My Faith.

I never expected to be a church person. While I grew up in a variety of Evangelical and Charismatic churches and was fortunate enough to be surrounded by deeply faithful people throughout my childhood and adolescence, Christianity never really made sense to me. After a break with my church over my identity, I became unchurched and spent my latter years of high school and early years in college adrift. In the spring of 2023, I began feeling a call to return to church, and put a good deal of research into the type of place I’d like to attend. I walked through the big red doors of St. Mark’s Cathedral on the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost in June and have never looked back.

In the Anglican tradition, I found what I had been missing. Deep beauty, joyous community, sacramental worship, and a commitment to care for the last, least, lost, and left behind. I fell in love with the rhythms of the Daily Office and the prayers of the Book of Common prayer, which helped (and help) me give voice to the inarticulable. I found Jesus in The Episcopal Church, and, to my great surprise, a call to serve his people therein as a lay professional.

I was baptized on the (transferred) Feast of All Saints on November 23, 2023, and made my first Communion the same day. I began working at St. Mark’s slightly less than a month later; I’ve never been one to do things by half measure. It has been a profound joy and privilege to share in the good work that God has done in my parishes, and I look forward to working for Christ’s Kingdom wherever I find myself next.

In my ‘church life,’ I enjoy serving as an acolyte (especially when I get to swing smoke!) and lay eucharistic minister. I have been blessed to help organize weekly outreach dinners at The Point (a retirement community for unhoused seniors) and to have the opportunity to lead Sung Evensong each Friday evening. I also organize our young adults group, Solomon’s Porch, and The Table, an ecumenical faith formation group for under 40s.