[Calvary Episcopal Church press release] Calvary Episcopal Church has announced the Rev. J. Scott Walters as its new rector. Walters was selected for his pastoral and personable leadership style, as well as his passion for liturgy and urban ministry. His first Sunday at Calvary will be July 9, 2017.

Walters is currently the rector at Christ Episcopal Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he oversees innovative liturgy and projects, such as “Bus Stations of the Cross” and the Green Groceries Program, which keeps Christ Church’s doors open all week long.

A native of Arkansas, Walters received his bachelor’s degree in English from John Brown University. In addition, he earned his Master of Divinity degree from the Virginia Theological Seminary.

“We are very excited to welcome Scott Walters to Calvary,” said Fred Piper, senior warden at Calvary. “I cannot improve on Scott’s own words when asked to describe himself: ‘I am a priest who loves to invite all sorts of people—the strange, the familiar and the lost—to Jesus’s table and preach the reorienting power of grace in our common life.’”

Walters is a guitarist, cyclist, master carpenter and lover of the outdoors. He is married to Ardelle, and they have two children attending college.

Calvary Episcopal Church is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee and The Episcopal Church, a province of the Anglican Communion. Founded in 1832, Calvary today is a vibrant parish that comprises more than 1000 baptized members. Although a growing number reside in downtown Memphis, parishioners come from all across the Mid-South. For more information about Calvary, visit calvarymemphis.org or call 901-525-6602.