The Rev. Canon Rebekah Bokros Hatch has accepted the invitation from the Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, Bishop Diocesan, to serve as the half-time Interim Dean of Formation in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. She will begin Sept. 8.
Rebekah will resume the work of the Rev. Marcus Halley, who resigned this past June to accept the appointment of College Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life at Trinity College. Rebekah will aid in providing resources for the lifelong Christian formation of all in ECCT. She will also partner with the Commission on Ministry to shepherd and support those in the ordination process who are preparing to serve the Church and the world as deacons and priests.
“I'm excited about joining Bishop Douglas and Bishop Ahrens; and the ECCT staff in this endeavor, which seems to be a wonderful complement to the work I'll continue at St. Alban's, Simsbury, and with the Small Churches Big Impact Collective,” said Rebekah. “The varied work I've had the opportunity to do in The Episcopal Church is intersecting in what I imagine will be innovative ways with this position. Formation and discernment sit at the heart of who we all are as disciples of Jesus, and I'm looking forward to joining siblings across ECCT in this holy work.”
Rebekah graduated from Salem College in Winston-Salem, NC with a Bachelor’s in Comparative Religion and a minor in Women’s Studies, and from Virginia Theological Seminary with a Master’s in Divinity. She previously served in parishes and schools in the dioceses of Maryland, Atlanta, and now in Connecticut. Rebekah’s work in parishes has largely centered around formation, outreach and pastoral care. Her school experience includes building a Religious Studies and Chapel program at a growing Episcopal school. Rebekah currently serves as half-time Rector of St. Alban’s, Simsbury, a role she will continue to fill. She is an active community member, chairing a committee for the town-appointed Simsbury SPIRIT Council tasked with advancing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion across Simsbury. Rebekah also serves as Honorary Seabury Canon at St. Andrew's Cathedral in our sister diocese, The Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney, in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Rebekah has also led the way in a new project funded by Austin Presbyterian Seminary called the Small Churches Big Impact Collective. The Collective seeks to validate and harvest the wisdom that leaders of small churches bring to their work. This project was birthed from her own work gathering women clergy serving in small churches, often solo and part-time, for bimonthly conversation.
Rebekah and her family moved to Connecticut from Atlanta in 2015. While she admits she often misses the dogwoods and sweet tea of her southern roots, she and her family have found much to appreciate in New England. She is an accomplished musician and spends her spare time playing piano. She also enjoys reading great fiction and loves a good British crime drama.
“I am so pleased that Rebekah has accepted my invitation to serve as Interim Dean of Formation for ECCT. Her diverse experience in raising up and supporting lay and ordained leaders, especially in small churches, makes her the perfect person to continue the good work we in ECCT have been pursuing in Christian formation.” said the Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, Bishop Diocesan. “Rebekah’s leadership of ECCT’s Recently Ordained Clergy (ROC) program over the past few years has demonstrated her commitment to training and supporting clergy for this new missional age.”
Rebekah’s contact information (after Sept. 8)
203-639-3501 ext. 126
