The Rev. Amy Ebeling McCreath has been appointed by Bishop Alan M. Gates as the new dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston. The Cathedral Chapter approved the appointment at its Feb. 27 meeting.
McCreath will be the ninth dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, succeeding former dean Jep Streit who retired
Courtesy photo
The Rev. Amy Ebeling McCreath
last February after a 21-year tenure. McCreath is the first woman to serve as cathedral dean in the Diocese of Massachusetts. She begins in her new position on Sunday, April 22.
"I am thrilled that the Rev. Amy McCreath has accepted my invitation to serve as dean at our cathedral, and that the Cathedral Chapter has so enthusiastically endorsed this nomination. Amy has exceptional gifts as a leader, with a demonstrated capacity to reimagine congregational identity, build partnerships in the wider community, draw others into shared ministry and navigate institutional systems with the personal heart of a pastor. She is already regarded with esteem by colleagues throughout our diocese. We look forward to welcoming her in this vital role," Gates said.
McCreath is the rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Watertown, where she has served for eight years. She was named dean of the Alewife Deanery last year. Prior to her call to Watertown, McCreath served for nine years as co-chaplain of the Lutheran Episcopal Ministry at MIT in Cambridge and was coordinator of the Technology and Culture Forum there.
"I am honored to be called to serve as dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul and look forward to working with the bishops, the staff and all those serving at and served by the cathedral to amplify the mission of the diocese. At this time of deep moral and political strain in the life of our nation and uncertainty in the lives of God's people, the mission strategy to which God calls us is urgent. I believe the cathedral can be a great resource to move that mission forward and bring hope and joy to many lives," McCreath said.
McCreath grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and holds a bachelor's degree in politics, with a certificate in Russian studies, from Princeton University and a master's degree in American history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was a high school history teacher before attending seminary at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. She graduated with a Master of Divinity degree in 1998 and was ordained that year to the priesthood in the Diocese of Milwaukee. She served for three years at St. Christopher's Church in River Hills, Wisc., first as assistant rector and then as priest-in-charge.
In the Diocese of Massachusetts, she has been a member of the Standing Committee and a co-convener of the Alewife Deanery. She is a member of the Council of Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission and has served the wider church on subcommittees of the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, the planning team for the 2013 GenX clergy gathering and as the Province I coordinator for ministry in higher education. She has been supervisor to many field education students and interns and recently served as director of contextual education at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge for two and a half years. She and her husband, Brian McCreath, are the parents of twins.