About The Rev. Frank Young
Home | Links for Spiritual Nurture and Refreshment | This Week at STEM | Sermons by Fr. Frank | The Rev. Frank Young | Contact Us | St. Mary's, Childersburg | St. Andrew's, Sylacauga | Trinity, Alpine | The Current STEM Calendar and STEM Council summaries
South Talladega Episcopal Ministry

The Rev. Frank Young became rector of all three parishes in STEM on September 1, 1998. He followed two previous full time rectors in this cluster, the Rev. Grady Barbour (a seminary classmate) who served from 1994 to 1998, and the Rev. William Asger who was the first STEM rector from 1991 to 1994.

Prior to 1991, the parishes in STEM were arranged in various configurations, sometimes St. Mary's and St. Andrew's shared a rector and sometimes they were independent. Trinity was aligned for a long time with St. Peter's in Talladega. In those many years, many fine clergy have served the people and communities here. Perhaps most memorable among those was the Rt. Rev. Furman (Bill) Stough, who began his ministry here in the 1950's. He went on to become Bishop of Alabama and the rectory (the house in which the priest lives) is named in his memory.

me.jpg


Hello, I find myself rewriting this on the 30th anniversary of my ordination as a priest. Somewhere I read that you can tell a lot about a person by asking him/her, "What are the defining moments of your life?" Here are my Top 10:

1. My personal encounter with the Living Lord Jesus Christ. This relationship has been growing since a wonderful night in 1972, when Jesus became real for me in a way that changed my life. It is a great joy in my life to start each morning with at least an hour of prayer, Scripture and meditation to deeper this relationship with my Lord and my God.

2. The birth of our children. I even got to help deliver number three. My wife and I have been married 33 years and our three children are now all grown and on their own.

3. Standing on the Mount of Olives on New Year's morning and watching the sun rise over Jerusalem. Indeed the entire pilgrimmage to Israel was transformational for me.

4. The experience of praying for a woman who the hospital staff said was dead and who "came back to life"... I can't explain it, I just saw it happen.

5. Making a pilgrimmage to England to trace the steps of St. Dunstan on the 1000th anniversary of his death. Ending that journey at the high altar at Canterbury with the Archbishop of Canterbury celebrating the Eucharist for us.

6. Celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary with a renewal of wedding vows at church. The priest who officiated at our wedding also moved to Alabama and was present for the renewal. It was wonderful to share that special event with our family and our church community.

7. Being called to active duty for Desert Storm. I learned a lot about myself in that experience. It truly changed me -- for the better.

8. Working for ten years to create the new Diocese of Eastern Michigan. I was there from co-authoring the first resolution to being on the executive committee of Diocesan Council that oversaw the final birth. I was elected as a deputy to the 1994 General Convention and thus able to cast my vote to create a new Diocese.

9. Being selected as Eagle Scout of the year for Los Angeles. Part of this privilege was to share the podium with Gen. Jimmy Dolittle at the annual Eagle Scout Banquet.

10. Whatever God has planned for me yet to come. I know that in God...the best is yet to come!

My experience in ordained ministry prior to coming to STEM in September of 1998:

Grace Church, Bremo Bluff, Virginia from 1974 to 1977

St. John's, Holly, Michigan from 1977 to 1985

St. Dunstan's, Davison, Michigan from 1985 to 1991

St. Paul's, Flint, Michigan from 1991 to 1994

Grace Church, Cullman, Alabama from 1994 to 1998.

My education and training include:

+ Four years at UCLA (1966 - 1970) with a major in psychology / mathematics. In college, I was on the intercollegiate debating team, president of both military honorary societies and the Executive Secretary of the UCLA fraternity system.

+ Four years at the Virginia Theological Seminary (1970 --1974). I spent an extra year during which I worked on the staff of the Diocese of Virginia as a reporter for the Diocesan Newspaper covering Church/state issues and the State Assembly in particular.

+ 28 years in the U.S. Army Reserve (1970 -- 1998). I was commissioned in the US Army in 1970, and became a chaplain in the US Army Reserve in 1976. During my reserve career, I was mobilized for Operation Desert Storm, serving at Ft. Benning, GA. I retired from the active reserve in 1998 as a Lt. Colonel.

+ I have completed the two year training program in Church Growth from the Institute for American Church Growth in 1983. Following that, a fellow priest and I, developed and managed a three year consulting and training process for 13 churches in the Diocese of Michigan seeking intentional growth.

+ I have completed the LEAD LAB Level II Training in the LISTENING: CALLING AND CARING program developed by Dr. John Savage. I was able to develop this training into a course that I taught for six years through the Diocesan School of Theology for both lay persons and those studying for ordination.

+ I have continued by interest in parish development issues and completed the two year program at our seminary at Sewanee Tennessee.

SPIRITUALITY AND RENEWAL<BR>
+ I am a lifelong Episcopalian, as is my wife. We both deeply love the rich traditions, deep spirituality, wonderful worship and intellectual inquistiveness that this branch of Christ's family affords us.

+ I made my Cursillo in 1980 at the Detroit Ecumenical Cursillo. I have served on Diocesan Secretariat and been head spiritual director of two weekends. I have also been a co-director on a Happening weekend (for teens), a Kairos weekend (for those in prison) and an Emmaus Walk (the Methodist equivalent of Cursillo).. I remain active in Cursillo and practice the fourth day discipline daily.

+ I have been blessed to be asked to serve the Order of the Daugthers of the King in the Diocese of Alabama as their Chaplain. I am very committed to DOK and have worked closely with them in my last four parishes.

+ I am the Alabama state chaplain in the Order of St. Luke the Physician, an interdenominational healing order of ministry. I also serve as chaplain to our STEM OSL chapter and I continue to teach, preach and conduct healing services.

+ I love Bible study and I love to teach Bible study. Over the years, I have been trained on a number of different Bible study / adult study programs. I am trained, qualified and experienced with Serendity Bible Study, Kerygma Bible Study and with DOCC (Disciples of Christ in Community) . I am very pleased to have been asked by Sewanee to serve to co-author one of the advanced DOCC courses.