 I am the youngest of four children. My father was an Air Force officer and my mother worked as a bookkeeper. I lived in Omaha, Nebraska, South Islip, England, Falls Church, Virginia, San Bernardino, California, and then my father retired in Auburn, Alabama. After two years there, we moved to Montgomery, where I attended Jefferson Davis High School and graduated from Huntingdon College with a degree in English. My sisters stayed in the Washington, D.C. area, and so I went there to be near them and live in a big city. While working as a secretary, I learned to be a paralegal at a continuing education program at Georgetown. I worked in law firms in D.C. and married a lawyer from Tupelo, Mississippi. Mike DeBow introduced me to Walker Percy’s, Love in the Ruins, told me funny stories, and convinced me the south is the only place to live (Washington, D.C. is not the south). We had a clandestine office romance that continues to have a happy ending.
Our son, John, was born in D.C. He’s a senior at Alabama. When he was two Mike got a job at UGA, and our daughter, Claire, was born in Athens. She’s a junior at Sewanee now. While we were living in Athens, my sister, Sheila, had a recurrence of breast cancer. It was in every way, emotionally and spiritually, the worst year and a half of my life. I went back and forth to Washington as often as I could. Sheila died on February 6, 1988. Three months later, we moved from Athens to Birmingham where Mike began teaching at Cumberland Law School and I became Christian Education Director for children at St. Stephen’s.
During my sister’s illness, she told me, “If you have a dream job, you should go for it!” My love for her and my terrible disappointment with God, led me down a long, winding road to Seminary. Doug Carpenter sponsored me in the ordination process, which took forever. I commuted to the Candler School of Theology, Emory University where there is an Anglican Studies program. I graduated in 1995.
I was a curate at St. Stephen’s for one year and then St. Francis of Assisi in Indian Springs Village called me as rector. I served there for ten years and loved every minute of it. It was a great privilege to be priest and friend to so many extraordinary human beings.
Rich Webster called me on the phone on May 23, 2006. He said, “I wish you would think about coming to Saint Luke’s.” I had given a talk to the ECW and to a Wednesday night crowd and everyone had been warm and welcoming. I didn’t know Rich well, but I’d read his sermons and was moved by them. I knew working with Rich, Steve, Sara-Scott and Mark would be fun (Chris hadn’t come yet). I knew, too, that St. Francis would be energized by a new priest and I would be energized by a new parish. So I said yes.
My dream for education at Saint Luke’s is that everyone will find comfort and challenge on their journey of discipleship. I hope our offerings will not only provide instruction, but a sense of community and joy. I want Saint Luke’s to employ the gifts and talents and of all our people. All have something good to share. I wish everyone could know the joy of meeting Jesus alongside a little child! I love learning from the Bible and discover in my studies a closeness to Christ that strengthens my worship of God and carries me through good times and bad. I want to share that with anyone and everyone.
If anyone has concerns or desires about Christian formation at Saint Luke’s for all ages and stages, I wish they’d come talk to me! |
