Mother Beth

The Rev. Elisabeth J. Pessah has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Guelph (1990) in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and a Masters of Divinity degree from Wycliffe College, at the University of Toronto (2011).  After many years of lay ministry through the parachurch organizations Youth for Christ, Campus Crusade for Christ, Pioneer Clubs Canada (a children’s midweek curriculum and program) and Interserve Canada International Mission Headquarters, Mother Beth pursued ordination to the priesthood in the Anglican Church of Canada.  She was ordained a Deacon in 2011 and ordained a priest in 2012 in the Diocese of Toronto, ON, Canada. 

During seminary, Mother Beth focused on the Missional Church movement and Fresh Expressions of Church. She remains interested in the current Evangelism and Church growth movements of the Episcopal Church.  She served as Incumbent (Rector) of a two-point parish in Southern Ontario before moving to Florida in 2015 with her husband, the Rev. Stephen Pessah and two sons, Matthew and Nathan.  Mother Beth was the Missioner at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Mission in Flagler Beach (2016-2018) and then served for six years as the Chaplain at Holy Comforter Episcopal School and Associate Rector of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church before moving to Cocoa, FL with her husband who is the Rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Cocoa.   

In the wider Episcopal Church, Mother Beth served in the Diocese of Florida on the Diocesan Evangelism Committee, the Disciplinary Committee and as a Delegate to the General Convention in Louisville, KY in 2024.