So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

- Ephesians 4:11-14

Beloved in Christ,

After a nationwide search over the last 12 months, I am thrilled to announce that the Rev. Cameron Nations has accepted the call to be the seventh Dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

Cameron currently serves as the Canon for Vocations for The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. 

Prior to this role, he spent a decade in parish ministry, including four years as rector of St. Richard’s Episcopal Church in Round Rock, Texas.

As you’ll see in his bio below, Cameron has a breadth and depth of experience at both the congregational and diocesan levels that will be an asset to Trinity. He has a deep understanding of the complicated systems associated with a large church. He has proven himself as an adept administrator, a caring pastoral leader, and a creative visionary in his career.

I was able to share the news with our clergy before Sub-Dean Jimmy Hartley left for his trip to Italy, and it was a welcome announcement for them. 

The discernment process — for both Cameron and the vestry — was undeniably directed by the Holy Spirit. And now we join together in gratitude for the ways in which Christ has been at the center of this process, and will continue to be at the heart of our work together to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Columbia in ways that are relevant, hopeful, and transformative for our members and our community.

As we prepare to welcome Cameron, his wife Carly and their two daughters, I would like to offer special thanks to the clergy and staff for their faithful work in the interim. Jimmy, Mia and Rocky — and their families — have made tremendous sacrifices in service of our community as they met all the liturgical, pastoral and administrative needs of the parish over the past year. 

I am equally grateful to the staff for all the ways they stepped up to lead, care for each other and accomplish great things this year despite the challenges of a leadership transition.

Cameron will celebrate his first liturgies as dean on Sunday, August 9. We are also planning several events where parishioners will be able to meet the Nations family as they settle into their new roles and new home in Columbia. We will share those details as they are confirmed.

With gladness and gratitude,

Bill Matthews

Senior Warden

The Rev. Cameron Nations currently serves as the Canon for Vocations with the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. In this role, he identifies, recruits and equips church leaders - both lay and ordained - for service to the church. This includes overseeing the ordination process, developing lay ministry pathways, working with congregations on strategic plans, and providing spiritual support and formation to clergy. He also serves as the vicar of a growing church plant in west Birmingham, Ala. 

Prior to his diocesan role, the Rev. Nations served as rector of a mid-sized church in Texas (with a school) that was on the brink of insolvency after the Covid-19 pandemic. He overhauled the parish’s internal systems and led a strategic planning initiative that resulted in annual cost savings, efficiencies and — most importantly — an increase in baptisms, confirmations and receptions of new members.

He has also served as associate rector at churches in Birmingham, Ala. and Winter Park, Fla., and as the chaplain at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. He has been published in both religious and secular publications, including The Living Church, The Washington Post, Huffington Post and Relevant magazine. He has offered public speaking engagements, workshops and retreats, and served on many community and church-affiliated committees. 

“I love both the pastoral and administrative sides of ministry, seeing them as inseparable for aligning the church’s vision to be the people of God with its mission to serve the Kingdom of God,” he wrote in his application portfolio. “My priesthood has always been and continues to be defined by a commitment to discipleship and the development of Christian leaders who share a deep heart for the Gospel and the salvific spiritual transformation that comes to us through the love of Jesus Christ.”

The Rev. Nations was born in Mississippi, but grew up in Tennessee. He and his wife Carly were high school sweethearts who both attended college in Illinois – he at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English, and she at Northwestern University, where she double-majored in English and history.

From there, they attended Sewanee: The University of the South, where Cameron received a master's of divinity and Carly received a master's in literature. Carly then taught 9th and 10th grade English for six years before pursuing her Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Texas, Austin. She is currently in the dissertation phase. Likewise, Cameron is currently pursuing a doctor of ministry degree in preaching from Sewanee. 

While they’ve been teaching, preaching and studying, Cameron and Carly have also been busy raising a family. They have two daughters — Cece, who will turn 5 in July, and Clara, who is six months old. They also have a dog (Rupert) and a cat (Mable).

Cameron loves to read and write, often in pursuit of learning something new. He plays guitar and is re-learning piano. He enjoys cooking, and sharing the fruits of that labor with others. He’s a devotee of crime dramas, travel shows (especially those that center on culinary discoveries) and the Netflix show Stranger Things. And he’s a fan of an eclectic range of musical genres, from classical to folk to EDM and everything in between. 

While most of his pursuits can be enjoyed from the safety of home and church, and he claims to be a risk-averse person, Cameron does enjoy taking his motorcycle out for a ride. 

The Nations family looks forward to moving to Columbia and getting to know the community in the coming weeks.

“Sitting at the intersection of the city, the capitol, and the campus of the University of South Carolina, Trinity lies at the heart of the city, the state, and the diocese. This unique position is more than just geographical or symbolic — I believe it’s a key to understanding the kind of mission and ministry God is calling us to in this next chapter together,” the dean-elect said. “Throughout the discernment process, these questions about public witness and reaching new generations for Christ compelled me and Carly to continue in conversation with the search committee and vestry, but ultimately it was the warmth and hospitality we experienced with the people we encountered that cemented our sense of call. 

We are so excited to be joining you at Trinity and to raise our family in Columbia. I can’t wait to be with you in early August!”