Dear People of St. Christopher’s by the River,
I am delighted to greet you as your incoming Priest-in-Charge. For these last months, I have been praying for you and have engaged in deep discernment with the Search Committee through prayer and conversation. I am joyful that the Holy Spirit has called me to journey alongside you, and I look forward to our shared ministry.
While we will spend much time getting to know each other, here is a bit about me for now: I come to you after serving over two years as Assistant Rector at St. Paul’s in Cleveland Heights. At various points during my time at St. Paul’s, I oversaw youth and children’s ministries, worship, parish engagement, and newcomer engagement. I earned my Master of Divinity at Sewanee (The University of the South) and was ordained a priest in April 2024. I am passionate about building and supporting community, and I look forward to doing that with you!
From the first time I read through your parish profile, I got a sense of the close community that exists at St. Christopher’s. In my conversations with the Search Committee and Vestry, I also sensed that there is an excitement to step into the next chapter of your ministry as a parish. I am thrilled to join this close community and to also listen together for whatever God might be calling us toward in writing the next chapter together.
In the coming weeks, I’ll be saying farewell to my current community and preparing for my new beginning with you. I look forward to meeting you all—through worship, conversation, and shared ministry—and discovering all that God has in store for us. I am full of gratitude and hope.
Faithfully,
The Rev. Gabriel Michael Lawrence
Incoming Priest-in-Charge