The Reverend W. Dexter Bender has accepted the call to serve as interim rector at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Huntsville, Ala.

Dex is 61 and a native Floridian.  After a career in the environmental business, he attended seminary at Virginia Theological Seminary.  He was ordained in 1995 in the Diocese of Southwest Florida.  He served as associate rector for six years at Christ Church in Bradenton, Florida, a 100-year-old parish with 1300 members.  He developed a special interest in outreach, mission and youth.  Most recently he completed a two-year interim assignment at Church of the Good Shepherd in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.  

Dex and his wife of 31 years, Heidi, have a home in Sewanee, although they live right now in Lookout Mountain.  Heidi is minister at Lookout Mountain United Methodist Church.  They have six daughters and nine gradnchildren.

St. Thomas' search committee has begun to accept nominations.  See our parish profile here.