Our Mission 
​Seeking every day to love God with our whole heart, mind, and soul, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
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St. Andrew's holds the distinction of being the oldest church in Big Rapids still at its original location, and we are one of the oldest congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan.  Both our building and our stained glass windows are on the Michigan Historical Sites list and the Michigan Historical Stained Glass Register. ​
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Click here for more information on the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan.
​Click here for more information on the Episcopal Church.

​Central Michigan Episcopal Covenant
St. Andrew's has entered into the Central Michigan Covenant with St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Cadillac, MI. Both parishes are served by our Rector, the Rev. Radha Kaminski.
Click here for more information on our covenant with St. Mary's.
Staff
​The Rev. Radha Michel-Trapaga, Rector, was raised in North Central Florida. She joined the Diocese of Western Michigan (now the Diocese of the Great Lakes) as a Hope College student in 2008, where she earned a BA in Classical Studies. She was ordained on January 16, 2021 after receiving her Master of Divinity from Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, TX. 

Mtr. Radha has two dogs, Mara and Tilly, and three cats, Bob, Shirley, and Sable. In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, board games, baking, and being in the woods or on the water.

Mtr. Radha serves at St. Andrew's on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. She will be in the St, Andrew's office on Thursdays from 10 am-2 pm. She is also available for Zoom and phone meetings. You can reach Mtr. Radha at [email protected] .
​Covenant Administrator
Cassidy Krause

Cassidy hails from Elizabeth, West Virginia. She obtained her bachelor’s degrees (B.A.s in National Security & Intelligence, Political Science) in 2024 and completed her master’s degree (National Security & Intelligence) in 2025; currently, she is pursuing a B.S. in Nuclear Medicine Technology at Ferris State University.

In her free time, Cassidy is an avid reader and textile artist. She can most often be found embroidering, quilting, or pursuing her interest in fashion design and clothes making. She also enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her dog Maxx.

As Covenant Administrator, Cassidy supports the operations of both St. Mary's and St. Andrew's, and the Covenant as a whole. She is in the St. Andrew's parish office from 10am – 2pm Tuesday/Thursday, and 7am-11am Wednesday. She can be reached by emailing either of the church office email addresses ([email protected] and [email protected]) or by calling the St. Andrew's parish office.
​The Rev. Robert Garrels, Director of Music, received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the University of Michigan and began his career teaching music before being called to ministry.  While at his first parish in Texas in the early '70s,  Rev. Garrels created innovative worship services and musical sermons for his congregation. 
He returned to Michigan when called to serve as the Lutheran campus pastor at Central Michigan University in l973, where he  enjoyed writing full-length musicals, chancel dramas, and miscellaneous musical pieces. 
 
Bob moved to Big Rapids in 1988 and, in addition to his serving as minister of Immanuel Lutheran Church, continued to compose for various groups in the area, including the Ferris Community Chorus and the West Central Concert Band. Summer, Big Rapids, was performed in the community in 2002 and 2005, and The Circle Unbroken, was first performed in 2007.  In 2012, Circle was chosen to be the closing event for the Big Rapids Festival of the Arts.

Since retiring in 2008,  Bob continues to compose and perform in small jazz groups, The Key West Permafrost Blues Band, West Central Community Band, and in pit bands/orchestras for local theatrical productions.