Charles Youngson: Next Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Cullman
We will have a reception in the Great Hall July 30th after the 10am service to say goodbye to Charles. If you would like to make a financial farewell gift directly to Charles, bring cash or a check made out to him the day of the reception. We will have an option for Realm shortly.
Dear friends and parishioners,
I write to you today to share the news that The Reverend Charles Youngson, our Associate Rector, has accepted a call to serve Grace Episcopal Church in Cullman, Alabama as their next rector. Charles has had a long and fruitful ministry here at All Saints, and his departure will be bittersweet. While I am excited for Charles and supportive of his discernment, I will be sad to see him leave this parish that I know he loves and who has loved him in return. I have known Charles for eighteen years, and our children were born at the same hospital just one day apart. He has always been a kind and compassionate presence, as well as a supportive friend and colleague. While I am sad to see such an excellent priest and friend leaving All Saints, I know that Grace is receiving a faithful pastor and insightful leader.
Below is a letter from Charles where he shares about his discernment and this exciting new opportunity. In the coming weeks we will plan a celebration of Charles’s ministry. In the meantime, please join me in offering a prayer for our parish:
Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. - The Book of Common Prayer, 817
Grace & peace,
The Rev. Brad Landry, Rector
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A Letter from The Rev. Charles Youngson
Dear All Saints family,
It is with a great mix of emotions that I announce that I will be leaving All Saints to accept a call to be the next rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Cullman. My last Sunday at All Saints will be July 30, and I will begin my new ministry at Grace on September 5 following a few weeks of rest and renewal. Though I know this announcement comes as a surprise, I have spent a lot of time in prayer and deliberation prior to accepting this invitation. I love this congregation, and part of me wants to stay at All Saints forever, but I also sense God leading me to take on a new challenge so that I may continue to grow as a priest.
On June 24, I completed twenty years of ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church. Twelve and half of those years have been at All Saints, from 2005-2009 and from 2014 until the present. I will deeply miss the many relationships I have built here, the smiling faces of our children in the parish and preschool, the beauty and warmth of our Sunday morning services, the enthusiasm of our youth, and the wisdom and service of our many gifted adult members. It’s also been a privilege to serve alongside so many talented and faithful clergy, staff, and lay leaders. You all have loved me well through challenging times as well as times of celebration. And I hope that your walk with Christ has been strengthened in some small way through my ministry here.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for forming me into the person and priest I am today through your care and support. I also thank you for allowing me to be part of your lives and to minister to you during significant moments. I know that God has good things in store for this congregation and that you are in capable hands. I am in prayer for you all and especially for Brad and Seth during this time of transition. I feel fortunate that I will remain in the Diocese of Alabama and see you at Diocesan events. I will also continue living in Homewood while my younger son Charlie finishes high school. In other words, we will see each other again. And I will carry you all in my heart as I minister just up the road in another corner of God’s mission field.
God’s love and peace,
Charles +
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