About Our Guests
The Reverend Robin Rusconi was raised in the Kansas City metro on the Kansas side and has 4 brothers. She was raised in the Roman Catholic faith and attended Catholic grade school and high school. She first felt the call to ordained ministry in undergrad but did not see a path forward. Before she and her husband Jae married, they joined the Episcopal church. She formally began her discernment process 2019-2020 – when her youngest child was in high school. Robin has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate from The University of Kansas and a Certificate in Diaconate Studies from The Bishop Kemper School for Ministry. She was ordained to the diaconate in June 2023. Robin is currently completing a 1-year chaplain residency at St. Luke’s Health System.
Tara Bennett is chair of the Peace and Justice Committee for the Diocese of West Missouri. A member of Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, she is also an active volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, serving as Missouri State Legislative Lead for a number of years. A native Kansas Citian, Tara has lived in 5 states and 2 foreign countries as a military spouse, has a background in international economic development and has taught American Government, International Politics and International Business at City University of Seattle.
Our Hosts
The Rev. David Kendrick
The Rev. Colin Larimore
Clare Stern-Burbano
The Rev. David Kendrick — St John’s Episcopal Church, Springfield, the Rev. Collin Larimore — Grace Episcopal Church, Carthage, and Clare Stern-Burbano — Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, Kansas City hosts sessions that include conversations, interviews, and even an occasional sermon.
Our Podcasts
We want to introduce the Episcopal Church from multiple perspectives and with different voices, utilizing social media to find out what questions students may have about who we are and what we do. Guest speakers, including college students from around our diocese, are already being scheduled for future sessions.
We do not currently have a physical presence on college campuses in our diocese, but we think podcasting offers a great opportunity to meet young adults where they are and share our faith in a way that is personal, comfortable, and always accessible. We hope that these sessions will be a bridge to connect college students with local parishes and with other young adults.
For more information and to suggest a topic or pose a question, please visit the College and Young Adult webpage. Look for All Things … Episcopal wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!
Deacon Alisa Carmichael currently serves as Chair of the Campus Ministry Commission in the Diocese of West Missouri. She assisted with an Episcopal campus ministry at the University of South Florida in Tampa prior to moving with her husband John to their current home in Kansas City. She is the organist at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Lee’s Summit.
