Clergy & Staff

The Reverend Canon Lucy S. L. Amerman

Interim Rector

Senior Warden Chris Miller has announced that the Rev. Canon Lucy S. L. Amerman will join Ascension as Interim Rector for 10 weeks beginning April 23. Lucy moved to Colorado in 2016 following her retirement as Canon to the Ordinary for the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, where she used her prior experience as lawyer, corporate officer, risk management professional, and parish priest to support the Bishop and the leadership of the Diocese. In Colorado, she has served twice as an interim Canon in the Office of the Bishop. Prior to attending seminary, Lucy spent many years as a lawyer for Consolidated Rail Corporation and served as Vice-President of Risk Management, where she was responsible for all areas involving operational risk to the company. Lucy has years of experience serving on not-for-profit boards, dealing with child welfare and elder care. She attended Goucher College, Widener University School of Law, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Oxford University. She and her husband Jackson Haas, a retired Lutheran pastor, have a blended family of six grown children and eight grandchildren living from coast to coast. Lucy is excited to join us at Ascension.

The Reverend Amy Feins

Associate Rector

Amy comes to Ascension from Trinity-by-the-Cove Episcopal Church in Naples, Florida where she has been an assisting priest for the past two years where, in addition to preaching and celebrating, she was responsible for all worship ministries as well as being the clergy liaison for the youth and young families. Prior to being called to ordained ministry, Amy worked for more than a decade as the Director of College Counseling at a k-12 independent school in Naples. Originally from Pasadena, California, Amy has also lived in rural New Hampshire as well as Washington, DC and Arlington, VA. She attended Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Delafield, WI. Amy and her husband Jon have four children, the youngest of whom is graduating from Northeastern University this May. An animal lover, Amy is especially excited that their new home is only a couple of miles from the zoo! Contact Amy Feins.

The Reverend Garry Horle

Priest Associate

Garry strongly believes in servant ministry and the priesthood of all believers as the working model for ordained clergy. This model for church is found in the gospels in the life and work of Jesus – open and welcoming to all, creating community, and seeking to spread and practice God’s message of love and reconciliation to the world.

Born in Bronxville, NY, Garry grew up in Hidalgo De Parral, a small city in the Mexico mountains, and the border town of El Paso, Texas. He received his BA from the University of Colorado in 1962 and his MBA from Daniels College of Business of the University of Denver in 1976, while also working at a retail firm for 17 years. Following a stint as a house husband, he worked at the Community College of Denver and the Community College State System, from which he retired as Director of Facility Planning. In 1989, he entered the Anglican studies program at St. Thomas Roman Catholic Seminary and received his MDiv (with distinction) from the Iliff School of Theology in 1997. He was ordained as a deacon and a priest that same year.

Garry served as Deacon-in-Charge at St. Andrews, Cripple Creek while still employed by the Community College State System. A certified trained interim priest, Garry subsequently served at All Saints, Denver, St. Timothy’s, Centennial, and various other churches throughout Colorado. Although he officially retired in 2012 at age 72, he continued to accept interim assignments until 2015, when he became a member of Ascension. Garry also briefly served Ascension as Priest-in-Charge following the departure of the rector in 2017. He returned as Priest Associate in 2019 at the invitation of our current rector, the Rev. Weezie Blanchard.

Garry and his wife, Carol, have two adult daughters and two grandchildren, all of whom live in Denver.

Dr. Cindy Lindeen-Martin

Director of Music

Dr. Cindy Lindeen-Martin earned her Doctor of Music Arts degree from Eastman School of Music at University of Rochester and her Master and Bachelor of Music in Organ and Piano Performance degrees from Colorado State University. She also studied at Conservatoire Nationale de Musique in Ville de Rueil-Malmaison, France, where she earned her Degré Preparatoire Superieur and Degré Excellence. Cindy has been featured in performances throughout the United States and especially in Colorado. She is also a sought-after organ instructor.

Cindy served at Augustana Lutheran Church in Denver for over 20 years, where she was Minister of Music and Organist since 2004. Over her years at Augustana, Cindy's responsibilities evolved from coordinating children's music ministries and directing handbell choirs to coordinating all aspects of Augustana's music ministry, including playing the organ for all services, directing four graded handbell choirs, overseeing the paid and volunteer music ministry staff, planning and overseeing the music ministry budget, planning worship services, and serving on the board of Augustana Arts, a 501(c)(3) non-profit affiliated with the church.

Cindy is excited about helping Ascension envision the future of music ministry. Contact Cindy Lindeen-Martin.

Mary Margaret Murdock

Associate for Children, Youth, and Families

Mary Margaret was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, AL and graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South in 2019 with degrees in Natural Resources and Religious Studies. Growing up at Christ Epicopal Church in Tuscaloosa, Mary Margaret was active in parish life as well as on the Diocesan level. She is also a lifelong camper at Camp McDowell, the Episocpal camp and conference center for the Diocese of Alabama, and has served on staff there in multiple roles. After college, she worked as an outdoor educator in Idaho, Chile, and Alabama with various environmental education programs. Before coming to Ascension she served as the Director of Youth Ministries at Christ Episcopal (Tuscaloosa). She is excited to be in this role and to work alongside the intelligent, passionate, and hilarious children and youth at Church of the Ascension! Contact Mary Margaret Murdock.

Sarah L. Dougherty

Parish Administrator

Sarah was born in Tucson, Arizona and spent her formative years in the desert of the American southwest. She moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1993, where she received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Crichton College, a small liberal arts Christian institution. After returning to Tucson in 2001, she also received a Master of Arts in Organizational Management. Her early professional life was mostly dedicated to helping young people, first as a counselor at a drug rehabilitation center in Memphis, then as a juvenile probation officer in Tucson, and finally as a youth minister at St. Gabriel the Archangel Episcopal Church in Cherry Hills Village. She made the leap to parish administrator at St. Gabriel’s in 2014 and spent five enjoyable years there. She then moved to the cathedral administrator position at St. John’s Cathedral, where she served a short time before her husband’s career moved the family to Stuttgart, Germany for three years. While she misses life in Europe, she is looking forward to being the parish administrator at Ascension and is really excited to support the community at Ascension in their work and ministry.

Sarah has been married to her husband, Michael, since 2005, and they have a teenage son, Eli. She is an avid reader, loves spending time outdoors, and is always planning her next excursion, whether it be a road trip into the Rockies, or a train trip across the Alps. Contact Sarah L. Dougherty.