Welcome The Rev. Canon Christopher Griffin

January 18, 2023

Canon for Community Partnerships

The Rev. Christopher Griffin has begun his work with us this week as Canon for Community Partnerships. Many of you will recognize Chris, as he has recently served on Cathedral Chapter and has shared his remarkable gift for preaching at St. James on several memorable occasions over the past year, including Pride Sunday and Holy Week. 

Chris will serve in a part-time capacity at St. James while continuing in his role as Vicar of St. Martin’s Epsicopal Church in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, where he has served for 13 years. We can expect to see Chris periodically on Sundays, and during the week he will work to extend our partnerships with other institutions beyond our walls, expanding our focus on advocacy, and strengthening our ties with various communities within the city and diocese of Chicago. Through this collaboration, Chris will also embody the interest in shared ministry that has taken root in recent years between St. James and St. Martin’s - a congregation and context distinctly different from our own, but a community who shares with us a commitment to expressing our faith through radical inclusion, a belief in the transformative powers of the arts, and of course a confidence in God’s presence among and between us.

Chris’ new role also reflects my commitment, during this time of transition, to restructuring our clergy staff to be a bit leaner and focused on mission-critical priorities. We’re committed to yielding the same – and even greater – impact from this new configuration, in no small part by investing in leadership with the experience and gravitas that Chris will bring to his role. Prior to his two decades of priestly ministry, he served a decade as an elementary school social worker and administrator in the Chicago Public Schools and before that within the corporate world. In addition to his seminary training, Chris holds degrees from MIT, Harvard and University of Chicago.

Please join me in rejoicing over the addition of Chris to our cathedral staff. He will join us on Sunday, January 22 for all services, and we look forward to welcoming him then.

Lisa