The Reverend C. Melissa Hall, currently Interim Rector at The Church of the Redeemer, Morristown, will begin work as Associate Rector at St. Peter's on September 1.      

Following Divinity Studies at General Seminary, and graduation from Union Theological Seminary in 2003, Melissa was ordained at St. Stephen's in Millburn. She became the Associate Priest and Day School Chaplain at All Saints Episcopal Church in Hoboken; and more recently served as the Assistant, and then Interim Rector, at Church of the Redeemer.

An accomplished writer, poet and artist, Melissa is known for her good humor, a belief in joy and respect for all people, and providing opportunities for experiencing spiritual expression.

She is a vocal advocate for Social Justice and Equal Rights, and is deeply committed to the future of the Episcopal Church. As a seminarian, she accepted the Bishop's appointment to serve on the Diocesan Ecclesiastical Court, and is now the Nominations Chair for the Diocese of Newark Commission on Ministry, and a member of the Civil Union Task Force

Melissa was called to the priesthood following a twenty-year career in Nursing Administration at NYU and Lenox Hill Hospitals in NY, and United Children's and Newark Beth Israel Hospitals in NJ.

She and her partner of 29 years Fran Lapinski currently reside in Hoboken, NJ, with their thirteen-year-old daughter Katherine.