2025 vestry candidates

Mitch bramlett

What do you love most about what you do for a living?  I am a tax partner with PwC.  I enjoy developing people and mentoring them from the time I recruit them from campus as they progress through the firm.  I also enjoy helping clients with their challenges and building teams to provide the services they need.

Who sits with you at church? Do you have someone you always talk to after the service? 

I sit with my wife, Sara.  We enjoy speaking with our friends who sit nearby and those we've met while attending Sunday School or serving in the various missions at Good Shepherd.

How did you get started in the Episcopal Church? Tell us something about that church. 

Sara introduced me to the Episcopal faith, and I was confirmed at St. Francis Episcopal (now Anglican) Church in Dallas.  Sara attended this church for her entire life before we began attending Good Shepherd.  St. Francis has a traditional liturgy, with the main Eucharist service being a sung Rite 1 mass.  I still enjoy a sung mass from time to time with the traditional prayers and liturgy.

If you had to recommend a movie or a book to someone, what would it be and why? 

Our family enjoys the Christmas movies "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Elf".  Both are uplifting and have become a great tradition for us to watch together.  

What is your favorite church service at Good Shepherd? What do you love about it? Is there something you look forward to that you hope never changes? 

I love the Christmas Eve mass, especially the candlelit singing of "Silent Night".  I also enjoy participating in the Maundy Thursday watch and hope we always continue that tradition and period of reflection.

Matt Tillinghast

What do you love most about what you do for a living?

I’ve always loved being a dentist, and all that comes with it. Though I’m no longer in private practice due to my essential tremor, I do love being a Patient Consultant for G4 Dallas Dental Implants because we get to transform smiles daily and truly change people’s lives for the better.

Who sits with you at church? Do you have someone you always talk to after the service? 

My wife Kelly usually sits next to me when we are both robed up as LEMs. When not serving at 8:00 AM, I (we) usually sit next to Pat & Wes Snyder, Neva Cochran, Team Morris when he’s reading, & Paula Hart. I usually talk to Brian B, Don Townsend, Clayton Shannon, the Morris’s, & Kelly after church.

How did you get started in the Episcopal Church? Tell us something about that church. 

I got started at GSEC as a social member many years ago. Kelly would take me to Super Bowl parties, Couples Club, Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinners, 4th of July….you get the picture. I was asked by Father Tom to think about joining, which coincided with me not being happy at my previous church. Once I came to GSEC and found out I love the liturgical aspect of GSEC, I knew I had found my forever church. It helps that my wife Kelly loves it too!

If you had to recommend a movie or a book to someone, what would it be and why? 

Having just seen September 5th, I’d highly recommend it as it’s a phenomenal look back at the 1972 Munich Olympics and gives a good perspective as to what the climate was then in all aspects of life, not just sports. Well acted, directed, & filmed. 

What is your favorite church service at Good Shepherd? What do you love about it? Is there something you look forward to that you hope never changes? 

I’m a die-hard 8:00 AM churchgoer @GSEC and always will be. It starts my week off in the best way possible. I love the people who have become my friends, but mostly, I love serving as a LEM or reader, and I truly hope I can serve at 8:00AM as long as I’m able!

Mccann Turner

How did you get started in the Episcopal Church? Tell us something about that church.

I was raised as a 'cradle Episcopalian' in a church plant in the Diocese of West Texas. Grace Episcopal Church was founded in San Antonio and began the way many churches do—with church in the living room and youth group upstairs.  As the church grew in size, the congregation became creative, and I was able to experience the kingdom of Christ in unconventional ways, such as the Eucharist in a wildflower field, baptism in a water trough, and many, many Sunday mornings in a school auditorium. The same spirit introduced to me in my childhood at Grace Episcopal led my wife, Emily, and me to our new church home here at Good Shepherd.

If you had to recommend a movie or a book to someone, what would it be and why?

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. I have bought, read, and given away a copy of Pilgrim's Progress more times than I can count—although I'll admit that the 'modern-day readable version' is my preference. The reason I love this book is because it has the ability to meet you where you are, no matter how old you are or what season of faith you are in, and provides you with the encouragement to continue on the path to the celestial city. If you have not re-read Pilgrim's Progress since you were forced to as an adolescent, I strongly recommend giving it another go. 

What do you love most about what you do for a living?

I do government affairs work for Texas Health Resources. My favorite part about my job is being able to advocate for North Texans to ensure that we are able to have access to affordable and high-quality health care across the state. I believe that being a part of a faith community is a core aspect of our overall health and wellness, and I am proud to work every day to try to provide better opportunities and outcomes for our communities.

Virginia Wygal

What do you love most about what you do for a living?

Now that I work for myself, I can honestly say – just about everything! But most of all, I am now able to explore my own creativity and build a life around the things I love to do (anything fabric and fiber-related). That includes my own art but also helping other fabric & fiber creatives build the sustainable creative practice and small business they yearn for through my online business. I am always learning and growing, and I see that growth in my community. I absolutely love the freedom and flexibility to do the things I want outside of work since I am my own boss.

Who sits with you at church? Do you have someone you always talk to after the service?

I don’t actually come “with” anyone, but I usually end up sitting next to or near Susan Mills.

How did you get started in the Episcopal Church? Tell us something about that church.

I went to college for a few years at Ole Miss, and a sorority sister asked me one day if I wanted to go. The church was St. Peter’s Episcopal in Oxford, Mississippi, and they had a Sunday evening service (presumably for college students who slept in!) That service was informal but still very reverent. Eventually, we began going on Sunday morning, and I loved it. Not too high, not too low! I still visit there when I see my sister Susan and her husband, William, who live in Oxford. It is much smaller than Good Shepherd, but the sanctuaries have a similar feel, and the level of worship is similar. I love the big “small church” feel of Good Shepherd.

If you had to recommend a movie or a book to someone, what would it be and why?

“Julie and Julia” directed by Nora Ephron, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Besides the fact that it is a relatable story, it’s one that drives home the point about finding what lights you up and going for it. It’s funny, lighthearted, and uplifting. It celebrates creativity and the very spirit of enthusiasm. I rewatch it every time I need a little pick me up and a reminder that a) you can (and probably should) pursue what lights you up, b) it is not impossible to succeed doing what you love, c) you will have to overcome obstacles and do the work, and d) it will all be worth it!

What is your favorite church service at Good Shepherd? What do you love about it? Is there something you look forward to that you hope never changes?

I love baptisms and confirmations, but Maundy Thursday and Christmas Eve services have traditionally been my favorite. Since I joined Good Shepherd in the late 80s, many things have changed. What I hope never changes is the welcoming nature of the Eucharist, that we are not exclusionary, and receiving communion at the rail when possible.