The Rev. Christine Lee Will Launch First of Its Kind Church Revitalization Program
in The Episcopal Diocese of New York at the 188-Year-Old Historic Landmark Church LEE IS THE FIRST KOREAN AMERICAN WOMAN ORDAINED AS A PRIEST IN THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH NEW YORK -- Oct. 1, 2019—The wardens and vestry at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Chelsea have announced the Rev. Christine Lee as the church’s new, fulltime, priest-in-charge. Rev. Lee is the first female priest-in-charge and the first Asian American priest in its history. Familiarly known as St. Peter’s Chelsea, the church was founded by Clement Clarke Moore, author of A Visit from St. Nicholas, in 1881. Rev. Lee will be formally commissioned at St. Peter’s Chelsea during a service to take place in January 2020. “I am looking forward to being a part of this new season in the life of St. Peter’s Chelsea. I have been inspired by the leadership at St. Peter’s and their desire for the church to be a sign of life and hope. There is a lot of fear and anxiety in our world today, and sadly some of that has been caused in the name of God. Our desire is for St. Peter’s to be a place where all are welcome and can encounter the love of God in these challenging times,” said Rev. Lee. Rev. Lee will be initiating a new church revitalization program at St. Peter’s Chelsea, the first of its kind in the The Episcopal Diocese of New York. She will bring a group of new members with her to join the current congregation. Plans include a Sunday School for children, congregational development initiatives, and leadership training. Additionally, Rev. Lee will work with The Fund for the Restoration of St. Peter’s Buildings to continue buildings restoration. “I am very excited and encouraged by St. Peter’s Chelsea in calling Christine Lee as their new priest. With additional new members blended with the existing congregation, a new vision for mission and growth will emerge under Christine’s leadership. St. Peter’s as an incubator community for development and revitalization of other communities in the Diocese is a new paradigm that has not been tried before. This is truly an exciting new project in this Diocese,” said The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin, bishop suffragan, The Episcopal Diocese of New York. Most recently, Rev. Lee was vicar at All Angels Church. She is currently a Doctor of Ministry student at Fuller Theological Seminary with a focus on leading organizational and congregational change. In September 2012, she became the first Korean American woman ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church. Prior to that, she completed a year of Anglican studies at the General Theological Seminary and served on an interim basis at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. She spent time working as a community organizer for Habitat for Humanity NYC and was formerly on staff at All Angels’ Church as the Director of Spiritual Development and Outreach. Rev. Lee attended the Moody Bible Institute and received her Master of Divinity and Master of Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, both in Chicago. She also served as a campus minister with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Chicago and Columbia University. She lives in Harlem with her husband Jimmy Lee. ### About St. Peter’s Chelsea Historic St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Chelsea, familiarly known as St. Peter's Chelsea, was founded in 1831 by Professor Clement Clarke Moore, author of A Visit from St. Nicholas, and built on his estate Chelsea in Manhattan. The church is in the Chelsea Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a 2018 New York Landmarks Conservancy Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards winner. St. Peter’s core value is to be a welcoming and inclusive community centered in Jesus Christ. The congregation reflects the diverse fabric of New York City and is made of many generations, races, gender identifications, sexual orientations, and backgrounds. St. Peter’s is known for its balance of religious services, food pantry, as a neighborhood center for ideas and programs, and living out a wider mission to the world through social action. Visit stpeterschelsea.org to learn more. MEDIA CONTACT Jen Maguire, 917-596-5136, [email protected]
1 Comment
11/30/2019 07:57:11 am
Honestly, this is the very first time I've seen a female priest. This is the reason why I am so happy so have met The Rev. Christine Lee, even through an online article. I don't know so much about religion and faith and I did not know that female priests are allowed from other religion. Actually, if a certain person has a calling and they want to use that calling for a good cause, regardless of what the gender we have, we need to give them what we want. It is their right to choose what they want to be.
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