The Rev. Kevin S. Brown, Rector

The Rev. Kevin S. Brown grew up in the Asheville area and has been an Episcopalian since the age of five. He is a 1991 graduate of Duke University with a double major in Psychology and Mathematics. While serving as a project manager in the Air Force, he received a Masters in Business Administration at the University of West Florida in 1996. After his military service, he moved to Memphis, Tenn., where he worked in multiple roles in finance and marketing for FedEx Express and helped launch and manage a successful money management firm.

Kevin discerned his call to the priesthood and received his Masters in Divinity from The General Theological Seminary in New York before accepting the call to become Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Paris, Tenn., in 2007. He was called to serve as Rector here at the Church of the Holy Comforter in 2010.

His wife Caroline is also a Duke graduate and is an accomplished artist. Kevin and Caroline have two daughters, Emily and Maggie. Kevin enjoys jogging and reading, though not at the same time. You may contact him at kevinb@holycomfortercharlotte.org.

The Rev. Amanda Kucik, Associate Rector

The Rev. Amanda Kucik was born in the nation’s capital and grew up in the surrounding suburbs. She began to discern a call to the priesthood in college and participated in the Young Priest’s Initiative of the Diocese of Virginia. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Religious Studies, Amanda went on to receive a Masters of Divinity from Yale Divinity School. Since her ordination in 2006 until October 2011, Amanda served at the Church of the Incarnation, New York, New York.

In Manhattan, she grew accustomed to not driving, to being the smiley-est person at any given gathering, and to paying exorbitant amounts for groceries; she is looking forward to more smiles, pulled pork, hiking, and —most of all — getting to know you, the people of Holy Comforter. You may contact her at amandak@holycomfortercharlotte.org.

The Rev. Dr. Deb Blackwood, Deacon

The Rev. Dr. Deb Blackwood was born and raised in Charleston, W.Va. and has been active in the Episcopal Church since childhood. Deb has been a teacher for 54 years, and has served many years in a variety of roles in six dioceses. She was ordained to the vocational diaconate in June 1999 in the Diocese of Southwest Florida, and spent most of that time serving on the staff of Bishop John Lipscomb until she and her husband Dan relocated to Charlotte to be near their daughter Kim. In Charlotte, Deb was the Technical Theatre Director at Providence High School, then Chaplain and Technology Catalyst at Trinity Episcopal School.  In March 2009, she joined the staff at St. John’s Episcopal Church as their Technology Coordinator and transitional deacon. She was just settling into the routine of being semi-retired when she graciously accepted the call to serve at Holy Comforter as both our Deacon and Technical Advisor. You may contact her at debb@holycomfortercharlotte.org.

The Rev. Ramón Aymerich, Priest Associate

The Rev. Ramón Aymerich was born in Cuba, and his parents sent him to boarding school in Puerto Rico at the age of 13 to escape the Communist country. In 1966, he and his parents and siblings were reunited and settled in Buffalo, N.Y. Ramon was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood in 1975, and in 1982, after some very serious soul-searching, he became an Episcopalian and was received as a priest in the Episcopal Church after a year of Anglican Studies at General Seminary in NYC. He has served in four dioceses. He is fluent in Spanish, English, Italian and French and loves to travel, particularly to Egypt and Italy. He enjoys cooking, photography, bicycling and facilitating Bible Study. He is also retired from the US Air Force, where he served as a chaplain for 24 years. He and his mother Josefina had just purchased a home in Matthews, when Padre Ramón answered the call to assist us in our Hispanic Ministries as our Priest Associate. You may contact him at ramon@holycomfortercharlotte.org.