Moving South to North... St. Matthew’s Lapeer, MI calls new rector

The Inaugural Celebration of the Holy Eucharist for the new Anglican Mission of Lapeer County was held in the St. Louise Chapel of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church in Metamora, Michigan on the feast of the Holy Name, Saturday, January 1, 2005.

Liturgy began at noon with 85 people in attendance. Many of these people had left Grace Episcopal Church to begin a new biblically based church and soon affiliated with the Anglican Diocese of Bolivia.

The office of the church was first run from the dining room table of Rev. Steve Dewey the parish’s’ rector with his Administrative Assistant Kim Thompson. February 2005 the Ministry Center for St. Matthew’s was opened at 66 N. Saginaw and in 2008 moved to its current home at 1009 N. Saginaw in a beautiful and historic church building.

St. Matthew’s beloved founding rector Fr. Dewey passed away in 2006. Steve’s passing was a real blow to the new congregation, but they knew that God would take them forward. In 2007 the congregation called Rev. Jack Irvin and soon after joined the AMiA. Rev. Irvin built on Rev. Dewey’s strong foundation and nurtured the congregation during a very critical period. Irvin finished his ministry in 2009 and the search for a new rector began. Recently that search concluded with a call to the Rev. David Hudspeth, and the congregation couldn’t be happier.

David (45) and his wife Elizabeth are residents of Bessemer, AL, a suburb of Birmingham where they have lived for several years. But David is a well-traveled fellow. He was born in TN and has lived in SC, IL, LA, TX, TN, MS, AL, and S. Korea. Rev. Hudspeth is an MDiv graduate of Beeson Divinity School having completed his undergraduate work at the University of Oklahoma. He will be ordained to the priesthood this May 15th in Destin, FL by AMiA Bishop John Miller before the couple move to Michigan. Elizabeth is Labor and Delivery nurse and hopes to find work in Lapeer. On a recent visit, Elizabeth had an opportunity to visit local hospitals and was encouraged about the possibility of continuing in her profession after the move.

A career military man, David served in the USAF specializing in jet engine technology, rising to instructor status and overseeing some of the most critical areas of flight operations. David said he chose the AF because unlike other service branches, the AF allowed personnel to make a home in one area of the country. How does he feel about leaving the Deep South and heading up to…snow? “Well,” he says, “I’ve been through snow before when I was in Illinois. I think we’ll be fine.” 

We shall see!

David and Elizabeth were married in 2003 and have two wonderful boys. Aaron is 5 years old and Jonah is 2. Elizabeth says that Jonah is a bit young to understand that there is a big move just ahead, but on a recent trip to Lapeer, Aaron was convinced and happy to announce to his parents that Lapeer was his new home. That’s certainly a sentiment shared by David and Elizabeth. The church seems to them to be a “Perfect fit”, says David. “When we looked at what we felt the Lord was calling us to do, and what the parish was saying it was called to do, we knew it was the right decision.”

The fact is, Elizabeth was first to feel God leading them to apply to Lapeer. But at the time of their application, another pastor had just been called. Needless to say, the Hudspeth’s were disappointed to have missed the opportunity to interview in Lapeer. Then, and I say providentially, that candidate took another parish and the position at Lapeer became available again. After a few visits north by the Alabamans, a call to St. Matthew’s was the happy result.

For the Hudspeth’s it’s all about serving God in the community. David considers his greatest strength the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry. An active, community-focused parish, the congregation at St. Matthews is very excited to have a leader like David coming to town. David will be blessed to work with Deacon Colleen Dewey who has shouldered much of the pastoral work for the congregation while the search for a rector was underway. St. Matthew’s is also grateful that God allowed Rev. David Kulchar (New Wine, Flint) to have time in his schedule to serve the parish over this past year. David and Colleen have kept the church moving forward and growing in Christ with great love and compassion.

Rev. Hudspeth will be the parish’s third rector and is scheduled to arrive with his family in Lapeer perhaps as early as July. I know you will join me in welcoming the Hudspeth’s to Lapeer and St. Matthews. May God bless them and the parish family they have been called to serve.

+D

You can read more about St. Matthews at http://www.stmatthewslapeer.org

If you’d like to welcome the Hudspeth’s to the The Heart of North America, send them an email at dhudspeth@bham.rr.com

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