Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Spring 2012 Issue | Page 5

THE REV. RANDY ALEXANDER
Rector of Christ Church, Pelham
Diocese of New York
The Rev. Joseph Randolph “Randy” Alexander Jr. has been the rector of Christ Church, Pelham in
the Diocese of New York for 11 years. He is also serving as a trustee of the Diocese of New York and
as chair of the Finance Committee of the Trustees, as a member of the Disciplinary Board, and as a
member of the Congregational Support Plan Committee. He is married to the Rev. Patricia Phaneuf
Alexander, and they have three sons: William, Peter and Andrew. Before coming to Christ Church he
served as curate at St. John’s Church in Larchmont, N.Y.; as assistant at St. Paul’s Church in Baltimore,
Md.; and as assistant at Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Street, London, England. He is a graduate of the University
of Virginia and the General Theological Seminary. Alexander, 45, has been ordained 17 years.

PASTOR-PROPHET

HEROES & HEROINES

BAPTISMAL COVENANT

Both of these roles are based on
relationship and respect, which must be
earned. People have to know that their
priest (or bishop) knows them, loves
them and has their best interests at
heart. A pastor is called to care for the
sheep, keeping in mind the good of the
whole while caring for the individual.
A prophet is called to call those sheep
back into relationship with God, while
being willing to risk taking a difficult or
unpopular position.

Parish priesthood often demands
that I be both pastoral and prophetic
at the same time. In so doing, I have
learned the importance of disengaging
my own ego, really listening to people
and entering into their experience
while avoiding holier-than-thou fingerwagging. Frequently I find myself
preaching about things that bring us all
up short, such as our relative affluence
compared to many of our brothers
and sisters around the world. I take
prophetic stances prayerfully and
with care, remembering that I am also
preaching to myself.

Perhaps the prophetic word most
needed from our bishops right now
is also a pastoral one. It is the call to
return to our core purposes as a Church:
proclaiming the Good News, celebrating
the sacraments, teaching and forming
disciples, and introducing people to a
life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ.
I hope always to live out that prophetic
role in whatever capacity I am serving
– be it as a priest or bishop – and to
approach it in a loving, pastoral way
that honors the uniqueness of God’s
particular child before me.

My father is one of my spiritual heroes.
Raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains
during the Great Depression, he knew
real hardship. My dad was not able
to go to high school because he was
needed at home to work in the family
sawmill. I have always wondered what
he would have been able to do in this
world if he had had more of a formal
education, because he is innately wise.

Icons are powerful spiritual
symbols that open a window to the
Divine. My father’s Bible is such an
icon for me. To say his reference Bible
is worn would be an understatement.
The edges of many of the pages are
simply worn away. Pieces are missing,
particularly in some of the Epistles
where Paul speaks of grace and
forgiveness. Many spots are stained
from the oil of his fingers. And yet my
dad is humble about his faith. His is a
witness of what loving and living the
Scriptures looks like.

I give thanks for that kind of
grounding in the faith. It has served me
well in every setting. I am humbled and
inspired by it, and I am more grateful
than I can say.

I experience the vow where we strive
to “respect the dignity of every human
being” as a profound relief, because
it reminds us that loving is far deeper
than liking. Loving does not mean that
we have to like everyone – certainly
not equally, which is impossible. I can
imagine, with God’s help, trying to
respect another’s dignity. With God’s
help, we can do this!

I believe that every person we
meet is made in God’s image. Whether
Christian or not, believer or not,
rich or poor, of any race, married or
single, young or old, gay or straight, of
whatever socio-economic level, every
child of God has claim on our respect.

Like most of us, I do not always live
up to this standard, but I thank God for
this signpost and for the invitation to
repent when I fall short.

A

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Spring 2012 / VIRGINIA EPISCOPALIAN

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