The Rev. Dr. John S. Adler, Senior Pastor -
jadler@ionahope.org
John Adler has been a priest for nearly 20 years following a legal career in Chicago. He is currently the Senior Pastor at Iona-Hope Episcopal Church in Fort Myers, FL. This is the second congregation he has planted. The first was St Monica’s in Naples and that congregation has now reached parish status. Adler has a Doctor of Ministry degree in Congregational Development from Seabury-Western Seminary and is also involved in consulting in the areas of church planting, church growth and congregational development.
John is married to Wanda and they have two grown children both of whom are married and live in the Sarasota, Florida area.
Prior to being a lawyer in Chicago John and family spent six years in the U.S. Army. John was discharged as a Captain after six years and had been a pilot for several of those years including a tour in Vietnam.
The Rev. Adele Dees Hatfield, Associate Pastor -
adele@ionahope.org
The Rev. Adele Dees Hatfield, Associate Pastor, is a native of Coral Gables, Florida, although she lived in North Carolina for most of her life.
Adele holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Barton College (1972) and a Master in Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary (2005). She was ordained a priest on January 6, 2006 while serving as Assistant Rector at St. James Parish in Wilmington, NC. Adele accepted a call to be Iona-Hope’s first Associate Pastor in October of 2006.
Adele served as an organist/choirmaster for twenty-nine years (1973-2002) at Church of the Advent (Episcopal) in Williamston, NC. She also supervised the Christian Education program for children of the parish and was active in music ministries of the Diocese of East Carolina.
Adele taught public school music in the Martin County Schools in NC from 1974-2002, serving in various capacities as a band director, middle school choral director and elementary music teacher.
Adele is married to another priest, The Rev. Charles Hatfield who is Associate Rector at St. Monica’s Episcopal Church in Naples. FL. Adele has three grown children, Karen, Stephen and Alison and two grandchildren (twins), Nicholas and Madeline. She has two step-daughters, Jennifer and Mary Alexis.
At Iona-Hope, Adele’s charged ministry areas are Newcomers, Small Group Ministries and Children’s Ministries.
The Rev. Dr. William G. Hurst, Assisting Pastor -
wgh21@aol.com
Born, Butte, MT 1921 ; raised Seattle & Los Angeles; Army & USAF 1939-1966 Command Pilot & Navigator; married 1944-2003, 5 children, 8 grands, 12 great-grands; graduate Episcopal Theological School & priested 1969, Andover Theological School D.Min 1979; canonical resident NH, licensed SWFL; live in Jamaica Bay.
The Rev. Laurence Walton, Assisting Pastor -
lwalton@shellpoint.net
Ordained in 1958, Larry Walton has served with the Episcopal Church in a variety of posts from Central America to Massachusetts. He and his wife, Joan, a school psychologist, became part of Iona-Hope when, after retiring, they moved to Florida in 2004.
The Rev. Walter Neds, Assisting Pastor -
weneds@earthlink.com
He was born in Lima, Ohio on Dec. 1, 1926. He was married to LaDonne Beasley in Dec. 1946 and they had three children – Mark, Peter and Beth. He has four grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He became a Registered Architect in Ohio in 1954 and practiced there until he entered Virginia Theological Seminary in 1959. Following his graduation from VTS, he served at St. Thomas Church in Washington, DC (1962 - 1965), and at Christ Church Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills, Mi. (1965 - 1972). He then moved to Miami, Fl where he served in several different parishes in the Diocese of Southeast Florida until l979 when he became Canon to the Ordinary for Ministry in the Diocese of Southeast Florida. He served in that position until his retirement in Jan. 1991. He has been associated with Iona-Hope from its beginning in the store front in 1999. He mostly participates in -- and has been an advocate for -- the Saturday evening service of Healing and the Holy Eucharist.
The Rev. Kathleen K. Ennis, Deacon -
kke@aol.com
Kathy was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1938 and moved with her family to Ft. Lauderdale in 1945. She attended public schools and graduated from Ft. Lauderdale High School in 1956. Kathy attended Sweet Briar College, spent her junior year in Spain with the Smith College program and graduated in 1960. Dick and Kathy were married in October 1961 and spent many years in government service in Latin America and the U.S. They have four children and four grandchildren, living in northern Virginia, Atlanta, Boca Raton and Pittsburgh. Kathy was called to the diaconate from St. Monica’s in Naples and was ordained in 1998. She served as the Episcopal/ELCA Lutheran campus minister at Florida Gulf Coast University for three years and has served at Iona-Hope since 1999.
Ms. Deborah Z. Prather, Chaplain to the Senior Pastor -
debprather@comcast.net
Debbie was born and raised in Lansdale, Pennsylvania where she was baptized and confirmed at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. She is a graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, MA and has a Master’s Degree from the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.
She and Tom have been married for 42 years and have two sons, Will and David.
While living in Selinsgrove, PA, Debbie graduated from the School of Christian Studies of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania with the intention of seeking ordination as a Deacon when the opportunity arose to found and partner in a business venture which is now the Prather Family of Theatres - one of which is the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.
In retirement from business, Debbie has dedicated her life to the service of God in this part of God’s kingdom known as Iona-Hope. It is an honor to serve this congregation where we all can expect miracles.
Mr. Loren J. Strickland, Music Director -
stricklandj@hotmail.com
