The oldest church in Norristown, St. John’s Episcopal Church, installed the Rev. Scott Albergate as just the 20th rector in the history of the church on the eve of its bicentennial.
Albergate, who was first a bankruptcy lawyer before being called to his current role in the church, comes to St. John’s after previously serving parishes in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and, most recently, New Orleans, where he was called to serve in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, serving first in the Diocesan Offices of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana before being called to the parish of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
“We found him in our search,” explained Carmen Branco, who was the head of the search committee for the church and actually went down to New Orleans to interview Albergate. “He seemed to fit with what we were looking for more so than any of the other candidates and we look forward to a long tenure.”
Now a small church – ASA 55+, baptized 125, plate and pledge $100K. Town has 34K prople, median family income about 40K, bedroom community to Philadelphia with passenger rail to city. A challenge.
The article says nothing at all about what the new priest believes, nor about what the congregation believes.
Forgive me, but perhaps he can combine his two areas of training and give and sermon on theological bankruptcy. Too rich to pass up.