Joseph Wolyniak is a Missioner for Discipleship and Theological Education in the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado and a visiting scholar at the University of Denver (Department of Religious Studies), where he is completing his DPhil from the University of Oxford on the thought and legacy of Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626). A postulant in the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina and Episcopal Church Foundation Fellow (2012), he teaches in the Anglican Studies program at the Iliff School of Theology and serves as the vice chair of the Episcopal Church’s Executive Council Committee on Science, Technology & Faith. He lives in Denver with his wife (The Rev’d Elizabeth Costello), who is a curate at Saint John’s Cathedral.

The Rev’d Rachel Kessler is the associate priest at Grace Church-on-the-Hill in Toronto, Ontario. Rachel is a member of the Doctrine and Worship Committee of the Diocese of Toronto, and has also served on the Ontario Provincial Commission on Theological Education. Before entering the priesthood, Rachel earned at PhD at the Centre for Medieval Studies in the University of Toronto. Her dissertation explored the interpretation of proverbs and gnomic sayings in early English literature.

Timothy Reeves McLeod II is an aspirant in the diocese of North Carolina and the son of an Episcopal priest. He and his wife live in Durham, NC where he is working towards an M.Div. She works full time as a graphic designer to support his theology habit. When Timothy’s not busy reading pretentious theology, he’s reading pretentious literature. But really, he wants to be a priest, so that he can get paid to do theology, and that sounds like as good a gig as there is.

The Rt Revd Stephen Andrews, Diocese of Algoma, Anglican Church of Canada
“One of my concerns in the Anglican Church is that too little of our debate on matters that divide us is grounded in rigorous exegesis of scripture, mature theological reflection, and the way in which these engage laity in their daily discipleship. The Scholar-Priest Initiative is therefore a welcome development, for it is an attempt to restore the charism of the ‘pastor teacher’ and to promote a truly substantial theology, worked out at the parochial level.”

The Rt Revd John C Bauerschmidt, Bishop of Tennessee
“The Scholar-Priest Initiative attempts to address the issue of how the church will sustain the theological enterprise in the next generation. Many of the institutions that traditionally have nurtured the theological vocation in our church have been diminished by changed circumstances in a time of rapid change in church and in society, when the need for critical theological engagement and connection with our own theological roots has never been more apparent. I recommend to you the Scholar-Priest Initiative as an attempt to further this project for the sake of the common life of the Body of Christ.”

The Rt Revd Wayne Smith, Bishop of Missouri
“The Scholar Priest Initiative mines the tradition in order to do something brand new. There was a time in Anglican practice when parish ministry provided a primary venue for scholarship, and SPI intends to help reclaim that venue for the Church today. The Initiative recognizes that the Church needs scholars and has plans for rigorous support of its Fellows–by reimagining the parish as a place for scholarship, by offering pastoral and academic mentors, by building a community of scholars, and by providing financial aid. SPI holds no romanticized ideal of George Herbert or the ‘stupor mundi.’ The parish in the 21st century is no place for trifling. But for serious scholars and devoted pastors, it is a place where two honorable vocations need to come together.”

The Rt Revd William Gregg, VI Bishop of Eastern Oregon (res.), The Episcopal Church; Rector, St. Paul’s Anglican Church/Iglesia San Pablo, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
“SPI is an important, substantive initiative for the life and work of the Church. Supporting the work of thoughtful reflection and examination of our faith is essential to effective, sustainable, and rich participation in God’s life and mission. Seeking and encouraging Anglican scholars and mentoring the highest quality intellectual life and the vocation of scholar is fundamental for a grounded, effective daily living of our Baptismal Vows.”

The Rt Revd Dorsey McConnell, Bishop of Pittsburgh
“I first encountered the Scholar Priest Initiative during their conference at Duke in June of 2014. From the moment I met these lively, thoughtful, and devout clergy, I have been sold on their mission ‘to bring theology home.’ They understand that formation, mission, and pastoral care in parishes can best be nourished from the rich stores of thought and prayer that make up our Anglican heritage, and they are discovering new ways to deliver on this ancient promise. I am honored to be among their Patron Bishops.”