Clergy

The Rev. Brett Backus, Rector

The Rev. Brett P. Backus began serving as the Rector of St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church in the summer of 2018.  Prior to that, he served as the Associate Rector at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Knoxville for ten years. Before ordination to the priesthood, Father Brett graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary with a Masters in Divinity as well as a  B.S. in World Religions from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is a Knoxville native and grew up at the Church of the Good Samaritan.

Fr. Brett and his wife Carla have been married since 2005 and have two wonderful children.  Their son Haven is interested in everything from Harry Potter to Meteorology to Wilderness Survival, while their daughter Bella is passionate about gymnastics, soccer, and crafts.

The Backus family is passionate about giving back to the community and spreading the good works of God through yearly mission trips to Carla’s home country of Bolivia. Brett and Carla have served alongside each other since 2004 in the form of these yearly mission trips.  The Backus family are also huge Green Bay Packers fans, love amusement parks, and traveling in general.

Brett’s happy place is the lake, but he loves to be in the sun and near or in any water.  Traveling and experiencing culture feeds Brett, as well as bonfires, guitars, disk golf, skateboarding, wake surfing……..and maybe the occasional video game.  

The Rev. William Simerly Curate

William Simerly began serving as St. Elizabeth’s Curate in June 2024. A Curate is a newly ordained priest who is beginning their life in ordained ministry in a first-call post-seminary. William graduated from the School of Theology at the University of the South with a Master of Divinity in May 2024. He also received a B.S. in religious studies from King University in 2020.

Before attending seminary, William served as St. Elizabeth’s Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries from 2018-2021. William and his husband Ashton enjoy spending time with friends, traveling, and watching their pet cats play together.

In his role at St. E’s, William oversees children, youth, family, and young adult ministries, communications, and assists in pastoral care and helping to lead worship.

The Rev. Bo Davis, Deacon

Bo Davis was ordained as a vocational deacon at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in November of 2022. Since then, Bo has served at St. Elizabeth’s as his first placement as a deacon. Bo continues to be involved in camp ministry at our Diocesan Camp, Grace Point, and also serves as a hospital chaplain at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center in downtown Knoxville.