NEW DEAN APPOINTED
Friends,
After an extensive search process, the Cathedral search committee and I were unanimous in our agreement as to who should be called as our next Dean. It is with great joy that I appoint The Rev. Jonathan Thomas as Rector of Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria and Dean of Diocese of Islands and Inlets, effective September 1, 2024.
Having first served as a high school teacher, Jonathan discerned a call to ordained ministry and earned a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Diploma in Anglican Studies from Virginia Theological Seminary. Having served parishes in the Diocese of Connecticut and Chicago, Jonathan also achieved a certificate in non-profit management from the Kellogg School of Management.
In his response to the parish profile Jonathan wrote about how engaging with people’s inherent spirituality while giving them Anglican language and structure for living out their faith is a hallmark of his ministry. He believes that we influence the world around us by being in conversations, building relationships, and creating a common good. He was impressed by how the cathedral’s parish profile reflected your desire to be a church which relies on partnering, connecting, and working together with all those around you.
Jonathan comes to us from the Diocese of Chicago where he and his wife, Jenny, have served as corectors of St. Paul’s, Peoria. Jenny will also be moving to the Diocese and will be working for the Synod office as Canon for lay-led parishes and parishes-in-transition.
I ask your prayers for Jonathan and his family in the coming months as they prepare to move to Victoria.
Peace,
The Right Rev Anna Greenwood-Lee
The Rev. Jonathan Thomas has prepared a welcome video below for everyone in the diocese.