The State of Chaplaincy in Episcopal Schools

Monica Gillespie, PhD is the associate director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES). An experienced educator, Monica most recently served as Principal for Grades PS-4 at St. Matthew’s Parish School in Pacific Palisades, CA. Before her time at St. Matthew’s, she served as Head of Upper School at Francis Parker School in San Diego, CA; Head of School at Saint Mary’s School in Raleigh, NC; Head of School at St. Paul’s School for Girls and St. Paul’s Plus in Brooklandville, MD; and Head of School at St. Luke’s Lutheran School in Culpeper, VA.

An accomplished author and thought-leader, Monica’s writing has been published by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Thomas Jefferson Center for Educational Design, and the International Journal of Education Reform. She also presents regularly at national and regional conferences, notably the Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and NAES. Monica holds B.A., M.Ed., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Virginia, her doctoral dissertation focusing on independent school leadership. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Baltimore Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, the Walter E. Campbell Award Graduate Student Award, and the Governor’s Fellowship for Graduate Studies.

The Rev. David A. Madison, DMin, Executive Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES), joined the staff in 2021 and began his tenure as Executive Director on July 1, 2022. Before his work with NAES, Fr. Madison was the Executive Director of the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools (SAES).

After earning a bachelor’s degree from Austin College and a law degree from Baylor University, Fr. Madison was admitted to the State Bar of Texas and practiced law during his early career. He then attended seminary at Nashotah House in Wisconsin, graduating cum laude with a Master of Divinity degree. Soon thereafter, he was ordained as a priest. A pastoral appointment in Christian education led David to embrace his true gift of teaching. He went on to serve All Saints’ Episcopal School (Fort Worth) as the Director of Religious Studies and Chaplain before being appointed Assistant Head of School and Head of Upper School. He completed a Doctor of
Ministry degree in educational leadership at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia.

Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a personal commitment to the Anglican tradition of excellence in education and has embodied the term “lifelong learner.” Through his work with school boards and vestries, he is characterized as a servant leader whose diplomacy skills have smoothed many a troubled sea. He serves as someone who has a lifetime of first-hand experience with the transformational work of Episcopal schools, as a student, priest, teacher, and administrator.

Amy Lawton, PhD is Research Manager at the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab. Amy completed her PhD in sociology at the University of Connecticut. Her research interests focus on the potential and paradox of religious pluralism in the United States, the cultural production of the sacred, and meaning-making in both religious and (non)religious belief systems. Her dissertation examined the practice of donor memorial ceremonies, which are memorial services held by medical schools to commemorate and honor whole-body anatomical donors.