The Reverend Dr. Mary J. Korte
 
Mary’s heritage is from Rhode Island through the Lawton family who followed Anne Hutchinson from Massachusetts. In 1636, the family followed her to join Roger Williams and in 1637 came to Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and settled Lawton’s Valley. Mary was born in Newport, Rhode Island and raised in Middletown, Rhode Island. She is the youngest, and only, daughter from a family of four children. Her father was a Naval Officer and her mother was a homemaker. As a lifelong Episcopalian who has served in almost every type of lay ministry within the institution of the church; she knows the church inside and out.
 
Mary and her husband Tim, born in Emporia, Kansas, and have two adult children. Tim is a retired Army Officer of 20+ years whose specialties were Armor as well as Operations and Training, and Security. After retiring from the service, Tim was a dorm head, football coach and JV baseball coach at Northfield Mount Hermon School (NMH) in Northfield, Massachusetts. He left NMH and returned to school full time completing a master’s degree in Instructional Technology at Southern Connecticut State University. He has taught computer applications, was a Center Director for an educational learning company in Connecticut and the Director of Surveillance for a private Newport Company. He retired from a position as an instructor, education manager and curriculum developer for International Officers and Executives at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. Currently he works part time with the Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center and volunteers as a member of the Great Plains Search & Rescue K9 organization. While moving throughout the United States for their careers, the family has lived in Virginia, Georgia, Kentucky (twice), Texas, Kansas (three times), Maryland, Massachusetts (twice), Connecticut and Rhode Island (twice). The family have all traveled outside of the United States.
 
Mary completed a bachelor’s degree in Sociology at Kansas State University, although she began her work at Kansas University where she met her husband. She received her Master of Divinity at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While attending Seminary, Mary participated in a yearlong internship at the Harvard/Radcliffe Campus Ministry Chaplaincy. In addition, she served on the board of the Campus Ministry at Harvard/Radcliffe. Following her M. Div. Mary then received a Certificate of Advanced Theological Studies with a concentration in Jewish/Christian relations. After completing the Ordination process in the Diocese of Rhode Island, Mary was ordained as a transitional Deacon and then as a Priest. Mary served her deaconate at St. Michael's Church in Brattleboro, Vermont while employed as a Religious Studies teacher and dorm head at Northfield Mount Hermon School (NMH). She has also served as a Christian educator for all ages and Hospice Chaplain in Rhode Island. Mary left NMH when she was called to be the Associate Rector at Trinity on the Green in New Haven, Connecticut.
 
While in New Haven, Mary was active in every aspect of the church. Some highlights of the time at Trinity were the development of an Evangelism Committee and Greeters Committee that has been a life-giving program for members of Trinity. Mary's areas of strengths are Administration, Christian Education, Liturgy, and Pastoral Care. She has also been active with boards in and out of the church that deal with children and families in need, disaster response teams, Domestic Violence Task Force, Hospice, Elder Care, Pastoral Care, and an Artist Guild.
 
Mary served as a Rector and After Pastor in Weston, Connecticut. She was the president of the Westport-Weston Clergy Association, member of the Interfaith Council, and board member of the Pastoral Care Advisory Committee at Norwalk Hospital. She was then called to serve as the Rector of a medium sized parish in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. It was an affluent parish in a village of Falmouth, Massachusetts, located amongst an international, scientific, oceanographic community.
 
Mary then served in the capacity of a supply priest when she began working on her Doctorate in Transformative Leadership from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. She has served as a Priest in charge, Interim Rector, and a consultant for the Diocese of Rhode Island. Mary is also a cancer survivor. Dr. Korte completed her doctorate in December of 2012.
 
Rev. Dr. Korte served as Rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Wichita, Kansas. She was the Bishop’s appointee to the Wichita based Episcopal Social Services for four years and was the chairperson for the Examining Chaplains for the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas for six years. She was also a member of Partners in Wichita, an organization that pursues peace and well-being in Wichita and beyond through partnerships, by connecting individuals, faith communities and community-based organizations. She was awarded a “Good Apple” community service award from the Wichita Public Schools in May 2019. She left St. Stephen’s to serve as a trained Interim Rector at Stillwater, Oklahoma to help prepare them for their next Rector.
 
In her free time, Mary enjoys movies, reading, baking, time with her family and friends, and exploring restaurants. Tea, chocolate, and cookies are favorite commodities. Tim enjoys reading, movies, baking and exploring restaurants as well. The family all have enjoyed going to Lake George, New York; Ocean City, Maryland; Angel Fire and Taos, New Mexico on vacations. Mary and Tim have a special love for the Isle of Iona, Scotland. The Korte’s consider themselves “dog” people and Moxie Rose is the families white German Shepherd, search and rescue K9.