Our Leaders

The Rev’d. Lucas Grubbs originally hails from Lewiston, Idaho. He attended the University of Idaho where he majored in Spanish language and literature and spent a year living and studying in Zaragoza, Spain. After college, he attended the Yale Divinity School and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, where he earned his Master of Divinity and a Master of Sacred Theology, with an emphasis on Christian liturgy and worship, and it’s evolving forms. During his time at Yale, Fr. Lucas started a now ongoing exchange program with Westcott Theological College at Cambridge University, UK. He also lived and worked in Madrid, Spain, with the La Iglesia Española Reformada Episcopal, deepening his ties to the Church abroad. Fr. Lucas was ordained to the Diaconate in ’05 and ordained a priest at Christ Church, New Haven, in ’06.

For twenty years, Fr. Lucas has served as a parish priest in Connecticut, Idaho, Colorado, and New Mexico, most recently serving as the Rector of St. Bede’s Episcopal Church, Santa Fe. At St. Bede’s, Fr. Lucas pastored a fully Spanish speaking congregation along side an English speaking congregation. It was there that he fell in love with the diversity of the Christian experience here in beautiful New Mexico. Making regular prayer retreats to Christ in the Desert Monastery (Abiquiu), and Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery (Pecos) over the past decade, he has a deep love of this state and it’s people of faith.

The Board of the New Mexico Conference of Conference of Churches called Fr. Lucas to serve as Executive Director in November of ’25. He is most excited about connecting the many pastors, bishops, and people of New Mexico Churches with one another through documentary story telling, worshipping and praying together, advocating at the New Mexico Roundhouse, and supporting one another in the love of God for the work of Christian ministry in our time and very special place—New Mexico!

Fr. Lucas is an avid traveler and lover of language. He most recently took a two month sabbatical in rural Denmark learning Danish, and getting an on the ground crash course in Scandinavian living! He is an experienced hiker and has solo hiked the Colorado Trail and the Camino de Santiago in Spain twice. Fr. Lucas most enjoys camping and hiking with his wonderful wife Sara! At home, you can find him nose deep in literature and history books, as well as spinning records from his vast vinyl collection. Drop Fr. Lucas an email anytime to connect and learn more about the NMCC!

Rev. Erica Lea-Simka [she/they] is a graduate of San Jacinto College, Texas A&M University, and Truett Theological Seminary. She has also studied as a continuing education student at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Eastern Mennonite University, and Hebrew College. Pastor Erica grew up in Houston, TX, the middle of 3 children. Her family instilled core values in her: kindness, love, advocacy, and service. They sensed a call to vocational ministry during her youth group days and has been serving in ministry since.

Pastor Erica has served Baptist and Mennonite congregations in Wyoming, Texas, North Carolina, and Washington D.C. They most recently served as Pastor of Albuquerque Mennonite Church 2017-2025. She can often be found using the expression, “go team”, because she believes all people are created in God’s image and have something positive to contribute to the community and world.

In addition to working with NMCC as the Thriving Churches Initiative Grant Director, she also serves as the Southwest Representative for Mennonite Women USA. Other affiliations and memberships include: the Mennonite [MCUSA]-Jewish Relations Working Group, Mennonite Action, Young Clergy Women International, Q Christian Fellowship, Sierra Club, and Bernalillo County Friends of the Public Library.

Erica also enjoys perfecting plant-based recipes, visiting the public library with their child, communing with St. Julian of Norwich, exploring new towns, nature-walking, watching British mysteries, snuggling with her 2 rescue pups, and spending time with her interfaith family.