Meet Sutton Lowe

We are excited to welcome another new member to our staff! Sutton Lowe is joining us on August 28 as our new minister for young adult engagement. Last summer, Sutton was one of our inaugural Summer Seminarian Fellows.

To help us get to know him, we asked Sutton to share a little about himself.

What called you to ministry?

I kind of felt the first inklings of a call when I was in middle school. I had a youth group mentor who made me excited about the Bible and my faith. I began to pray at that time, “How do you want to use my life, God?” Through the years of praying that, I began to feel a passion for the Church and for ministry. I felt this as an inclination of the Spirit and began pursuing a life of ministry. I went to Baylor and then to Duke, and now it's led me here.

We had the honor of getting to know you as part of our inaugural class of Summer Seminarian Fellows last year. How has your ministry grown since we last saw you?

I finished divinity school, which I'm grateful for and really glad to be done. I'm very thankful for everything I learned. I was able to be in two ministry positions over the last year. I worked for a little Episcopal Church in North Carolina. I got to work with a very diverse group of people in North Raleigh, which was wonderful. And then over the summer, I did my CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) which meant I was a hospital chaplain for the summer. That was really hard and really emotional, but I learned a lot about myself, a lot about people, and a lot about the hospital system.

What do you think the church can uniquely offer young adults in today’s world?

I think everybody is looking for a foundation, meaning, or purpose. There is this longing for something to stand upon. I think the church offers a way to stand upon reality. I believe that in the Church we carry the message that the deepest reality of your life is that you are loved by a God that will stop at nothing to bring you into his love. That changes our lives and it changes the world. I think that's a foundation worth standing upon.

What are you most excited about in returning to St. John the Divine?

The people! That summer was amazing. When my wife, Marley, and I both got here, it was Pentecost Sunday. We were both in tears because the worship of this vibrant community was just so beautiful. People were excited to see us, and we are so glad to be back and be able to invest our lives in this church.