After yearlong search, The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach names new rector
There soon will be a new face behind the lectern at The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea.
The historic church recently announced the Rev. Tim Schenck will lead the 133-year-old church as its new rector following a yearlong search by a committee of eight Bethesda-by-the-Sea members.
“I really can’t wait to see what God has in store for Bethesda and for our ministry together in the days, months and years ahead,” Schenck said in an interview Wednesday. “We are feeling incredibly grateful.”
He replaces the Rev. James Harlan, who left in June 2021 to become canon evangelist for the Diocese of Southern Virginia.
More: Bethesda-by-the-Sea rector leaving after 10 years for the Diocese of Southern Virginia
Schenck takes the helm of the oldest Protestant church in South Florida and the first built in Palm Beach County, in late November.
The church on the evening of Nov. 13 will have a service of institution, installing Schenck as the new rector, conducted by Bishop Peter Eaton of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida. His first Sunday as rector will be the following week, Nov. 20.
He and his wife, Bryna Rogers, will move into the rectory later this month.
Schenck hails from Maryland and New York. He has a bachelor’s in political science from Tufts University, where he was in the Army ROTC. He served in the Army Reserve while working for political campaigns before he felt called to pursue his master’s degree in divinity from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Illinois, he said.
He currently serves as rector of the Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist on Boston’s South Shore. In addition to his work behind the lectern, Schenck has written five books and is active on social media.
For Schenck, his move to Palm Beach has been all about God’s timing, he said.
Before he was a candidate in the search for a new rector, Schenck heard about Bethesda-by-the-Sea through the Episcopal grapevine, as well as from some of his Massachusetts parishioners who visited the church while in South Florida.
“They were just so excited about this welcoming, inviting church,” he said.
Later, one of Schenck’s friends who consults and speaks at churches across the country visited Bethesda-by-the-Sea and told Schenck about the church’s rector search.
“He said, ‘Tim, I’m not sure if you’re looking for a new place, but I just really get a sense that you could do some really great ministry here,’” Schenck said. At the time, he wasn’t in a position to apply. He thanked his friend and turned back to his work in Massachusetts.
Things were different, however, when Bethesda-by-the-Sea’s rector search committee reopened the search, something Schenck said was “a very courageous, bold, faithful move.” He put his name into the running, and the rest is history.
“You talk about a call when it comes to ministerial positions, and this is one of the stories that to me, it absolutely feels like a call,” he said.
Schenck is no stranger to historic churches. His first job out of seminary was as curate at Old St. Paul’s in Baltimore, a church that was founded in 1692.
“The thing about historic churches, is that a church can never be a museum,” he said. “It has to be a vibrant living community.”
He sees that community at Bethesda-by-the-Sea, he said.
The church he now will lead is known for its diverse membership, with about half of Bethesda-by-the-Sea’s members living outside Palm Beach. With its location in the heart of the island, the church has played host to celebrity weddings and funerals, and is known for being one of the churches visited by former President Donald Trump during his trips to his Mar-a-Lago Club while in office.
“Everybody, regardless of who they are or their socioeconomic status or their status in life, everybody needs a relationship with God,” Schenck said. “That is something that’s universal, no matter what content you’re serving, whether it’s a big suburban parish or an inner city parish.”
Schenck said he and Rogers were “surrounded by boxes, with more boxes to be surrounded by” at their Massachusetts home on Wednesday as they prepare for their move to Florida. Schenck’s final Sunday at his current post is Oct. 16, and the moving truck arrives the following day.
“We’ve been on the South Shore of Boston for 14 years,” he said. “It felt pretty good to hand over our snow shovels to our boys, who are staying up here.”
While the couple’s two sons – Benedict and Zachary, both in their early 20s – plan to remain in New England, Schenck and Rogers will be accompanied to the Bethesda-by-the-Sea rectory by their rescue dogs, a pair of small mixes named Cooper and Daisy Duke.
Schenck said he is excited for the opportunity presented to him by the vibrant church community at Bethesda-by-the-Sea.
“I really feel as if a church must have one foot firmly planted in the four walls of the church, to be there and present,” he said. “We also have to have one foot outside in the community doing good works and inviting people to encounter God in powerful ways. For me, it’s not rocket science, but it’s that whole sense of loving God and loving neighbor.
“That to me is what this is all about.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach names new rector
