From Pastor Carri:
Following a competitive national search, Head of School Jenn Tolbert and I are thrilled to announce that Galvin Brewington-Mathis will serve as Saint Mark’s next school Chaplain and Ministry Associate. A lay minister with rich experience working and worshiping in other Christian denominations, Galvin comes to us excited to serve in an Episcopal community. His breadth of ministry experience in both church and school settings will be a gift to us all.
With the help of representative committees from the church and school, the feedback consistently identified Galvin as our top candidate from the beginning. His training, experience, commitment to social service and justice, capacity for listening and collaborating, and his integrity make him a perfect fit for this position and our community. Galvin’s references from former supervisors and employers further confirmed our sense of his gifts and character.
The church and school will work together to facilitate a smooth transition. On the church side of things, Galvin will join Lisa Sylvester, Mike Mischler, and me in providing leadership for our programs, worship, and pastoral care. With Mike’s ordination in the not-too-distant future, and with additional support from Saint Mark’s members The Rev. Joseph Lane and soon-to-be-deacon Paula Walker, we are richly blessed with a wonderful group of ministers to tend to our congregation’s sacramental and pastoral needs. Galvin will come aboard this Wednesday, August 16th, and join us at all three worship services this Sunday, August 20th. I look forward to joining you in extending a warm welcome to Galvin at church on Sunday!
Faithfully,
Carri+
From Galvin Brewington-Mathis:
I am excited to be joining the Saint Mark’s community as your Chaplain and Ministry Associate. I am from South Central Los Angeles and grew up in the Black Pentecostal tradition, which is where I discovered my call to pastoral ministry. Throughout the last decade, I served as a Campus Minister with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, a worship team musician at three non-denominational churches, a hybrid-pastoral fellow during the COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently, as a hospital chaplain. I graduated from UC Berkeley in 2014 with a B.A. in Legal Studies and a minor in Theatre. I recently graduated from Union Theological Seminary in 2022 with a Master of Divinity in Preaching, Arts, and Worship. As a minister, I enjoy providing spiritual care that is Christ-centered, embodied, compassionate, and justice-oriented.
During my MDiv program, I co-chaired the Black Caucus and implemented DEI training for faculty and staff at Union Theological Seminary (UTS). Additionally, I collaborated with The Very Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas and the Episcopal Divinity School at UTS in leading worship and reflections for pilgrimages in Alabama and at the border of El Paso, TX and Juárez, Mexico around faith, justice, and identity.
Another aspect of ministry that I deeply enjoy is providing spiritual care that incorporates the performing arts for youth and adults. I served as a Volunteer Theater Director, a teacher at Oakland Freedom School, and an Extended Care Program Leader at a charter school in Oakland. In each role, I enjoyed helping students express themselves and grow in their personal development. As a pastoral fellow, I developed a monthly online gathering during the pandemic called Writers’ In Process to provide creative-oriented spiritual care to congregants and community members around the Psalms and processing emotions via writing. Outside of my ministry life, I enjoy reading a book with a good cup of coffee, spending time with my wife Tyler (who is also a chaplain), drumming, and cooking. I am looking forward to getting to know you all more as I begin this new journey.
