The Rev. Charles Lane Cowen began serving at St. Andrew's in July of 2023 having previously served a bilingual, multicultural parish in Wilmington, DE. He received an M.Div. from the Seminary of the Southwest in his home state of Texas in 2018 and was ordained in the Diocese of Rhode Island. Prior to ordination, Charles spent a decade working as a professional actor, director, puppet builder, storyteller, and musician in regional theatres across the country. Bringing his love of storytelling into his ministry, Charles has a passion for studying the Holy Scriptures and bringing their rich narratives and lessons into our daily lives.
Living into his belief that our worship transforms us and empowers us to live our faith in the world, Charles has volunteered extensively with organizations that work to end suicide. He has presented at conferences on Queer Theology and Suicide Prevention and firmly believes that every human being is made in the image of God and deserving of love and respect. He is proud that St. Andrew's has a long history of welcoming rich and poor, native and immigrant, straight and queer, and everything in between.
Charles and his husband Mitchell love exploring nature and attending arts events. When not at church he can be found running, cooking, listening to Dolly Parton, and watching Star Wars.
Contact Charles at ccowen@standrewsnorfolk.org
