786 Hughes Road, Madison, AL 35758
On January 8, 2018, Fr. Chris Hartley was welcomed into the St. Matthew's fold as our new rector and shepherd! Originally from Birmingham, Father Chris earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion & History from Samford University, and also holds his Master of Divinity from Sewanee, The University of the South.
He was very successful during a fifteen year sales career, but believed the Spirit was guiding him to a calling of greater fulfillment relative to his desire for deeper peace. After seven plus years of formal discernment, Chris was ordained into the Holy Order of the Diaconate in May of 2014 and The Priesthood in January of 2015. He most recently served as Rector at St. Michael and All Angels in Anniston, his call since seminary.
Chris loves reading, traveling, Beagles, sports, and entertaining friends with his family. He recently has pursued a longtime interest in local theater where he participated in several shows with CASTS of Anniston. He is married to Alli, and they have one child, Lillie Grace. The family also boasts two rescues, Bandit and Bindi, who are spoiled rotten.
To quote Fr. Chris, "St. Matthew's is AWESOME"!
Originally from Florence, AL, Father Dillon earned his Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages (French and Spanish) from the University of North Alabama (UNA).
After majoring in French and Spanish, and after a personal journey through nondenominational, Baptist, Catholic, and finally Episcopal churches, Dillon sought out a chance for discernment about the general path his life would take. He became the Campus Program Assistant at the Canterbury House at Kansas State University (KSU) and served for two years. Though he didn’t begin with ordained ministry in mind, after one year of college ministry and a powerful experience staffing at the Diocese of Kansas’s Summer MegaCamp, he felt the call to ordained ministry and entered formal discernment. After three years of education at Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), he was ordained to the Episcopal Priesthood in the Diocese of Kansas on January 8, 2022. He most recently served as the Curate for the Episcopal Churches of Wichita, Kansas, primarily at St. James and St. John’s.
Father Dillon loves movies (particularly the Academy Awards and the Criterion Collection), reading (Middlemarch is a favorite), laughter,
travel, Adele, food, and time with friends and family. His educational areas of interest center on the works of Charles Taylor, Hartmut Rosa, Andrew Root, James K.A. Smith. He also has a burgeoning interest in French Phenomenology.
Father Dillon is incredibly excited to be home in the Diocese of Alabama where he was confirmed and to be part of the St. Matthew’s family!
Lynn was ordained to the diaconate in October 2004 and comes to St. Matthew’s from St. Stephen’s in Huntsville. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in General Business Administration from the University of Alabama and, up until her retirement in 2012, worked for BBVA Compass for 33 years. She also has 16 hours of graduate studies from Spring Hill College in Theological Studies, which was cut short to begin the Diocese of Alabama Deacon’s School of Ministry.
Since moving back to her hometown of Huntsville in 1994, Lynn has been on mission trips to Honduras and has served in Kairos ministries as a lay leader and as a spiritual director. She has been active with area non-profit agencies, serving on the Board of Directors for three entities: The Pathfinder, Inc. (board president one year), which is a residential rehabilitation program for the victims of substance abuse; First, Stop, Inc., a homeless day center; and the North Alabama Coalition for the Homeless (board president three years). An active member of the Coalition since 2003, Lynn heads up NACH’s Annual Blanket & Cold Weather Gear Drive. More recently, she has become active in Faith in Action Alabama and North Alabama Pastors United for Change. Other interests include Interfaith and Ecumenical worship and dialogue.
Married since 1984, Tommy and Lynn have two grown sons, Ashley Stewart and Thomas Bullard, and one grandaughter, Meena.
Lynn loves reading, cooking, photography with her iPhone, visiting with friends, traveling and having FaceTime with Meena. Tommy and she have two rescue dogs, Boo Boo and Trixie.
St Matthew's Episcopal Church
786 Hughes Rd Mailing Address: PO Box 1187, Madison, AL 35758-8972
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