Your Hosts

Mary Charlotte Elia

Charlotte is a graduate of Virginia Wesleyan University and Union Presbyterian Seminary. An elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Elia has served congregations as a pastor, educator, and music director. She currently works as Director of Christian Formation at Chester Presbyterian Church. After earning a certificate in church music from VWU’s Center for Sacred Music, Elia remained involved with the program for decades assisting with the annual summer conference, hymn festivals, workshops, and webinars. During her studies at Union, Elia helped found and later led the Society for Patristic and Medieval Studies. As a scholar of the earliest centuries of Christianity, she is a frequent presenter at academic conferences and church workshops. Elia is the co-host of After Better on the Inside and the current host of Faith Growth’s How We Do Digital Ministry podcast. She loves to travel but doesn’t like being away from her cats for too long. 

Charlotte is available for preaching engagements, teaching events, retreat leadership, and other appearances. She can be reached at charlotte@heavenlybanquet.com.


Chad Rhodes

Chad is a graduate of Union Presbyterian Seminary and a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He is a lifelong student of philosophy who has learned as much from working as a foreman and lineman for aerial telephone construction as he has from the classical literature. Chad enjoys fishing and gardening. He wanted to be a monk but didn’t get the chants.