Church Staff
Vicar
The Reverend Canon Bates Richmond
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Canon Bates was ordained in 2016 after decades of faithful lay service and discernment. His call to ministry began at age 12 and has included vestry leadership, stewardship ministry, and teaching the faith. A former financial executive with deep expertise in finance, risk and insurance management, Canon Bates now integrates practical stewardship with pastoral care—helping churches navigate both finances and spiritual responsibility.
He now serves as chaplain for the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and for Mexico Beach Fire & Rescue. He has been with the Jurisdiction of Armed Forces and Chaplaincy for the past 15 years. Before relocating to Mexico Beach, he served as Canon to the Ordinary for the International Diocese in Dallas, TX, where he and his wife, Sherry, hosted Anglican Archbishops and Primates from around the globe and participated in missionary work in Haiti and beyond. Canon Bates has represented the Angli.can Church in North America as a delegate to the Provincial Council and Assembly for 15 years, and has attended the last three GAFCON assemblies. His leadership is shaped by a global perspective and a grounded commitment to the Church’s mission. He and Sherry have four children and four grandchildren. They share a deep devotion to Anglican ministry and enjoy traveling and spending time with their grandchildren. Canon Bates ministry is rooted in a love for Anglican history, liturgy, and the sacred calling to shepherd God’s people with wisdom and grace
He now serves as chaplain for the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and for Mexico Beach Fire & Rescue. He has been with the Jurisdiction of Armed Forces and Chaplaincy for the past 15 years. Before relocating to Mexico Beach, he served as Canon to the Ordinary for the International Diocese in Dallas, TX, where he and his wife, Sherry, hosted Anglican Archbishops and Primates from around the globe and participated in missionary work in Haiti and beyond. Canon Bates has represented the Angli.can Church in North America as a delegate to the Provincial Council and Assembly for 15 years, and has attended the last three GAFCON assemblies. His leadership is shaped by a global perspective and a grounded commitment to the Church’s mission. He and Sherry have four children and four grandchildren. They share a deep devotion to Anglican ministry and enjoy traveling and spending time with their grandchildren. Canon Bates ministry is rooted in a love for Anglican history, liturgy, and the sacred calling to shepherd God’s people with wisdom and grace
Senior Warden
Mr. Jim DeVos
Jim DeVos has been a member of St. Paul Anglican Church since 2013 and has served on the Leadership Council since 2015. He joined St. Paul’s after he and his wife relocated to Florida from Georgia, where he was a longtime members of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church.
Raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, Jim stepped away from the church in his twenties. After experiencing a long period that he described as the darkness of soul, he rediscovered his faith through the Charismatic Episcopal Church—a renewal that has shaped his spiritual life and commitment to serving others.
Jim is the proud father of five children and grandfather to eight. He remains active in business and, following the loss of his wife earlier this year, continues to draw strength from his faith and the loving support of his St. Paul’s family.