JONATHAN TAGG

Head Pastor / Priest

Jonathan Tagg has been in full time ministry since 1989, Pastoring in Pittsburgh, Florida and Colorado. In 2003 Jonathan and Robin moved to NC where he worked with The Navigators on their 20something National Leadership Team. A desire to do ministry in a different way led the Taggs to purchase and manage a live music venue until 2009, when they accepted a call to Pastor The River. Jonathan earned his masters and doctorate from Trinity in Pennsylvania. He’s a husband and father to five, loves sports, the outdoors, motorcycles, and hanging out with family. [Email Jonathan]

CHRIS MECKLEY

Pastor of Youth and Families / priest

Chris and Stephanie moved from the Pittsburgh area to the NRV in Summer 2014 so that Chris could work with youth at The River. Chris attended Grove City College and Trinity School for Ministry. He was ordained as a deacon in 2018, and as a priest in May 2021. Stephanie is an RN in the area, and they have three sons, a golden retriever, five ducks, and a bearded dragon. [Email Chris]

ROSS WILSIE

WORSHIP LEADER

Ross has lived in the NRV since 1998, when he enrolled as a student at Virginia Tech. During his time there, he was active in New Life Christian Fellowship (NLCF) leading small groups and participating in the music team. He currently works in the IT department of a local behavioral health agency as a Trainer and System Administrator. Ross and his wife, Jennifer were married in 2006 and have two children, Jonah and Rainer. Ross’s musical journey began with piano lessons when he was around five years old. He would later learn to play the violin, which he still plays today. He also enjoys singing and playing the mandolin and acoustic guitar. Ross has been an active member of the music team at The River since the church’s beginnings in 2005, and he began his time as Worship Leader in August of 2011. He has seen his passion for music ministry grow significantly in the time since, and he’s excited about how God will continue to use music in his life to impact the lives of others. [Email Ross]

Mary and Jack McDonald

deacons/Director of International Ministry (mary)

Mary and Jack were ordained to the diaconate on March 10, 2017. The McDonalds are missionaries with the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders, with whom they previously served in Cochabamba, Bolivia, teaching animal husbandry and helping in micro-finance projects. In addition to their work as Deacons at The River, Mary has since developed a large-animal demonstration site at their home in Catawba where she prepares U.S. vet teams for global ministry. Mary is also overseeing goat projects as part of an evangelism and community development program in East Africa and is the Director of International Ministry at The River. [Email Mary or Jack]

Scott Cramer

Deacon

Scott comes to Blacksburg from Knoxville, TN - first as a VT student in 2002 (Go Hokies!) - and again in 2011 for his civil engineering job. A volunteer Deacon at The River, Scott was ordained in the Diocese of Christ our Hope (ACNA) in October 2018. Scott has a passion for getting people into God's Word while getting God's Word into people, and making disciples who will become disciple-makers. Scott loves the blend of ancient and contemporary worship in the Anglican liturgy at The River, and is always up for a good conversation on the relevance and value of how liturgy and Sacrament can form us as Christians. You can also find Scott enjoying and watching plenty of sports with friends, volunteering with Young Life in the NRV, practicing (poorly) his many funny foreign accents, enjoying a tasty beer, and planning mission trips to Belize!  

Matthew Joss

University and 20-Something Ministry Coordinator

Born in Blacksburg, Matthew has lived most of his life in the Southeast. After graduating from Bryan College, he and his wife Sarah went to South Korea to teach English. After a stint in North Carolina working on degrees in apologetics and philosophy from Southern Evangelical Seminary, he went to the University of St. Andrews in Scotland to work on a PhD in analytic theology. Coming full circle, Matthew arrived back in Blacksburg in the summer of 2022 to work at the River. Matthew, Sarah, and their son Brannan are excited to again be in the land of mountains and trees to do what they love best—helping people live life to the full through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Other skills include: eating doughnuts, watching movies, and collecting (never quite enough) books. [Email Matthew]

Sarah Joss

Children’s Ministry Coordinator/Youth Ministry Assistant

Sarah is originally from the beautiful mountains of southwest NC. She studied psychology at Bryan College (where she met her husband, Matthew) and later earned an MA in Human Services from Liberty University. After college she taught ESL in South Korea. After coming back she directed the youth and children’s programs at an inner city ministry. These days she homeschools their son Brannan, enjoys living in the wonderful town of Blacksburg, and is looking forward to helping out with the youth at The River. She is passionate about seeing people of all ages and stages grow in Christ and learn how to better flourish and thrive. She also loves hot drinks, good conversations, great books and movies, fall leaves and handmade pottery (especially if you can put a hot drink in it!).