Update
Friends,
We are very pleased to announce Vestry has accepted the recommendation of the Transition Committee to call the Reverend Samantha Vincent-Alexander to be the next Installed Rector of Christ Church Philadelphia, approved by Bishop Gutiérrez.
Samantha is currently the Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Hampton, Virginia, a historic church dating to 1610. She received her Masters of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary and you can learn more about her below. Joined by her husband Conor, currently a Rector in Virginia Beach, and their young son, Samantha will be moving to Philadelphia in late September and her first Sunday with us will be October 1st. Over the coming weeks you can expect to hear more about Samantha and the transition.
Our heartfelt thanks to the Transition Committee who worked tirelessly over these past months to hear the voice of the congregation, distill that into an outstanding profile of our parish, and finally to identify Samantha as our next Rector. Many hours were devoted to this process and we thank them (and their families) for their devoted service.
In this transition period we have been privileged to be capably led by Rev. Susan Richardson whom we have known and loved for many years. Our last Sunday with Susan as Interim Rector will be September 17th and we will celebrate her with a reception in the garden after service. If you would like to show your appreciation to Susan with a donation towards a gift, please contact Cecilia Wagner in the parish office.
We know you will all join us in warmly welcoming Samantha and her family to Philadelphia and Christ Church!
Cheryl Dobleske Beirne and David Parke, Wardens of Christ Church
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A note from the Rev. Susan Richardson:
Dear Christ Church community,
I join Cheryl and David in joyfully greeting the news of your new rector, the Rev. Samantha Vincent-Alexander, and her family. (So nice to say her!) Samantha and I overlapped at Princeton Theological Seminary, and I remember admiring her even then. It will be a wonderful next phase together in the ongoing story of Christ Church Philadelphia.
And of course, it means that I’ll be departing the congregation on September 17, as we’ve known was the next natural step. Having been ordained at Christ Church in 2006, literally kneeling on the grave of William White, and having journeyed with you all through several stages of your lives as well as several of my own, it’s a powerful, beautiful moment. On that day and leading up to it, I look forward to celebrating our times together, our memories, and our hopes for the good things to come.
In this creative and transformative year together, which was in its own way a solid and stable point of arrival, I’ve been so grateful for the company and work of your amazing wardens, vestry, staff, and the Transition Committee, under Aaron Skrypski’s excellent leadership. I know I leave you in very skilled, expert, and loving hands.
Looking forward to these next several weeks together,
Susan
The Rev. Samantha Vincent-Alexander
