Sunday, February 9, 2020
The Wardens and Vestry of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Kansas City are thrilled to announce the appointment of The Reverend Charles Everson as the 21st Rector of the parish.
Father Everson came to St. Mary’s in August 2017 as Assistant to the Rector. When the Rector accepted another call in January 2018, he began to act unofficially as the clergy leader of the parish. The Vestry called him as Priest-in-Charge in March 2019 and elected him to be the next Rector effective February 9, 2020. While a Priest-in-Charge and Rector have the same responsibilities, the former is generally hired for a renewable, fixed period of time, while the latter's contract has no termination date. A Rector is said to have tenure.
As Senior Warden Sharon Hunter-Putsch said, “a long tenure is uppermost in the Vestry’s plans for our Rector, Fr. Charles, and his efficient, energetic, optimistic and intellectual guidance of the St. Mary’s community!”
The parish has continued to grow in both numbers and depth of faith over the past two years. Sunday attendance has increased by 50%, adult baptisms and confirmations continue to increase, two parishioners formally began the process to prepare for ordained ministry, and four more began discerning a call. A newly-formed Social Justice Ministry is focusing on criminal justice reform, housing, and transportation issues in Kansas City. Very recently, the parish was awarded a significant matching grant from the William T. Kemper Foundation to repair and enhance its historic pipe organ.
"Over the past two-and-half years, I've fallen in love with the people of St. Mary's Church, and am so excited to enter more formally into a long-term relationship with this historic congregation in the heart of Kansas City," said Everson. "What a joy it is to serve at a parish that, at its core, cherishes beautiful liturgy and music, extends love and care to the poor, and opens wide its arms to people of all walks of life - all out of a deep desire to love Jesus Christ and to make him known."
The Right Reverend Martin Field, Eighth Bishop of the Diocese of West Missouri, will formally install Fr. Everson as the parish's 21st Rector on Wednesday, March 18th at 6:30 p.m. Members of the public are invited to attend.
Fr. Everson is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies and earned a Master of Business Administration degree at Baker University. He graduated from the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry in Topeka, Kansas, with a Certificate in Presbyteral Studies in 2016. In addition to serving as a priest at St. Mary's, he serves as vice president at a community bank that is headquartered in downtown Kansas City. Charles serves on the Board of Directors for Thrive Health Connection, Kansas City's original AIDS service provider, and as the Provincial Convener of the Society of Catholic Priests of North America. He and his husband, Jay, live in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Kansas City.
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church is located at 1307 Holmes in the heart of downtown Kansas City. www.stmaryskcmo.org
The Wardens and Vestry of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Kansas City are thrilled to announce the appointment of The Reverend Charles Everson as the 21st Rector of the parish.
Father Everson came to St. Mary’s in August 2017 as Assistant to the Rector. When the Rector accepted another call in January 2018, he began to act unofficially as the clergy leader of the parish. The Vestry called him as Priest-in-Charge in March 2019 and elected him to be the next Rector effective February 9, 2020. While a Priest-in-Charge and Rector have the same responsibilities, the former is generally hired for a renewable, fixed period of time, while the latter's contract has no termination date. A Rector is said to have tenure.
As Senior Warden Sharon Hunter-Putsch said, “a long tenure is uppermost in the Vestry’s plans for our Rector, Fr. Charles, and his efficient, energetic, optimistic and intellectual guidance of the St. Mary’s community!”
The parish has continued to grow in both numbers and depth of faith over the past two years. Sunday attendance has increased by 50%, adult baptisms and confirmations continue to increase, two parishioners formally began the process to prepare for ordained ministry, and four more began discerning a call. A newly-formed Social Justice Ministry is focusing on criminal justice reform, housing, and transportation issues in Kansas City. Very recently, the parish was awarded a significant matching grant from the William T. Kemper Foundation to repair and enhance its historic pipe organ.
"Over the past two-and-half years, I've fallen in love with the people of St. Mary's Church, and am so excited to enter more formally into a long-term relationship with this historic congregation in the heart of Kansas City," said Everson. "What a joy it is to serve at a parish that, at its core, cherishes beautiful liturgy and music, extends love and care to the poor, and opens wide its arms to people of all walks of life - all out of a deep desire to love Jesus Christ and to make him known."
The Right Reverend Martin Field, Eighth Bishop of the Diocese of West Missouri, will formally install Fr. Everson as the parish's 21st Rector on Wednesday, March 18th at 6:30 p.m. Members of the public are invited to attend.
Fr. Everson is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies and earned a Master of Business Administration degree at Baker University. He graduated from the Bishop Kemper School for Ministry in Topeka, Kansas, with a Certificate in Presbyteral Studies in 2016. In addition to serving as a priest at St. Mary's, he serves as vice president at a community bank that is headquartered in downtown Kansas City. Charles serves on the Board of Directors for Thrive Health Connection, Kansas City's original AIDS service provider, and as the Provincial Convener of the Society of Catholic Priests of North America. He and his husband, Jay, live in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Kansas City.
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church is located at 1307 Holmes in the heart of downtown Kansas City. www.stmaryskcmo.org
About St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
St. Mary’s is Kansas City’s first Episcopal church, established in 1857. The present neo-Gothic building at 13th and Holmes was built in 1887 and was accepted into the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Located in the heart of downtown Kansas City, we are a growing community of faith that seeks to live and grow in the love of Jesus Christ. We worship God in the beauty of holiness in the context of ancient liturgy, awe-inspiring architecture, beautiful music, and plenty of incense! Our community welcomes and affirms people from all walks of life, including rich and poor, gay and straight, young and old. Wherever you are in your journey of faith, we hope that you'll find St. Mary's to be a place of peace and love.
St. Mary’s is Kansas City’s first Episcopal church, established in 1857. The present neo-Gothic building at 13th and Holmes was built in 1887 and was accepted into the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Located in the heart of downtown Kansas City, we are a growing community of faith that seeks to live and grow in the love of Jesus Christ. We worship God in the beauty of holiness in the context of ancient liturgy, awe-inspiring architecture, beautiful music, and plenty of incense! Our community welcomes and affirms people from all walks of life, including rich and poor, gay and straight, young and old. Wherever you are in your journey of faith, we hope that you'll find St. Mary's to be a place of peace and love.