June 2016

1 Item

Manakin Church welcomes interim rector

A Message from Roy McLeod, Senior Warden

Dear Fellow Parishioners,

This newsletter is, on purpose, being mailed later than usual so we may share some good news with you.

The Rev. Dr. Thomas W. Bauer, who was our officiant on April 10th and May 15th, has agreed to become our Interim Rector effective June 4, 2016. The Vestry approved his contract on May 15th and he met with the Bishop the following week and received Diocesan approval. Dr. Bauer will lead our services on June 5th and be present for our Annual Picnic. This completes our Transition Team as we move forward in the search process.

In addition to sharing with the Vestry his extensive Interim and Parish Priest experience at various parishes in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Virginia and Bermuda, he has written the following more personal introductory biography to share with you.

Please join the Vestry in welcoming Dr. Bauer to Manakin.

Roy G. McLeod

Senior Warden

+         +         +         +

Dr. Thomas William Bauer was born in Pittsburgh PA, but moved during World War II to Connecticut. His father’s company built defense factories and his mother was a schoolteacher. Moving from Connecticut to Maryland in 1947, Dr. Bauer’s family attended the Church of St. Michael and All Angels in Baltimore, where he was a choirboy and acolyte. He attended the McDonogh School, graduating in 1954, and received his B.A. from Yale University four years later. After studying at the General Theological Seminary in New York City, he was ordained to the Episcopal priesthood in Maryland by Bishop Harry Lee Doll in 1961. He returned to Yale for masters degrees in Religious Sociology and Urban Studies awarded in 1965. He obtained his doctoral degree in Developmental Psychology and Moral Education from Harvard in 1986.

Rev. Tom served parishes in Maryland, Connecticut and New York City, during which time he did much pastoral counseling. Dr. Bauer then entered chaplaincy work at the Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, and St. Albans School in Washington, DC as counselor and teacher. He was headmaster of Grace & St. Peter’s School in Baltimore, and subsequently taught ethics and psychology courses at the College of William & Mary, while serving as rector of Westover Church in Charles City and St. Paul’s Church in Petersburg. Following Interim Ministry pastorates in Massachusetts and Maryland, Dr. Tom and his wife Ann spent two years at St. David’s Chapel of Ease in Bermuda. His wife of 47 years passed away in 2008. The Bauers had two children, Tom Jr. who manages multiplex theaters in Florida, and Margaret, who is a well-known graphic designer in DC. Dr. Bauer enjoys singing as a member of the Yale Alumni Chorus and has traveled with them worldwide including Cuba, Russia, Armenia, Turkey, the Baltic States and the UK.

In 2006, Dr. Bauer received a Certificate of Advanced Study in Counseling Psychology from Loyola University in Baltimore. For the following seven years he counseled students in Baltimore Public High Schools and Middle Schools. Prior to accepting a part-time position with Safe Harbor Christian Counseling, LLC, he worked a year as a Family Life Counselor for Magellan Corporation, serving military bases at Fort Meade, Maryland (serving also as a chaplain) and in DC.

He is excited and pleased to be able to serve the congregation of Manakin Parish during this important interim period.

 

Note: As Manakin moves through this transition period, members of our congregation will be contributing to the Rector’s Message section of our web site.