The Rev. Dr. Judith Jones
Our Priest at St. Stephen Episcopal Church
The Rev. Dr. Judith Jones is on the lookout for the divine presence in every moment, from the most sacred to the most ordinary. She encounters God in Holy Scripture, the liturgy, and biblical study, and also in humor and a good fantasy or mystery novel. She speaks Spanish and finds God richly present in the varied peoples and cultures of Latin America. She recognizes the Divine in the faces of her family and her parishioners, and she seeks Christ in everyone she meets.
Judith sees the Divine in the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys hiking, camping, and kayaking, especially when joined by her husband Brian, her daughter, her two grown sons and their wives, and her grandson. As a pianist and singer, she worships and serves through music as well as through preaching and tending to those in need.
Born in India to medical missionary parents, Judith grew up with a strong faith. During her first nine years in India, she saw the reality of poverty and hunger in the faces of the people around her. Some children had little to eat while others (including herself) had plenty. Her early experiences made her aware of social injustice and sparked a desire to alleviate suffering through action and prayer.
Before she came to us, Judith was a professor of religion at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa and priest in charge at the local Episcopal Church. In addition to teaching classes in biblical studies and other religious topics, she took small groups of students to Honduras, the Dominican Republic, or Costa Rica for a service-learning course entitled The Church in Latin America. The course focused on the Church's role in combatting poverty and systemic social injustice.
Judith has successfully and seamlessly combined her love of ministry, music, social justice, and biblical scholarship in a way that benefits our religious communities. We are truly blessed to have her with us as our vicar.
The Rev. Dr. Judith Jones's Academic Background
- Ph.D. in New Testament with secondary emphases in Old Testament and in Preaching, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
- Certificate in Anglican Studies, The School of Theology, The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee.
- M.Div., Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey.
- B.A. in religion, summa cum laude, Point Loma College, San Diego, California.