The Provost

The Very Rev. Lisa Hackney-James joined the staff of St. James Cathedral, Chicago as Sub-Dean in October 2015, and was elected Provost in October 2022.

Following a first career as a professional harpist, Lisa was ordained at St. James Cathedral in 2003 and returned to the Diocese of Chicago in 2014 after nearly a decade of ministry in Cleveland Heights, an inner-ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. There, she served on the staffs of two Episcopal congregations, and as a  founding member of the executive team of Greater Cleveland Congregations, an Industrial Areas Foundation affiliate made up of 50+ interfaith congregations, schools, and unions whose work included advocacy in public education, health care access, and criminal sanctions reform. With her two Episcopal parishes and the local public school between them, she pioneered a collaborative partnership supporting academic excellence among students and bridge-building among their families.

As Provost of a vibrant downtown Cathedral in a global city, Lisa's passion for the Gospel, and her love for God's diverse people find a  home in an historic and growing community focused on compassionate engagement across lines of difference, and encountering the Divine in the beauty of holiness.