The congregation of St. Paul’s Church, Summerville, will have its first opportunity to meet and welcome its new rector on Aug. 16. The Rev. Julian Thomas “Tripp” Jeffords III, will preach at the 8, 9, and 11 a.m. services.

The church is adjusting its schedule of services so everyone in the congregation will have an opportunity to hear the new senior pastor preach.

“I’m excited about this fresh new start,” said Jeffords, 48, a South Carolina native who received his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina, his master’s in divinity from Duke University Divinity School and an Anglican Studies Diploma from Virginia Theological School.

The new rector looks forward to helping St. Paul’s, Summerville, press on toward a future that is “biblically-centered, Christ-centered and Holy Spirit driven.”

Jeffords has a passion for biblical discipleship.

“I want everything we do to be according to the Holy Scriptures and what they teach,” he said. “Scripture should be our guidebook for life; instruct the church and direct the faithful on how to live. I believe a lot of the troubles in the church have been because we haven’t been disciples of the scriptures and haven’t allowed them to direct our hearts and lives. When we do that, and listen to Jesus through the scriptures and through our prayer lives, everybody is blessed.”

Jeffords will be formally welcomed as rector during a Sept. 24 service of institution, officiated by the Rt. Rev. Mark J. Lawrence, the 14th Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina.

The new rector, his wife, Leslie, and their three teenage sons, Christian, 18,; Davis, 17; and Hayden, 15; come to Summerville from Conway, where Jeffords served almost 18 years as the rector of another St. Paul’s Church.

Jeffords said it wasn’t easy for the family to leave the town where they’d seen their church triple in size, where the children grew up, where Leslie had served as the director of a preschool and her sister, father and extended family still live. But once they sensed God’s call to Summerville, they were ready to go.

“My time at St. Paul’s, Conway, was a blessed experience. I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” he said. “But I’m ready for fresh, new challenges and new opportunities for kingdom growth.”

St. Paul’s was established in Summerville in 1829. Its former pastor, the Rev. Mike Lumpkin, retired last year, after serving as rector for 19 years.

“I’m so thankful for the legacy of Mike Lumpkin and all he’s done for St. Paul’s,” said Jeffords. “He’s left the church in a really strong place.”

St. Paul’s has an average of 450 worshippers each Sunday and offers services at 8 a.m., 9 a.m. and two concurrent services at 10:45 a.m. It has both contemporary and traditional services.

The church has numerous programs for spiritual growth, discipleship and outreach. To learn more about the church visit www.stpaulssummerville.org.

This story originally appeared in the Summerville Journal Scene, August 14, 2015