Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church has called the Rev. Christopher D. Girata to be its eighth Rector. The Vestry unanimously voted to make the call at its meeting on Wednesday, June 15. He will begin his ministry at Saint Michael on Monday, August 15.

The Rev. Girata, 36, currently is Rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in Memphis, Tennessee, a church of more than 1,000 parishioners in downtown Memphis. His wife, Nicole, is a retirement consultant for Mercer, an international human resources consulting firm. They have three children; son, Brayden, 10, and daughters, Layna, 8, and Annemarie, 3.

“The Rector Search and Transition Committee over the last 13 months has spent thousands of hours meeting Rector candidates, listening to God’s will, and discerning God’s call for our parish. I believe the Holy Spirit led them to Chris to be the Rector that will lead our church into the future,” said Matthew Waller, senior warden. “Saint Michael will be eternally grateful to the team, led by co-chairs Diana Newton and Van Sheets, for their dedication and hard work.”

“The parish clearly told the Rector Search and Transition Committee that Saint Michael’s new Rector needs to be a powerful preacher, accessible and approachable, a decisive and visionary leader, a good listener, and a friend and fellow traveler on our spiritual journey,” said co-chair Diana Newton. “We found those characteristics in Chris.”

“Our committee learned that The Episcopal Church is blessed with multiple candidates who were well qualified to become Saint Michael’s next Rector,” Van Sheets said. “But in addition to demonstrating outstanding skills as a Rector, Chris is an exceptional fit with our parish: our big-tent philosophy, our dedication to outreach, our commitment to learning and fellowship, our love and compassion, and our potential to grow.”

In accepting Saint Michael’s call the Rev. Girata said, “Saint Michael is an amazingly gifted community with such potential to share Christ’s love with the world in new ways. Through this discernment process, it became clear to me that Saint Michael has a unique role in the life of our Church and an inspiring story to tell. My family and I are blessed to be joining you on this journey!”

Background

The Rev. Girata is a native of Florida and grew up in the Tampa area. He received his Bachelor of Arts in religious studies, in honorus, from Stetson University, a Master of Theological Studies from Emory University, a Master of Divinity, cum laude, from Virginia Theological Seminary, and is completing his Doctorate of Ministry from Duke University.

He became Rector of Calvary Episcopal, a downtown “destination church,” in mid-2012. During his tenure youth participation has tripled, the church’s average Sunday attendance has grown every year, particularly with new members in their 20’s and 30’s, and its members’ engagement in outreach ministry expanded dramatically. Prior to becoming rector at Calvary, the Rev. Girata was Associate Rector at St. Luke’s in Birmingham from 2008 – 2012, and as a seminarian served at The National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and at St. John’s in Chevy Chase, MD. He already is recognized as a leader in the Episcopal Church, presenting regularly at church-wide conferences, including the recent Invite-Welcome-Connect conference at Camp Allen and to the Consortium for Endowed Episcopal Parishes on “Turning Visitors into Members.”

Chris is a classically trained musician and amateur cook. His wife, Nicole, received her undergraduate degree in finance and computer information systems from Stetson University (where she and Chris met), and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In addition to being a Senior Associate at Mercer, she likes to travel, go to the theater, and enjoy her husband’s cooking!

We welcome and thank God for The Rev. Chris Girata, Nicole, Brayden, Layna, and Annemarie.