I am a child of God; this is the bedrock of my identity. I believe in God’s inexhaustible, redeeming love for us, most vividly displayed in becoming one of us in Jesus Christ. It is this love that I have been honored to proclaim as a priest for all these years. I am also married to a priest, the Rev. Patty Alexander. I am awed by Patty’s many gifts and by the love we share, which in so many ways has made me the person I am today. Together, we have three sons, William (25), Peter (23), and Andrew (20); I have learned so much from these three young men who call me “Dad.”
I grew up in a small town and a small church in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where my family has lived for hundreds of years, in a culture of being known and belonging. I have also lived in major cities, where I worked in homeless shelters and feeding programs, and in suburban areas, where I learned about the stressors of balancing work and family while commuting.
After graduating from the University of Virginia and the General Theological Seminary in New York, including formative time in Jerusalem, I served as Curate at St. John’s Church in Larchmont, NY (in suburban Westchester County), and then as Assistant Rector at Old St. Paul’s in downtown Baltimore. We then moved to England, where I served as Priest Associate at Holy Trinity Church in central London and coordinated a project for the Archbishop.
I then became Rector of Christ Church, Pelham, NY, a post I held for 13 years, including the terrorist attacks of 2001 and the Great Recession of 2008. In 2013, I was called to Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill in Alexandria, VA, a parish founded by and closely associated with the Virginia Theological Seminary. Immanuel is a vibrant, loving, mission-minded community with a heart for outreach, Christian formation, and vital lay ministry. I am also completing a Doctor of Ministry degree in Ministry Development at Virginia Seminary.
I am centrally involved in the ordination process in the Diocese of Virginia, serving as Chair of our Committee on Priesthood and as a member of the Commission on Ministry. I have served the Diocese on the Standing Committee, as Dean of the Alexandria Region, and as a Deputy to General Convention. I have also taught as adjunct faculty at Virginia Seminary.
I am a “people person,” endlessly fascinated by the richness of human nature. I love being a pastor, hearing people’s stories, discerning together what God might be calling us to next, bridging differences to find common ground, and preaching, teaching, and celebrating the sacraments of the New Covenant. I am energized as a leader by asking how our life and work together help build God’s Kingdom, God’s justice, and the Beloved Community.
I love movies, museums, travel, hiking (including solo hiking in the National Parks), biking, and kayaking.
I am deeply honored to be on this discernment journey with you.