A Knoxville native, Fr. Christopher Hogin grew up at Church of The Ascension as a parishioner.  He graduated from The University of Tennessee College of Law in 1999. For the next 10 years he worked in Washington, D.C. as a Capitol Hill Senate staffer, operations manager for The Red Cross, and then as an attorney specializing in corporate anti-trust litigation. 

In 2010, he heeded the call to holy orders and entered Duke University Divinity School. Becoming ordained in 2014, he spent the next two years serving at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 2016, he returned home to Ascension with his young son, John Michael, to serve as an associate rector. In 2024, he accepted the call as Priest-In-Charge. 

Fr. Hogin married the love of his life, and favorite travel partner, Daisy, in 2021. When not serving Ascension, he enjoys spending time with his son and keeping up with his three grown stepchildren: Will, Molly, and Abby. On Fridays you can find him hiking, biking, or getting lost in a local library reading everything from classics to spy thrillers. Most Saturdays you can find him and his wife cheering on John Michael at the soccer field. 

He loves Ascension and is grateful to be a part of this vibrant and diverse community. 

The Rev. Amy Hodges Morehous is happy to return here to Church of the Ascension. Amy is a native of Sevier County, and her Appalachian roots run deep. How deep? Her first job in high school was at an amusement park in Pigeon Forge, and she could once operate both a Ferris Wheel and the Tilt-A-Whirl - although not simultaneously.

Amy is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she majored in English literature and religious studies, and minored in business. Her MDiv is from Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado, with concentrations in Anglican Studies and Pastoral Care. Amy is also a trained Spiritual Director, and graduate of the Haden Institute School for Spiritual Direction.

Prior to working for the church, Amy was a technical writer and editor, and, briefly,  the world's worst advertising copywriter, since she kept wanting to tell the truth. She has served in the Diocese of East Tennessee since 1999, first as a layperson, as a vocational deacon, college chaplain, and now a priest. Prior to returning to Ascension, Amy spent eight years as the rector of Church of the Resurrection in Loudon, TN, where she was also proud to serve on the board of the Good Samaritan Center, the local food bank and assistance ministry.

Here at Ascension, Amy supervises the children's and youth formation staff, and plans and encourages adult education opportunities of all kinds, as well as preaching, providing pastoral care, encouraging lay ministry and dreaming up creative ideas to help people grow closer to God and to each other. Her chief aim in ministry is to help people connect their own stories to Jesus' Gospel story of love, hope and reconciliation.

Currently, Amy is the Co-Chair of the diocesan Commission on Ministry, leader of the Emmaus Road program for new diocesan clergy, member of the diocesan formation committee, and the current President of the Board for the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee. Amy just finished five years of teaching the diocesan lay preaching class through the Episcopal Preaching Foundation, which was a joy and a gift. She served on the Bishop's Inclusion Committee, working on early church issues of LGBTQ+ inclusion, the Small Church Task Force, as well as the 2025 Diocesan Visioning Committee.

When she's not doing any of those things, Amy can be found spending time with her family, reading, writing, watching too many British murder mysteries, tending to their menagerie of animals and engaging in any fiber arts involving sticks and string or needle and thread.  She is a renegade knitter, a freehand quilter and embroiderer, and a perpetual learner. She loves music, the mountains, laughing, good food, asking Jesus-centered questions, and weighty and thoughtful discussions. Her husband, Dave, is an attorney, and they have one child, K.

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The Reverend SuZanne Seavey has served at Ascension since 2016. She was ordained over 35 years ago in the Diocese of Chicago, and is a graduate of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. Prior to retirement she served parishes in the Dioceses of Chicago, Indianapolis, Western North Carolina, and East Tennessee, as an Associate Rector, Interim Vicar, Church planter, and Rector.

As an assisting priest at Ascension she sees her ministry as helping out where she can in order to give the staff clergy just a little breathing room. She especially loves serving on Sunday morning and on Wednesday at the Holy Eucharist/Healing Service. She’s also active in the Widow to Widow ministry at Ascension. She was married to Jerry (the love of her life) for 48 years until his death in 2017.

Growing up in Atlanta, GA, she attended The University of Georgia, where she received a degree in Journalism, specializing in advertising and public relations. For 7 years she worked in the advertising industry, both in Atlanta and Chicago. Then she went back to school to become an interior designer and worked in that field for 10 years before going to Seminary.

SuZanne lives in Lenoir City with her 2 cats and has fostered cats. She loves to listen to audio books of all types, bird watching, visiting with friend and family, and playing board games.