Jim Naughton

Jim Naughton is the former canon for communications and advancement for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and the founder of the Web site Episcopal Café.

Under his leadership the diocese has won numerous awards for its publications and Web site, and donations to the annual Bishop's Appeal have increased by more than 30 percent in each of the last three years.

Jim is frequently quoted in media reports and helps shape the public’s opinion of the Church through the Café, which receives more than 5,000 visits per day. He examined the financial aspects of recent controversies in the Episcopal Church in his article: “Following the Money: Donors and Activists on the Anglican Right.”

A veteran journalist, Jim has worked for The New York Times, The New York Daily News, and The Washington Post. His free-lance writing has appeared in publications and Web sites as disparate as Beliefnet, Slate, ESPN the Magazine and the Guardian. He has written three books, including a novel for young adults and a profile of a Catholic parish at odds with the Vatican.

Jim holds a B. A. in Journalism and American Studies, and an M. A. in American history from Syracuse University.

Rebecca Wilson

Prior to founding Canticle in 2009, Rebecca Wilson had been, since 2000, an independent consultant working on strategic communications and grantseeking with nonprofit and public sector organizations including the Chicago Consultation and Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Cleveland. Her experience includes serving on the leadership teams for several successful non-partisan ballot issue campaigns including measures that support urban public schools; alcohol, drug and mental health treatment and public libraries. From 1996-2000, she was marketing director for the Akron-Summit County (Ohio) Public Library where she oversaw both the public information and political campaigns for a successful $80 million capital improvement bond issue and a subsequent successful operating renewal.

Rebecca has also worked in communications for a consumer product manufacturer and taught business and technical writing at the university level and English literature and composition to middle school students. She holds a B.A. in English from Duke University and an M.A. in English from Kent State University.

Lu Stanton León, Associate

Lu Stanton León has worked more than 30 years as an editor, writer and media relations consultant  for a variety of publications and businesses, including public affairs firms, business consultants, newspapers, academic institutions, religious organizations and other nonprofits.

Prior to joining Canticle Communications, she served as the lead writer for Blakey & Agnew, a public affairs and communication firm based in Washington, D.C., where she lives with her husband, the Rev. Dr. Luis León, rector at St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square. She has co-authored a business management book and worked for many years as an editor and reporter for three major, metropolitan newspapers—The (Baltimore) Evening Sun, The (Bergen) Record in Hackensack, NJ, and The Charlotte (NC) News—in positions ranging from police reporter to night city editor, with a variety of assignments in between.

Outside of work, Lu has been involved in strategic planning and communications for outreach initiatives of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and for social service agencies in the Washington metropolitan area. She has been instrumental in founding and developing parish-to-parish partnerships in Honduras, South Africa, and in the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.  She holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ellie Rolfes Rencher, Associate

Ellie is the former College for Bishops Associate for CREDO Institute, Inc. While serving at CREDO from 2006-2011, she managed the daily operations of the College for Bishops, assisted with program development and communications and coordinated and implemented programs and events offered to bishops of The Episcopal Church.

Her past experience includes work in human resources for Vail Resorts, Inc. and various roles in the retail and transportation industries. Ellie currently resides in her hometown of Memphis, TN and holds a B.A in Spanish from The University of Mississippi.