We moved to Leland from Leesburg, Virginia, in December 2019. John had served as rector of Church of Our Redeemer in Aldie, Virginia, since 2001. Knowing we would have to move at John’s retirement, we did what many do—a lot of research. Location, weather, health care, amenities, beaches, grandchildren…and a church home.
We started following Wilmington churches on Facebook. St. Paul’s was calling to us even then. The first time we entered the doors, there was a palpable sense of welcome, of peace, of coming home. We looked no further.
Before being called to the clergy, John worked in politics on Capitol Hill and at several associations. Denise worked in public relations, office administration, and generally, bringing order out of chaos.
We have found that the hardest part of retirement is… retirement. We like the options of having no schedule, and being able to play, visit, travel or spend time with the grandchildren. (Four grandboys under the age of 10 in Cameron, North Carolina, and a one-year-old boy in Virginia). But there is a need to serve, to participate, and to wait and listen for God’s calling, whatever it might look like.