Jackson Free Press

Saint Alexis Episcopal Church is in the heart of Jackson, just down the street from Hal and Mal's.

"Just call me Chuck," Rev. Chuck Culpepper, 56, vicar of Saint Alexis, says with a grin.

In his jeans, t-shirt and tennis shoes, he hopes to change the world.

Growing up in Meridian, Culpepper never dreamed of becoming a priest. He attended First Presbyterian Church of Meridian but walked away from the faith as a teen, intending never to look back. He went on to earn a bachelor's in history from Millsaps College in 1972, and he was drafted into the Navy almost immediately after where he served three years. When he got out, he went to law school at Ole Miss, "to see what it was like." He met his wife Katherine there.

Culpepper says it was his wife who got him to return to church. Indifferent at first, he grew to enjoy it, and together, he and his wife became involved with the youth at Trinity Episcopal Church in Yazoo City.

"Before long, all I was thinking about was church. I really found myself in it," he says.

After practicing law for 13 years, Culpepper began the process of joining the ministry. He went to the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the South West in Austin, Texas, in 1995—he thinks—and returned to Mississippi to serve as curate for Saint Paul's in Meridian. After that, he headed to the Bishop's office for six years, as the head of Youth and College Ministries for the Diocese of Mississippi.

In 2005, Bishop Duncan M. Gray III wanted to create a church with a focus on young adult ministries, spiritual and social growth. He thought Rev. Culpepper would be a perfect fit.

"I'd found in talking to young adults and looking at our churches that there were lots of invisible barriers keeping them out. They didn't see anyone like them," Culpepper says.

Saint Alexis, with its fire-engine red warehouse doors, a copper sculpture of The Last Supper on the wall and youthful congregation, filled that gap.

Culpepper and the congregation made a conscious decision for the church to be located in Jackson when searching for a permanent space. They were inspired by the revitalization efforts going on in the city and determined to be a part of it.

"We've been involved with Grace House and Stewpot, but we're working on finding a vision for something we can take on as our own. We want to make a difference in Jackson," he says. "I've always enjoyed building communities. There's nothing like watching people come in disconnected and seeing them come together."

Previous Comments

ID

82572

Comment

Seems like a great guy. I met a few Episcopal Priests this past weekend. :)

Author

Heather

Date

2007-05-03T13:09:21-06:00