A keen intellect and a love for the church steered the Rev. Jordan Hylden toward theology during his college days at Harvard, and eventually thwarted a planned career in law. The affable priest recently earned his Th.D. from Duke, and currently serves as the Canon Theologian for the diocese, and as co-vicar at St. Augustine’s Oak Cliff in Dallas.

Hylden grew up in rural North Dakota on a farm that produced wheat, corn, soybeans and flax. Like many in North Dakota he attended a Lutheran church growing up, but  in college he became an Episcopalian. 

“I majored in government and thought I was going to go to law school,” Hylden said. “But I became involved in campus ministry and started a Christian campus magazine, and it all started to feel like a calling.” A grant allowed him to expand the magazine to become a network called the Augustine Collective, which now includes more than 20 publications and an annual conference. Hylden went on to work for the publication First Things, and eventually earned a masters of divinity and doctorate from Duke. He served as a curate in South Carolina, and taught theology and ethics as an adjunct at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and St. Louis University.

At the diocese, Hylden has many key roles including working on the vocations team and helping those going through discernment. His focus is primarily on pastoral care of seminarians in the ordination process and helping to shape their theological education plans. He will also help plan the RadVo, a vocations conference in 2020.

The canon supports Christian formation and catechesis initiatives in the diocese, the lay catechists order, and an annual Christian formation workshop. He is the dean of the Stanton Center, working with the director to oversee the hiring of instructors and designing curriculum.  His duties also include continuing education for clergy and lay ministers, organizing the annual leadership and study day, the annual clergy conference, and other speaker events.

Hylden also supports the bishop’s work in the wider church and communion, such as working with the Communion Partner bishops, assisting with the bishop’s participation in the Lambeth Design Group, and helping plan an upcoming conference co-sponsored with the House of Bishops ecclesiology committee.

Hylden is married to the Rev. Emily Hylden who is co-vicar of St. Agustine’s. The couple have two children, Charles, age 2, and Donny, age two weeks.