It is a time of transition within our diocese, and we have new a clergy transition to announce.
The Rev. Charissa Bradstreet has accepted a call as interim rector of Good Samaritan, Sammamish.
The Rev. Charissa Bradstreet has served Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, Sammamish, since June 2020, first as a Pastoral Associate for Formation, then as their Curate. Prior to her time at Good Samaritan, Charissa served as an intern at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Seattle with a focus on adult formation. For 11 years she actively participated in the life of Epiphany Parish, Seattle in roles that included preaching, teaching, pilgrimage coordination, eucharistic ministry, and serving on the vestry. Prior to her ordination, Charissa worked as a chaplain at Harborview Hospital, and as an Organizational Development Specialist at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, work that she valued as a form of ministry outside church walls. Charissa holds an M.Div. from the Seattle School of Theology & Psychology and a B.A. in English Literature from Miami University (Ohio). As a result of her studies and time as a chaplain, she brings a trauma-informed lens to preaching and pastoral care.
Charissa grew up in Texas and New Jersey, and was baptized at the age of 13. She grew up in a home that regularly prayed together and read stories aloud, and she credits these habits for shaping a love for Biblical narrative and for living out faith in community. Charissa enjoys writing icons, reading and watching British mysteries, traveling, and marveling at the ways her nieces, nephew, and godchild bear the image of God. She also loves the Church, flawed as it is, because of the ways it invites us to take our relationship with Jesus seriously and to let that relationship transform us for the sake of the unfolding kingdom of heaven. She looks forward to this interim role where she can celebrate what God is doing within the Good Samaritan community and support them in this period of reflection and growth.
Please join us in welcoming Rev. Bradstreet to her new role in the diocese, and keep all congregations experiencing transition in your prayers.
