Welcome to Our New Rector!
After months of convening, praying and listening to each other, St. Luke’s parishioners entrusted its Search Team to launch into the work of finding a new rector. Led by the Holy Spirit and trusting in God’s perfect provision, the Search Team discerned the candidate that best fit the call defined by our community and the ministries of St. Luke’s. Presented for approval to the vestry on May 15, the vestry voted to accept the recommendation of The Rev. John McCorvey Fountain as the next rector of St. Luke’s. The invitation was extended and Fr. John accepted the call with joy and a readiness to walk with us into the future of our making. Please read below his letter of greeting to St. Luke’s.
Fr. John is currently the Associate Rector of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Pensacola Florida and will celebrate his last Sunday there on June 29. He and his wife and their three daughters will move to Rhode Island in August, settling into their new home and getting to know the state and New England. We look forward to the start of his ministry in September and invite all to join us in the celebration of this new chapter in the life and work of St. Luke’s.
Dear People of St. Luke’s,
What a joy it is to write to you as your next rector!
From the very first conversation with your search committee, it was clear that the Holy Spirit was at work. There was a sense of ease, honesty, and holy curiosity in our time together that made each step forward feel like God’s invitation. With each meeting I was reminded of the psalmist words “with joy and gladness they are led along” (Ps.45:15). Stepping foot into your sanctuary for the first time was powerful: quiet, beautiful, and full of God’s presence. When my wife and I visited East Greenwich and spent precious time with the committee, we left with full hearts and a deep sense of clarity.
Your love for one another and your pride in St. Luke’s shine through in everything you do. You are a church rooted in tradition and wide open to the Spirit’s movement, a rare and beautiful thing. With every conversation I had, I felt God showing forth in a way that made me dream of what is possible. Your commitment to welcome, worship, service, and growth resonates deeply with the ministry we feel called to. St. Luke’s is a place alive with possibility, and I am honored to be stepping into this season of shared ministry with you.
I can’t wait to get started: to listen, learn, and walk alongside you as we discover together what God is inviting us into next. There is so much to celebrate, so much to dream about, and so much good work already underway. With Christ at the center, and with hearts open to the Spirit, I believe we are going to do amazing things together.
Know that Kelly, our girls, and I are praying for you in this season of transition, just as you are praying for us. We can’t wait to call St. Luke’s our home.
With joy and gladness,
Fr. John+
