The Rev. Bill Breedlove - Assistant Rector, Director of Youth and Family Ministry

The Rev. Dr. Bill Breedlove
Assistant Rector
Director of Youth and Family Ministry
Phone: 913-236-8600 Ext. 306
Email: bill@stmaa.com

Education
B.S. 1984 University of South Carolina
M.A. 1986 University of South Carolina
Ph.D. 1993 The Florida State University (Sociology)
M. Div. 2009 Nashotah House Theological Seminary

Personal
Married to Susan Morgan on June 19, 1993
Daughters Talley (17) and Mary (14)

Interview with the Rev. Bill Breedlove - Assistant Rector, Director of Youth and Family Ministry

What was the most important moment in your spiritual life?

There have been many, but one of the most important came early in my exploration of the ordained ministry. To put the experience in context, you have to remember that I was a social scientist by training — an empiricist. My academic preparation had taught me to understand and explain the world in terms of quantifiable data and repeatable events. I had never had a personal encounter with the supernatural, although I was aware of that happening for others. Then, one Sunday morning at church, after communion, as I was in prayer with some our prayer intercessors, I had a Jesus encounter. Precisely the kind of experience an empiricist was inclined to doubt. Yet, there he was. There was a brightness, like clouds parting, and he was there before me, arms open bidding me to follow.

Let’s be honest, even the most devout and religious people don’t typically expect that Jesus is actually going to show up, right there in front of you. But it happened to me. It was a close encounter of the Christ-kind.

How do you know that God is at work in your life?

I see grace upon grace. God has provided for me and my family time and again. I count being called to St Michael's as part of that continuing grace. There could have been no better place for me to start in ordained ministry. Here, I have been surrounded, nurtured, shaped and instructed by a loving and talented staff. This is truly a place of rich experiences and varied opportunites for ministry. I have been lifted up and I have been humbled by the many faithful people who make up this parish family. I have been blessed and this is God's doing.

Describe St. Michael and All Angels to someone who’s never been here and knows nothing about the congregation.

We are a community committed to participating in God's mission in the world, working for the reconciliation of all people with God and with each other. Toward that, we are an inclusive and welcoming community. All really are welcome here, but not just through our doors and as participants in worship. All are welcome to bring their hopes and fears, their questions and their answers. All are welcome to become disciples making disciples and to find their place of ministry. And all are welcome to experience God's love and to experince sharing love with others.

What do you find to be the most satisfying thing about your ministry?

The most satisfying moments are when I am able to serve God’s people. When I’m listening to someone’s story, offering a word of encouragement, sitting with somebody at a dark time in their life, those are times when God is most present, and there is no better place to be.

What do you do for fun?

Yard work is a lot of fun for me. I can kind of lose myself in the tasks. It’s both physical and meditative. Plus, I like the way the lawn looks when I’m done. I also collect books, play fantasy football, and listen to music. It is hard to beat a good rock concert or music festival.

Why should someone come to St. Michael and All Angels?

Because here you’ll find people like yourself seeking to know God and to discover what God is doing in their lives. Come as you are. You’ll be welcomed here, just as you are. No one will tell you what you must believe or how you must behave, but you will be told that you belong. God's house is a house for all people, so you belong here.