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Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am the Reverend Barkley Thompson and I am
both humbled and overjoyed to accept the call to be the next dean of Christ Church Cathedral.
Over the course of the search process, I have heard much of the legacies of deans Reynolds,
Taylor and McGehee, and I am honored to follow in their footsteps.
Among the several guiding principles discussed in the Cathedral profile is tradition, which
speaks to the storied role the Cathedral has played in the history of downtown Houston
and in the history of the diocese. My own family is part of that tradition, as my paternal
grandfather was born and raised here in the early part of the 20th century. I myself earned
my divinity degree at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin. My wife, Jill, children
Griffin and Eliza, and I look forward to returning to the diocese, joining this Cathedral family
and sharing in the ministry of the Gospel alongside you.
In my own life and ministry, I have placed a premium on what I have called "gracious
community," the forging of the church as that people of God among whom joys are doubled
and sorrows halved. St. Paul speaks to this gracious community when he says in his letter
to the Colossians, "Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together
in perfect harmony, and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and be thankful."
It is my prayer that the Cathedral will continue, as you have already done, to forge this gracious
community among all those who walk through your doors. It is my further hope that we
will together find ways, increasingly, to reach out to those who may have no such community
and may be seeking a place to ensure them of God's love. To quote St. Paul again,
"God working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine."
I look forward to discovering what God has in store for us together. Grace and peace
to you.