David Zahl is the Director of Mockingbird Ministries and editor-in-chief of the Mockingbird blog. Born in New York City and brought up elsewhere, David graduated from Georgetown University in 2001, and then served as an itinerant youth minister with FOCUS (Fellowship Of Christians in Universities and Schools) in their New England Boarding Schools region. In 2007 he founded Mockingbird in New York City. David and his wife Cate currently reside in Charlottesville, VA with their son Charlie, where David also serves on the staff of Christ Episcopal Church. Even after all these years, he’s still mourning the end of Calvin and Hobbes and holding out hope that Axl and Slash (or Morrissey and Marr!) will bury the hatchet. His favorite films have been directed by Woody, Whit and Wes, and his favorite theologian is probably a cross between Johnny Cash, Flannery O’Connor and his brother Simeon.
David edited the Mockingbird publication Grace in Addiction: What the Church Can Learn from Alcoholics Anonymous, co-edited The Gospel According to Pixar, and authored the Good News for People with Big Problems teaching program. His current projects include a book-length version of Grace in Addiction and These Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty: Essays and Observations from Mockingbird.
Ethan Richardson came on staff with Mockingbird in 2011. Born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, he graduated from the University of Virginia in 2009, majoring in Religious Studies and English. In June of 2011, he finished two years of teaching 5th grade in the inner city of New Orleans with Teach For America, and moved back to Charlottesville, VA to work with Mockingbird and serve as a fellow at Christ Episcopal Church. He is currently hard at work on several Mockingbird publication projects, including This American Gospel: A Companion to the NPR Series, a bible study on the Gospel of John, and a book of essays based on selected films in the Criterion Collection. He digs the poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins, Charles Wright, and Wallace Stevens, and the writing of Southern sentries William F., Wendell B., and Walker P. Try as he might, he just hasn’t been able to get into Nick Cave or The Talking Heads – but then I guess there’s always hope.
Nick Lannon is a 2000 graduate of the University of Arizona and a 2007 graduate of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, having studied Communications and Religious Studies while at Arizona and Systematic Theology and Ethics at Trinity. An avid movie-watcher, NBA fan and all-around couch potato, Nick is fascinated by the intersection of the Gospel and culture. Nick grew up in northern Virginia and lived there until going to Arizona in 1996, harboring naïve fantasies about playing on the basketball team. Nick is currently pastor of Church of the Saviour (Episcopal) in Denville, NJ, Sports Editor of Mockingbird, and desperately hoping that LeBron James can win the NBA Championship. For all things Nick-related, check out nicklannon.com.
In addition to David, Ethan, and Nick, Mockingbird relies on the invaluable contributions of its many volunteers. In the summer, we offer a handful of internship opportunities for college students and seminarians. Inquiries may be directed to David Zahl at info@mbird.com.