The Diocese of Alabama Ordains Five New Clergy Members

The Diocese of Alabama held an ordination service on Thursday, October 24, at the Chapel of St. Francis at Camp McDowell, welcoming five new clergy members—one to the sacred order of priests and four to the diaconate. 

The Rt. Reverend Glenda Sharp Curry, Bishop of the Diocese of Alabama, presided over the service, leading the ordinands in affirming their ordination vows. She was joined by The Rt. Rev. Brian N. Prior, Assisting Bishop in the Diocese of Alabama.

During the service, Dr. Jordan Alleyne Rippy was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests. The newly ordained deacons were William Joseph Fagan, Dr. Paul Gaston Petznick, Mary Lucian Lawson Cronkite, and Christopher Lynn Paul. 

St. Francis Chapel was filled with a congregation of over 200 friends and family members who gathered in joyful support of the ordinands. Additionally, viewers from near and far joined in the celebration via a YouTube livestream. 

The ordination sermon was delivered by The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Linebaugh, Anglican Chair of Divinity and Director of the Institute of Anglican Studies at Beeson Divinity School, Samford University.

In his sermon, The Rev. Dr. Linebaugh urged the new clergy members to embrace authentic ministry, saying: “Go into ministries that people can bring their troubles to, and that when they do, they won’t hear feeble but comfortable words. Ministry is not a calling to answer the question of comfortable words by denying the depths of need, by pointing people to themselves or by pointing people to you. Those are feeble words, and they create a church you cannot take your troubles to. You are called to serve as a fellow sufferer, as one among those who weep, but you do so with an honest and a comfortable word.” 

The Rev. Geoff Evans, Canon to the Ordinary for the diocese highlighted the commitment of the newly ordained clergy to proclaiming the gospel and building up the Church. “They are bright and faithful people who are passionate about the work of equipping the saints, comforting the brokenhearted, and sharing the message of God’s grace”, he noted.

This ordination service took place during the diocese’s annual clergy conference, which brought over 95 clergy members and 13 clergy spouses from across the state together for fellowship and shared ministry. 

**The writer is the Director of Communications at The Diocese. She can be reached at nana@dioala.org.**

Watch The Ordination Service Video