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Rector
worth@holyspirit-al.org
A cradle Episcopalian, Father Worth was brought up at the Church of Ascension in Montgomery. After receiving a Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Alabama, he worked as a youth minister at Trinity Episcopal Church in Florence, Alabama (2008-2010) and St. John’s Episcopal Church in Montgomery (2010-2013). From 2013-2014, Worth joined the staff at the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama as the Lay Missioner for Young Adults. Father Worth received his Master in Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2017. His first call was to Holy Apostles in Hoover, Alabama where he served as Curate until 2019. He served as Priest Associate at Church of the Nativity in Huntsville, Alabama from 2019 to 2024. He served as Priest-in-Charge here at Holy Spirit until August 1, 2025 when he was called as the Holy Spirit’s Rector. Worth is married to The Rev. Ranie Neislar, who is also an Episcopal priest at All Saints in Birmingham. Worth and Ranie welcomed Baby Mose into the world last May! Mose and their two dogs, Mara and Delilah, keep them busy and entertained. Together, they love live music, good movies, and a good workout.
Director of Children/Youth Formation
Christi Mitchell, Director of Formation for Children and Youth. has been working in ministry with children of all ages for the past 15 years. She and her husband, David, have been married for 28 years. Christi lives in Clanton where she works in Youth Development at the YMCA. The Mitchells have one son, Dennis, who is a student at Jacksonville State University. Christi loves music, hiking, reading, Reese’s peanut butter cups, and dogs!
Choir Director
Morgan Soja (she/her/hers) is our volunteer choir director at Holy Spirit. As a music teacher for many years, she has worked with musicians of all ages. She loves learning and incorporating many different styles of music into worship. She believes that everyone who wants to can make music for the glory of God. Morgan works at Samford University in Homewood and lives in Montevallo with her husband Jason and her dog Simon. Morgan may be reached at morgansoja@gmail.com.
Staff Accompanist
Michael Savela was born in December of 1986 to Edward and Diane Savela. At birth, Michael was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease. Meaning, he had virtually no kidney function and was likely to die in just a few months following birth. Nevertheless, after dialysis, two kidney transplants, 20 surgeries, nearly 800 nights in the hospital, and most importantly, the grace of God, Michael has overcome these and many other adversities. He now lives an active, thriving and fulfilling life. What God did not give him – functional kidneys – He blessed him in other ways. God gave Michael the gift of music, and a talent for motivating others to overcome adversity.
Michael became interested in the piano when he was five years old. At seven, Michael began taking formal piano lessons where he quickly fell in love with the feel and the sound of the instrument. He was later encouraged by one of his music teachers to learn the pipe organ as well. Michael now plays both the piano and the pipe organ. “Although I play the organ, the piano will always be my favorite instrument,” Michael says.
After graduating from Birmingham-Southern College with an undergrad in business administration, Michael went on to receive his master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of St. Francis (Joliet, Illinois). Michael is employed full-time at Children’s of Alabama (Children’s Hospital) where he oversees all database and compliance matters as it relates to the volunteers at that organization. Michael loves what he does but continues seeking professional opportunities to grow.
Today, Michael continues to write, play, and record music professionally. His music can be heard worldwide on music streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon Music to name a few. He also has his own music website: www.michaelsavela.com . In addition to his own music, Michael also plays for weddings, funerals, private parties, and events around the Birmingham area when he can.
With a combination of musical talent, and overcoming medical challenges, Michael has also developed a niche in motivational speaking. With this passion for motivating others, Michael has had numerous speaking engagements both large and small, including addressing participants at the National Transplant Olympic Games, fundraising opportunities at Children’s of Alabama, networking engagements through the United Way of Central Alabama, and many other events. He is most comfortable when he can combine his music with his story about overcoming adversity.
Michael is very thankful to have the opportunity to be the pianist at The Episcopal Church of The Holy Spirit. He feels that each new career / endeavor he takes on is a true gift given to him by God. In addition, Michael is also employed through the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham where he plays piano for many services at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church on Saturday evenings.
