This January, the Saint Stephen’s community welcomed Reverend Rich Clark (“Rev Rich”) as the new Saint Stephen’s chaplain. He began his new position at the beginning of the second semester.  Clark has already made an impact on campus with his cool, genuine personality.  He’s been seen sitting with different crews at lunch tables and has been spotted at late-evening athletic events, where even parents hard to find.  Rev. Rich: We’re glad you’re here.

One of Mr. Clark’s first initiatives in the chapel is to begin every day with a few minutes of silence. The chapel is an important time of the week for the upper school, and students should be given the chance to relax and reflect upon themselves. The chapel also incorporates significant life lessons that students can use in daily life.

Reverend Rich will be filling the large role that Father Nathan left behind when he left Saint Stephen’s last year.  Father Nathan now works at a school in Palmetto, but the positive impact he left on Saint Stephen’s students and our school will last forever.

Recently, I sat down with Reverend Rich for a quick Q&A. This being his first week on the job, I was interested in his first impressions of Saint Stephen’s and our community.

Q: Do you plan to introduce any new activities? If so what are they?

A: Two weeks in I have been listening and learning about what people want. What new activities do you want that is first of all relevant, and secondly good for the students. All of the students are becoming young adults and leaders, and I want to know what you guys would like to see. I am coming up with ideas, I’m just not sure what exactly yet. And I would like to hear ideas from the students as well because this is your chapel.

Q: How do you envision chapel?

A: It’s very different from chapel at the University of Florida because that was a dedicated chapel from the bishop. It was a bishop’s mission and the chapel would have all the lessons, and music every Sunday.  So chapel at the university at a dedicated time on Sunday is very different to chapel here during school and throughout the week. And at Saint Stephen’s, we have the different divisions, Upper School, Middle School, Intermediate, and Lower. And you all have different experiences at chapel depending on your grade level. But I would like chapel to always start quiet and come in silently.

Q: Is there a quote or saying that you live by?

A: A quote hung in my bathroom as I was growing up.  It says [comically, I’d say] “Who we are is God’s gift to us. Who we become is our gift to God.” And I would say we are always in the role of becoming. We are becoming. When we orient who we are becoming with God, it sort of unfolds wider and wider.

Q: What did you previously do before coming to Saint Stephen’s?

A: I was the chaplain at the University of Florida, and it served students at the University of Florida and Santa Fe college, and I was there for six and a half years.  I was also the clergy member for youth in young adult ministry for the diocese of Florida. And prior to that I was the clergy member for youth an young adult ministry in Louisiana.

Q: Who has been the most inspirational person in your life?

A: When I was growing up, I had a lot of peers who were very dedicated to what they were doing, very focused. They would want to study and want to learn, and I would want to do something different. They would sort of help me, and they were inspirational. My parents were very loving they taught me to make decisions for myself and were very supportive. My sister is only eighteen months younger then I am, and she is someone I can really model after. With her achievements and her presence and who she is. I honestly take from a lot of people.

Q: What are you doing when you feel most like yourself?

A: The last two weeks walking around Saint Stephen’s, I have felt more like myself then I have in quite a while. When I came to Saint Stephen’s, I immediately felt the warmth of the community.  I love how there are so many people, and all day I’m surrounded by students and faculty. And so many people around brings out my outgoing, extroverted Rich comes out.  Whereas when I’m doing solitary work in the chapel, only a couple of students come sporadically, so I have a lot of time to myself. I think I’m more like myself when I’m around a lot of people.

Q: How do you think chapel can influence students’ outside lives?

A: I want chapel to be something that is thoughtful and relevant, so it’s influential. And maybe influential in that when one leaves chapel and it helps them get through the day. On the weekend, they look forward to chapel again and just reflect on that. I know that not everyone goes to a place of worship on Sunday, and for some people, chapel is that time of the week for them. Just to have that orientation towards God instead of being so inward-looking, egocentric, or self-centered. And we all have that, but when we start to try and make others’ days better and make it a time where students can reflect… I want it to be a good place for students.

Rev. Rich is excited to meet new students and get to know the community. He feels like Saint Stephen’s is a good fit for him, and has new and interesting ideas for chapel.

Students have seen Rev. Rich a lot around the school, and he has been out to several student sporting events like soccer and basketball games.  Saint Stephen’s is excited to see how chapel grows and changes in the years to come with our new Reverend Rich.