Clergy & Staff

Rector: Father Eric Mills

The Reverend Eric Mills grew up in Wisconsin and Minnesota, enjoying mild summers and great winters! Entering the USAF immediately after high school, he served as an intelligence analyst. While serving in Italy, he met and married his wife, Sue, who was also in the USAF serving as a Russian linguist. Shortly after completing college they moved to Nashotah, Wisconsin where Fr Eric completed seminary. They then moved to Ft. Worth where Fr. Eric served as a curate at the cathedral until re-entering the USAF as a chaplain for 6 years, ultimately returning to parish life in 2007. After serving as rector in a northern Wisconsin parish for 9 years, Fr Eric and Sue came to Southport in 2019 to be part of the wonderful parish of St Philip’s!

They are avid walkers and have made pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago three times already with more pilgrimages planned for the future. The Camino teaches them that people inadvertently stow away stuff - literal stuff in a backpack, as well as physical, emotional and mental baggage. The Camino has a way of enabling pilgrims to deal with all of that baggage, item by item, eventually dropping all the excess weight they have been carrying and freeing them to enjoy the blessing that is life.

They have two adult daughters who are married: Katie and her husband Dan live in Iowa and she works for the University of Iowa. Rachel with her husband Dylan live in Wisconsin and are both high school teachers (science and math). Important members of their family are their Sheepadoodle, Ellie, and their new puppy, Maggie, as well as their pride of cats: Jack, Max, and Charlie.

Assistant to the Rector: Mother Lisa Erdeljon

The Rev. Lisa M. Erdeljon currently serves as Assistant to the Rector for Pastoral Care at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in downtown Southport, North Carolina.

Born and raised in Virginia, Mthr. Lisa has a Bachelors of Science in Intercultural and Mass Communication from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. After graduation, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the country of Georgia, returning home unexpectedly, when Russian troops marched through her village in 2008.

Following evacuation, Mthr. Lisa earned a Masters of Public Policy in Peace Operations from George Mason University, in Arlington, Virginia, while also working on the science and technology side of Nuclear Nonproliferation.

After hearing God’s call and discerning in the Diocese of Virginia, Mthr. Lisa attended Berkeley Episcopal Seminary at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut. Her first call, after seminary, was as Curate/Associate Rector for Christian Education at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Barrington, Illinois, where she served for almost 4 years before coming here. Mother Lisa came to St. Philip's in March of 2021.

Mthr. Lisa finds God most often when chopping vegetables and cooking, running or paddling outside, exploring the beach or a golf course, and simply sitting with her dog Bedi (pronounced Bed-EE). She tries to do yoga every morning, and spends a lot of her time at home in quiet—hoping she might hear something from God that she hasn’t heard yet.

Deacon: Pam Hayes

Pam was ordained as a vocational deacon in May of 2016 at St. Philip’s. Pam's primary role and focus is as Chair of the Pastoral Care Board, but she also loves serving at the liturgy. Southport has been her actual home since 1987, and it has been a great pleasure to watch St. Philip’s grow and grow. Pam is so glad to be a part of it!

Organist/ Choir Director: Deborah Skillman

Deborah Skillman holds both bachelor and master degrees in music and certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. She has been actively involved in church music as a vocalist and accompanist since the age of thirteen. She has served as the organist and choirmaster of St. Philip’s church since January of 1977.

Parish Administrator: Lorraine Beamer

Lorraine transitioned to the role of Parish Administrator in 2016. She works under the direction of the Rector and provides administrative support to the Assistant Rector, the Wardens, Vestry and Ministry Board Chairs. She also serves as Clerk of the Vestry, Scheduler for monthly services and is a Notary Public.

Sexton: Karla Platt

Karla is responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the St. Philip's campus. She works under the direction of the Parish Administrator five days a week.