More about Sam

For Sam, Calvary St. George’s offers a unique gateway to ministry in the heart of New York. His time there will allow him to explore on-the-ground church work while pursues graduate study as part of the Fellowship.

Sam’s call to ministry came through both a firm foundation in the church and profound personal transformation. The son of an Episcopal priest, Sam grew up in the church but only fully discovered the depth of a personal, faithful relationship with Jesus in witnessing the lives of Christians he knew. He emphasizes the beauty of the lives they lived, especially how they valued others above themselves. This commitment led him to take a gap year shadowing missions in Tunisia, North Africa, where he built friendships with new Muslim converts and realized just how life-giving it is to talk about the Bible with people who don’t know it yet.

Throughout his time at Wheaton, Sam refined his gifts as a Resident Assistant, worship leader, and youth ministry intern. Central to Sam's college experience and faith journey is his walk with chronic pain, which left him in a wheelchair for most of his undergrad years. While he doesn’t usually need mobility aids today, chronic pain is still part of his life, and some days are better than others. One benefit of navigating this ongoing trial has been that it has helped him to see past the illusion that Christianity promises comfort. It has forced him to shed his desire for total independence, and taught him the beauty of living dependently in Christian community.

A self-proclaimed “small-town guy,” Sam is excited to stretch his boundaries in New York City. He was drawn to Calvary-St. George’s because of what he saw as their focus on preaching the true Gospel—emphasizing that people need to know Jesus simply because He loves them. Sam has also expressed his excitement for stepping into their diverse congregation, diversity being one of the things he believes best demonstrates the beauty of the body of Christ. He’s already shared how welcomed he has felt by their staff, and is looking forward to stepping into his formal role with them, where Sam will shadow Father Jacob and Calvary-St. George’s clerical team. Among other things, he will be assisting with liturgical duties, sitting in on vestry meetings, and participating in pastoral visits for the next two years. 

True to the core values of PreachFor, Sam hasn’t joined us to learn how to execute tasks, but to be formed as a genuine servant leader. Inspired by Eugene Peterson’s biography, Burning in My Bones, Sam hopes to grow in practicing quiet presence and listening out of love rather than stepping into ministry to fix problems. When Sam was asked about his heart for ministry, he shared that “Many in the world are interested in Jesus, but not the Church. I’ve also known many Christians who are interested in the Church, but not in Jesus. We need both.” Guided by Augustine's words, that we ought to love God our Father, and the Church, our mother, Sam is excited to begin worshiping alongside Calvary-St. George’s as part of the first cohort of PreachFor America Fellows.

Sunday at the Parish of Calvary-St. George’s