished in late 2013.  Following a few years off, Jeff was reappointed to the Bishop’s Committee as the Property Warden starting in 2020 and is also on the boards of directors for Brigit’s Village and Brigit’s Bounty.​[email protected]

Alechia Potter–Member at Large

I was born in Colorado and grew up here in Weld County.  For three or so years around college, I lived in Fort Collins and Denver, but have been in Weld County for the rest of my life.  I have a bachelor’s degree in English, but have decided that being mom to my two amazing boys is far more important than making an income, so I’m not “employed.” I didn’t grow up going to church, and when I learned about many churches, they didn’t feel right to me.  My husband, Eric, introduced me to the Episcopal Church shortly after I met him in college, and it was an immediate fit.  I was baptized, confirmed, and married all within about a year and a half from 2006 to 2007.  Right after Eric and I bought our first house in Frederick, we learned that a new church was starting, and have been members of St. Brigit since January 2009, before we even had a sanctuary to meet in.  We were pretty involved to begin with, but then we had babies and I didn’t have the time or energy for that anymore.  After 15 years and the boys being older, I’m looking forward to taking a more active role in the church and helping to make my church home even better.

The Rev. Nancey JohnsonBookstein, Deacon

Nancey JohnsonBookstein “Bookie” grew up in Albany, New York, went to college in Boston, received her Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, and came to Colorado in 1976. She and her wife, Joan, discovered Holy Comforter in 1989 and were in the first group of Stephen Ministers. After moving to Colorado Bookie earned her Ph.D. at University of Northern Colorado in 1998. Bookie is very active locally, as well as at the state and national levels. She does outreach through her professional organization, is a retired Associate Professor and Director of Admissions for the Physical Therapy Program at the University of Colorado Medical School, and serves on the Admissions Committee for the Medical School and for the Master’s Program in Human Anatomy at Anschutz Medical Campus. She teaches medical students, Physician Assistant students, PT students, and Master’s in Anatomy students.

Bookie was admitted as a Postulant for Holy Orders in May 2008. Serving a term as President of the Board of Directors for St. Benedict Health and Healing Ministry, she continues to provide physical therapy to the homeless through that organization. She was the Worship Ministry leader at Holy Comforter for several years and is a Eucharistic Minister and a Eucharistic Visitor. A member of the Green Team, Bookie was on the ground floor of helping make the Farmers’ Market at Holy Comforter a reality. Phone: 303-918-9110, E-mail:  [email protected]

Michelle Mrsan–Clerk

Michelle was born in Pontiac, Michigan, and lived her whole life on Michigan’s beautiful lakes. She enjoyed sailing, skiing, playing sports, reading and school. Most of her education was in public schools but she did attend Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High school. After high school she went to the University of Michigan, the only college she applied to, and graduated with degrees in Chemistry-BS and Neuro-Psychology-BA. After doing medical research for a couple years, Michelle returned to college at Wayne State University and earned her BS in Pharmacy. Growing up in a pharmacy retail family, she decided to work in community pharmacy where she spent years 21 years and retired in 2016. Next Michelle rode a stage coach out west to start a new life and found an old love, Jeff Nieusma. Since living in Colorado she has become an active member of St. Brigit and likes to find random projects to attack and conquer. Lately she has taken on being the clerk for the BCC, coordinating all the internet connected technology, and being the St Brigit and Brigit’s Village webmaster. Michelle has friends and family all over the country and travels frequently to visit, but is always available online at [email protected] via text or lastly through phone calls.

Demi Prentiss–FSV Team Lead

Demi Prentiss has been a member of St. Brigit since 2019, and moved to Colorado from North Texas in 2020. A cradle Episcopalian, she has served as a lay professional at the congregational, diocesan, and national staff levels, and now works part-time for Episcopal Church Foundation based in Manhattan. She’s written three books supporting lay and clergy ministers in the church: Radical Sending, concerned with the ministry of all the baptized; Making Money Holy, dealing with the challenges of using money in a way that glorifies God; and ECF’s Finance Resource Guide, offering guidance to Episcopal vestries and congregational leaders. She and her husband Paul live in Lafayette and supervise two obstreperous dogs.

Fr. Tim Backus–Vicar, Ex officio, FSV

A native of North Carolina, Fr. Tim graduated from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, with undergraduate degrees in psychology and music therapy before heading off to Seminary. While attending App State (ASU), Tim used to hike and ski in the mountains of North Carolina. Now that he has been to Colorado, he understands why many people in the west call the Appalachian Mountains ‘hills.’

After graduating with an M.Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2009, Fr. Tim first began his ordained career in the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast as the Associate at Christ Church in downtown Pensacola for five years with a primary emphasis on youth ministry as well as young adult ministries. During that time, Tim was in charge of weekly junior and senior high groups as well as summer programs, mission trips, lock-ins and everything in between including ‘Worship on the Water,’ their summer youth paddle board ministry. There were multiple young adult groups under his helm including ‘Theology Pub Club,’ an informal spiritual conversation held at one of the local pubs in the downtown area. In 2015, Fr. Tim received the call to serve as rector of St. Francis of Assisi, Gulf Breeze, just outside of the Pensacola area where he served until his new call as vicar of St. Brigit in Frederick, beginning Aug 1st, 2021.

During his time in the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, Tim served on a variety of commissions including the Commission for Youth, Young Adults, Cursillo, and Commission on Ministry (COM). Across the greater church, Tim has attended CREDO, was invited and attended a Gathering of Leaders conference, was selected as a participant and convener of a peer preaching pilot program through the Episcopal Preaching Foundation, and did a month-long cultural immersion in Burma (Myanmar), which included co-leading an Anglican Conference for students in the Diocese of Toungoo.

Tim has grown up playing drums and percussion most of his life including the drum-line of the ASU marching band, percussion ensembles, and Steely-Pan Steel Drum Band. Tim also plays guitar, loves most sports, and any post-apocalyptic show or movie is right up his alley. Tim’s wife, Sarah, is a Pensacola native and middle school teacher. They have two talented children, Haven (18) and Simon (15) Slay. Email: [email protected]

Laura Lewis–Congregation Representative, FSV

Laura has lived in Firestone for almost 20 years, and has been a member of St. Brigit’s for almost 8 years. She enjoys working in the Brigit’s Bounty Giving Garden, has previously served on the Bishop’s Committee Community, sings in the choir, is the ministry lead for the Ushers/Greeters, and is currently the congregational representative on the Financial Stewardship and Vision team.

Sean McGaughey–Bishop’s Warden, Ex officio, FSV

My families’ coracle landed at the shores of St. Brigit in August of 2018. I have been a confirmed member of the Diocese of Colorado since 2000. I am an insurance agent by vocation, and a father of a multi-generational household that includes my wife Chelli, our 29-year-old daughter, 14-year-old daughter, and 6-year-old granddaughter. My avocations include playing guitar, singing in the choir, graphite pencil drawing, and playing chess. I have been active in the diocese including taking kids up to Quest, vestry leadership in another parish, and participating in leadership in Cursillo. I am a cancer survivor of two rounds of stage 4 head and neck cancer in 2017 and 2019. I love the feeling of hospitality and outreach of our St. Brigit community, and feel called to help discern in community the direction in which the Holy Spirit calls us to live out our mission as a church family. 

Jeff Nieusma–BCC Representative, FSV

Jeff Nieusma was a 2005 Vestry member of the parent church, St. Mary Magdalene. The Nieusmas were an anchor family and volunteered to move to Frederick in 2008 to help launch the new mission church.  Jeff was appointed the first Junior Warden of the Bishop’s Committee in charge of facilities and maintenance of the property and buildings.  He designed and coordinated the construction of the original sanctuary in the 1000 square foot garage, finished Feb 1, 2009. He then helped design and construct the 2500 square foot (current) sanctuary east of the garage, consecrated Feb 1, 2013.  Afterward, he designed and built the Kildare room, bathrooms, and classrooms in the original space, finished in late 2013.  Following a few years off, Jeff was reappointed to the Bishop’s Committee as the Property Warden starting in 2020 and is also on the boards of directors for Brigit’s Village and Brigit’s Bounty.​[email protected]

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