It is a time of transition within our diocese, and we have a new clergy transition to announce.
The Rev. Stephen Crippen has accepted a call as rector of St. Paul’s, Seattle.
The Rev. Stephen Crippen has served Grace Episcopal Church, Bainbridge Island, WA, since June 2020, first as their curate and then as interim rector. His ordained ministry began as the vocational deacon for St. Stephen’s, Saint Mark’s Cathedral, and St. Paul’s, all in Seattle, from 2010-2017. A graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA (M.Div., 2020), Stephen also holds an M.A. from Pacific Lutheran University (1999) and worked as a marriage and family therapist from 1999 to 2017, first in mental-health agencies and Group Health Cooperative, and then for ten years in his own private psychotherapy practice, where he specialized in couples therapy. Since 2010, Stephen has been a trainer for several Colleges for Congregational Development in the U.S. and Canada, and a consultant in the Olympia Congregational Consulting Network. Stephen has also worked (1988-2003) as a Lutheran parish musician. As a result of his career-long theological interest in relationship repair, Stephen has written a new book, scheduled for release in March 2023, called “Remorse: Finding Joy through Honest Apology” (Fortress Press).
A Minnesota native from a large family, Stephen has lived near the Puget Sound since 1997. He and his husband Andrew have lived in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle since 2012, and Stephen is excited to join St. Paul’s in the challenging yet invigorating ministry context of nearby Uptown Seattle. As longtime companions to dogs, Stephen and Andrew are eager to welcome two new rescue dogs into their home this fall after a quiet year without animal companions. They enjoy traveling together, and Andrew is looking forward to joining St. Paul’s as a faithful parishioner. Stephen is a fitness enthusiast who is currently rebuilding his capacity for long-distance running, and taking swimming lessons as a halting but determined beginner.
Please join us in welcoming Rev. Crippen to his new role in the diocese, and keep all congregations experiencing transition in your prayers.
I trust that Fr. Crippen has recovered from any influence of the Norwegian liturgical stylpe that he might have picked up while a student at PLU. While I suspect such influence might be acceptable in some of the Diocean congreations, I’m quite certain they would not be acceptable at St. Paul’s.