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 two boys, Charlie and Cabell, 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 project is 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. In 2012, he completed his first major publication, This American Gospel: Public Radio Parables and the Grace of God, and is currently hard at work finishing The Mockingbird Devotional. 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 there’s always hope.
Will McDavid grew up in Central Georgia, studied religion and economics at the University of Virginia, and has been has been employed by Mockingbird since then. He also works as a Fellow for Christ Episcopal Church in Charlottesville, focusing on undergraduate ministry. His interests include medieval theology, local delicatessens, and the outdoors. Will edited the book-length Grace in Addiction and is currently at work on a variety of projects, including the forthcoming These Pretzels Are Me Thirsty. His favorite books are Augustine’s On the Trinity and Whit Stillman’s The Last Days of Disco, With Cocktails at Petrossian Afterwards. In his spare time, he reads, watches football, and discusses theories about A Song of Ice and Fire.
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 incredibly relieved that LeBron James has won an NBA Championship. For all things Nick-related, check out nicklannon.com.
In addition to David, Ethan, Will, 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.