Meet our staff

Fr. Wes Clare (Rector) was ordained in1996, after graduating from Trinity School for Ministry, and has been the rector at St. Jude’s since 2002. He served in the U.S.Air Force as a B-52 Electronic Warfare officer and is a combat veteran of Desert Storm. He also served for 17 years as a National Guard chaplain, including 7 years as State Chaplain for the California National Guard. He’s a motorhead who loves to work on cars, and a sci-fi geek. He and his wife, Wendy, have been married for over 30 years, and have four grown children: Stephanie, Warren, Hannah and Erin.

Fr. David Brown (Assistant Priest) has been with St. Jude’s since 2018, after faithfully serving in several churches throughout the diocese. Having grown up in Michigan, he came to California to follow a career in the glass industry. Through the guidance of then-retired Bishop Victor Rivera, he felt the call to ministry and was ordained as a vocational deacon in 2001. Two years later, the Lord then called him into the priesthood. An invaluable help to Fr. Wes, he leads worship and takes the pulpit once a month, as well as leading weekly Bible studies. Blessed with a prodigious memory, he has memorized the entire Gospels of Mark and John, which he performs in a one-man dramatic presentation, a feat which both amazes and blesses his audiences.

The Rev. Dennis Mann (Deacon) served in the Air Force for 20 years as a Military Broadcaster, then followed a similar path working for NBC studios in Burbank, CA. A lifelong Anglican, he answered the call to ministry and was ordained to the Vocational Diaconate in 2015, and has served St. Jude’s in that capacity ever since. He is our “tech guru”, our acolyte trainer, confirmation class teacher and deeply involved in the Cursillo/Anglican 4th Day movement. He and his lovely wife Trish have been married for over 50 years.

Wendy Clare (Education & Music Ministry) is a lifelong Anglican, a professional symphony violinist/violist, a trained Precept Bible study leader and a veteran homeschooling mom of 25 years. Scripture is at the heart of all her teaching, whether for children or adults, with the goal being to establish a strong foundational knowledge of the Bible, and to help her students realize that God’s Word is true, practical and relevant to their lives. In leading worship, she seeks to bring a balance of classical, traditional and contemporary music to the worship services at St. Jude’s.

Stephanie Clare (Preschool & Nursery) has been a professional Preschool teacher for nearly 10 years, with her training in Early Childhood Education from Vanguard University. Currently teaching at Good Shepherd Lutheran Preschool, she delights in guiding little ones to the joy and wonder of God’s creation and the love of Jesus. Patience, kindness and imagination are the hallmarks of her classroom.