Hello! I’m Tory.
My pronouns are they/them.
I was born and raised in Colorado, where I live with my wife, our baby daughter, our two cats, and dozens of houseplants.
I am a priest in the Episcopal Church and a multidisciplinary creative. What does that mean? I love the church, and I love practicing creativity in a way that welcomes others into loving relationship with themselves, God, and their neighbors.
Growing up in a family of musicians fostered my life-long connection between spirituality and creativity. I developed a voracious appetite for creative practice that has led me from music to theater, painting, drawing, digital art, poetry, knitting, and sewing. I could never pick one thing, so I stopped trying.
I am also the first non-binary priest ordained in the Diocese of Colorado. I see my ministry as a witness to the infinite variety of human expression, and the truth that we are all beloved children of God. God is so big, and the church sometimes tries to make God small, small enough to be comfortable. It is my conviction, though, that a vital, Spirit-filled church can still speak to the challenges and opportunities of our present situation. The love of Jesus Christ has saved my life, and I know that it can save others.
I make a lot of things.
I am the co-founder, with Weston Morris, of Welcoming Every Body, a consulting firm with the goal of helping churches and institutions realize their goal of welcoming everyone. We offer a variety of services, including preaching, writing, and education, with a special focus on LGBTQ and disabled people.
I am also a co-host of Accessible Enneagram, an Enneagram podcast for everyone. My co-host Meg Thornbury and I discuss the Enneagram with a view toward people’s different experiences of privilege and oppression as well as their level of familiarity with the Enneagram. It’s a true passion project for us. Listen here.
I am also a textile, fiber, and visual artist. The best place to see this work is Instagram or the blog.