Meet Will Stanley

The rector has called the Rev. William S. Stanley to serve as vicar of St. Stephen’s Church. Will joins the staff on Ash Wednesday, February 26.

Will is associate rector for pastoral care and formation at All Saints, Beverly Hills. Previously he was associate to the rector for pastoral care and community connections at St. Cross Episcopal Church in Hermosa Beach, California, and curate and assistant to the rector at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church in Atlanta.

The Sewanee alumnus is a graduate of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, and grew up at St. Columba’s in Washington. Coming to DC-adjacent Virginia is a bit of a homecoming after being so far away.

From his time in Atlanta, Will knows the Rev. Penny Nash and the Rev. Steve McGehee, and he worked with Chris Edwards at Christ Church, Greenwich during his time at Yale. He also knows Brent te Velde from Yale’s Institute of Sacred Music, where they were classmates. So while he will be new this role, he is already known to many in the parish.

That includes our missionaries, Heidi Schmidt and Monica Vega, now serving in Argentina but at one time living and working in South Africa. At age 18, Will traveled to South Africa to visit them, learn about their work, and continue to work on discerning his own call to ministry.

Heidi says, “I remember how open and courageous he was and how he immersed himself in whatever we threw him into, how he connected with the children, especially through the music which is one of his passions and many gifts. He rolled with it all.”

Heidi recalls his speaking to them about his call to the priesthood then. “I was astounded at his clarity about what he and God wanted. And many years on, already ordained, how speaking with him revealed even more steadfastness and genuineness for his call from God, his journey clearly deeply rooted in this life where he found great joy.”

Heidi reflects, “That joy and love is expressed in all of his life—he wears it, lives it, and it is a beautiful thing to witness and experience.”

Acknowledging that the job of vicar is a big one, Heidi says Will is “a big soul for a big job.”

Heidi and Monica are excited about knowing that their lives will cross with Will’s again in “this beautiful community of St Stephen's, whose lives are intertwined with ours.”

The Rev. Jay Sidebotham, executive director of Renewal Works, who is known to many at St. Stephen’s as a visiting speaker (and as the husband of Frances Murchison), has known Will since St. Stephen’s new vicar was a young child. “It brings a big smile to learn that a favorite parish and a favorite priest have found each other,” Jays says. “I’ve known Will Stanley for years, in fact, before he started kindergarten. He spent a lot of time in our home in D.C., and I confess that I sometimes regard him as one of my kids. He’s a remarkable young man.”

Jay notes, “I’ve known for a long time that he was called to the priesthood. He is a gifted preacher, a kind pastor, an accomplished musician, a fine liturgist, all accompanied by a keen wit and good sense of humor (a necessity in parish ministry). I have let him know how blessed he is to be coming to St. Stephen’s. It will be a joy to see how his ministry blesses your wonderful congregation.”

Will came to Gary’s attention through several clergy colleagues who have worked with him, including the Rev. Robert Dannals (a nominee for bishop here in 2006), the Rev. Geoffrey Hoare (who has served in our diocese, as well as the Diocese of Atlanta, and is now at St. Alban’s in Washington). Through his own conversations with Will as well as those who know him best, Gary came to believe that Will would be a wonderful addition to our staff. But first, he brought him to St. Stephen’s in mid-January for a visit during which he spent considerable time with the executive committee of the vestry, other vestry members, parish leaders, and staff.

Allison Seay, associate for religion and the arts, observed, “Will Stanley has whatever that quality is that makes one feel at home even at first meeting. I will say of him what I say of those I most admire: I trust him. And I know already that he is coming here to love us well.” 

In the churches where Will has served, he has focused on a number of different areas of ministry, including youth and young adults, pastoral care, adult formation, and outreach. While at All Saints, he became more drawn to the complexities and opportunities of working in a large parish. In fact, most of the churches he’s served have been quite large, if not as large as St. Stephen’s.

He is excited about coming to St. Stephen’s, he says, for the opportunity to serve in such a large and vibrant parish—he notes that this parish is “really big but has depth and substance”—as well as to learn from Gary. While he is young, Will believes that he is ready for the challenge. 

"I am thrilled and humbled to accept this call as vicar of St. Stephen's Church! Your life and ministry inspire me, and I look forward to coming among you as one who listens and cares. I can't wait to see what God has in store for us."

Gary’s looking forward to this new chapter, as well. “Will’s energy and enthusiasm are infectious. His wisdom and spiritual insight are inspiring. And his desire to connect meaningfully with people and his eagerness to grow and learn as a parish priest convey a humility that the church and world need desperately.”

About Will’s role, Gary explains, “A vicar is a trusted clergy person who functions as a kind of chief operating officer, who helps ensure both attention to detail and faithfulness to vision.

“In a parish of our size and complexity, it can be challenging to maintain our spiritual center and equilibrium, while tending to the souls of so many people from different walks of life.  The role of vicar is inevitably shaped by and takes on the personality of the one who holds the position, but having the trust and confidence of the rector are central. Will has that from me.

“St. Stephen’s has had two outstanding vicars in my time here—David Anderson and Weezie Blanchard. I still think of these two priests with gratitude and admiration. Like them, Will is a very smart, deeply faithful, and obviously caring priest who will be beloved here.”

Gary says, “We could not be happier about welcoming Will to St. Stephen’s.”