The Rev. Kevin Sparrow Called as Rector of St. Anne's, Conway

Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley has called the Rev. Kevin Sparrow to serve as the second rector of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Conway. Though he was raised in Georgia, Father Sparrow will be moving to South Carolina from Montpelier, Vermont, where he has served since September 2021 as the priest-in-charge of Christ Episcopal Church. His start date with St. Anne’s is still being finalized but will be announced soon.

The bishop expressed her great joy about this call to St. Anne’s. “Through the perseverance, clarity, and patience of the strong leaders of St Anne’s, the Holy Spirit has worked to bring together this courageous community with a gifted priest,” said Bishop Woodliff-Stanley. “The Rev. Kevin Sparrow is a seasoned priest, a scholar, and a joyful pastoral leader; it was clear to all that this is a wonderful match. I am delighted to welcome him, along with his spouse, Andrew, to St Anne’s and to our diocese.”
 
Ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Diocese of California in 2012, Father Sparrow served congregations California and Massachusetts in a variety of roles before being called to Christ Church in Vermont in 2021, where he was successful in increasing average attendance and pledges and maintained a thriving program for youth and family ministries. Over the course of his career, he has served in the Peace Corps, and taken on various roles in administration, Christian formation, children’s ministries, and chaplaincy.

Leadership of St. Anne’s, Conway, joyfully announced the news on Wednesday, February 21. Father Sparrow is looking forward to becoming a part of the St. Anne’s community. “I am both humbled and thrilled to have been called as the next rector of St. Anne's,” said Sparrow. “I can't wait to begin ministry with the congregation and get to know the local community. It is truly a special place."

Father Sparrow graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from The University of the South (Sewanee) in 1996 with double major in history and art history (Phi Beta Kappa). He earned his MDiv from Harvard Divinity School in 2000, and a certificate of Anglican Studies from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (Berkeley, CA) in 2010. He is currently pursuing a doctorate of ministry in liturgy from The University of the South. Father Kevin and his spouse, Andrew Lane, look forward to moving to Conway soon, along with their dog, Nino.
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While the origins of St. Anne’s date back to living room gatherings in 2012, the congregation officially organized in 2013, and was recognized as a mission church of our diocese in 2014 and as a parish in 2018. After worshipping for most of their time in Lackey Chapel on the campus of Coastal Carolina University, St. Anne’s purchased a building in 2020, and following extensive renovations, the new church building was dedicated and consecrated by Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley in December 2021.

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