The Rev’d Sarah Buxton-Smith, Rector of St. Andrew’s and Episcopal Vicar for University Heights, holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from VA Tech, M.F.A. in Acting and Directing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and M. Div. from Yale University. Prior to receiving the call to ordained ministry, she was a professional actor and director in theatre, television and film; and also taught as a university professor. She is member of Actor’s Equity, the Screen Actor’s Guild and the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists.

Ordained in 1994, Buxton-Smith has served in Virginia, Connecticut and Western New York and nationally as a Research Associate and Consultant with the Episcopal Church Foundation and Chaplain for the House of Bishops’ Spouses of the Episcopal Church. She is former President of the Diocese of WNY Standing Committee and currently serves as Chair of the Governance committee of Diocesan Council. She is also a member of the National Advisory Council for the Dean of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale.

Engaged in civic concerns as well as the church, in Virginia, Buxton-Smith was on the Grants Advisory for the Fairfax County Council of the Arts. While in Connecticut, she developed Women’s Shelter Concerns, New Haven. Since coming to Buffalo in 1998, she has been a member of the Board of Women Managers for the Pan Am Women’s Conference 2001, chaired Interfaith Women WNY and served on the board of Buffalo/Niagara World Connect. She is a founding member of the WNY Chapter of the Women’s Rights National Park, a member of the Board of Directors of NFJC (nee NCCJ), the National Federation for Just Communities and serves on the newly forming Advisory Council for Community Relations for the State University of New York at Buffalo.

The Rev’d Edward H. Ihde, was ordained deacon on February 13, 1988. He serves in the Diocese of Western New York under the direction of Bishop J. Michael Garrison who assigned him in August, 2005 to St. Andrew’s University Heights. As deacon, Ed’s ministry is to help enable by example a revitalization of mission within the faith community at St. Andrews.

His service to the Diocese has included past membership on the Baptismal Ministry Taskforce, Diocesan Stewardship Commission, Commission on Racism, Diocesan Liaison to Genesee Ecumenical Ministries, Church and City Conference and past Chairman of the Commission on Refugees. He has also served the Diocese in the capacity of Deputy Secretary of Convention and worked as construction consultant to the Trustees under appointments by Bishops Harold Robinson and David Bowman.

From 1988-1992 he was named Chairman of the Genesis Ecumenical Ministries yoked parish initiative sponsored through Forward in Faith by the Diocese of Western New York in Buffalo’s 1st Ward at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church and St. Matthew’s in the Seneca-Babcock area, and served in this capacity as Director of GEM I and GEM II Emergency Food Pantries. From 1992-1995 he served as a Parish Deacon and Pastoral Assistant at Trinity Church, Hamburg initiating, through a comprehensive training program, the Order of St. Luke the Physician, an international healing ministry within the Society of St. John the Divine. From 1996-2004 he returned to St. Matthew’s Buffalo where he worked with the inner-city congregation on numerous faith based projects aimed at increased spirituality and church growth.