The Diocese of East Tennessee is excited to announce two new calls this week. The Rev. Dr. Rebecca Bridges has accepted a call to serve as the priest-in-charge at Church of the Resurrection, Loudon. Rev. Bridges, while currently living in Canada, has lived most of her life in the Southeast United States. The Rev. Ragan Schriver, PsyD, recently received from the Roman Catholic Church, has accepted a call to serve as the Vicar of St. Luke’s, Knoxville. Below are two short introductions. Congratulations and welcome to the East Tennessee Episcopal community, Rev. Dr. Bridges and Rev. Schriver, PsyD.
The Rev. Dr. Rebecca Bridges
The Rev. Dr. Rebecca Bridges will be the new priest-in-charge of Resurrection, Loudon, beginning in May. Previously, she served as incumbent of St. Aidan’s, Toronto; associate rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Vestavia Hills, Alabama; and curate of St. Thomas, College Station, Diocese of Texas.Becky attended the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas, where she graduated with her MDiv in 2019, and was ordained a deacon and priest that same year. Prior to attending seminary, she was associate professor of Communication and Media Studies at Stetson University in Florida. She also holds degrees in English from Stetson (BA) and Clemson (MA) and Texas A&M (PhD in communication, specializing in rhetoric and public discourse).
The Rev. Ragan Schriver, PsyD
Fr. Ragan Schriver, MSW, PsyD, a priest whose ordination in the Roman Catholic tradition was recently received into the Episcopal Church, is the Director of the Master of Science in Social Work Program and a Clinical Professor in the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. He teaches clinical as well as organizational management courses in the program as well as overseeing the operations and curriculum. Ragan has experience in clinical social work as a therapist at an inpatient treatment hospital, an alternative sentencing program, and an outpatient setting. He previously served as the Executive Director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee. He serves on the Volunteer Ministry Center board as well as serving as the Vice President of the CAC board. In addition to his social work education, Ragan earned his MDiv and an MA in Hebrew Scriptures from Kenrick School of Theology in St. Louis MO. Running, tennis, and hiking are his favorite activities outside of ministry and teaching. He and his husband of one year, Jeff Vomund, live in Knoxville.