Clergy & Interns
Services at The Beloved Community at the Trees are led by Rev. Phillip Bass and Rev. Deacon Dan Laird. Phillip formerly served as the Associate Rector of The Church of the Nativity in Raleigh, NC. In addition to his pastoral role, he is also a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and has a private practice in Chapel Hill, NC. In his clinical work, Phillip often addresses religious trauma, deconstruction, and questions of faith, especially among the LGBTQIA+ community. He brings this experience to his work with The Beloved Community. Outside of this, Phillip enjoys spending time with his husband and son.
Dan is a married, semi-retired baby-boomer. Part of what gets Dan up in the morning is his passion for sharing the riches and diversity of the Episcopal Church with others. He graduated from Penn State University as an agronomist in plant genetics with another degree in computer science, with certification in cyber security. Dan also volunteers and assists individuals with developmental disabilities. When not involved in ministry, he may be found with my plants or in the garden tending to and propagating plants.
Chris Reed comes to us as our intern in his last semester as a May 2025 M.Div. Candidate from SMU Perkins School of Theology. While currently a member at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Hillsbourough, NC, he served on the vestry at his previous church in Dallas, Texas, the Episcopal Church of the Ascension. Chris is also a Benedictine Oblate with the Order of the Holy Cross in Woodville, TX. HIs scholarly interests have included social ethics, the interplay of worship and theological aesthetics, and church history, particularly through a monastic lens. Chris is also a lawyer, practicing in the areas of commercial litigation and healthcare compliance—with a focus on reimbursements for doctors from insurance companies and government payers. When not handling work or school, Chris enjoys spending time with his 3 dogs, Bandit, Sandy, and Chris is also a gaymer, of both board and video games. Chris is also enjoys spending time doing yoga, hiking or in the gym, so he can justify all the baked goods he enjoys making and eating. Chris is always interested to hear where God is teasing joy and hope into our lives.
Devin is a candidate for ordination in the diocese of North Carolina. He was born and raised in Virginia Beach and then attended seminary in Boston. He graduated with an MS in theology and an MS in New Testament, with a focus on Hermeneutics and Liturgics, which brought him to a deep love of Liberation Theology. Devin is also a CPE student at Duke University Hospital, with a specific interest in trauma informed spiritual care in emergency medicine. Whether at the hospital, in parish work, or his personal life Devin hopes to create spaces for queer folk to exist as themselves, feel safe, and learn to see themselves as whole, beloved, and good — a goal that Devin hopes to bring to The Beloved Community. Devin lives in Durham with his husband and his Golden Doodle, Karl Barx.