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The Reverend Kyle Pedersen
Deacon |
The diocese has appointed Kyle Pedersen to serve as deacon at St. Peter’s. A deacon is placed in a parish for a period of 3-5 years as a reminder that our calling in Christ is to be a servant to all, especially the poor, the weak, the sick and the lonely. In Kyle’s own words,
 My grandmother told me from a very young age, “We are happiest when serving others.” For me these simple words have long captured well the heart of the deacon’s ministry and the ministry of service that is all of ours. They tap into the deep and humble love that Jesus commanded when he washed the disciples’ feet just as we did together on Maundy Thursday. I can’t think of a better way to have joined the St. Peter’s community and to begin getting involved in what God is already doing here.
I have been deacon in the diocese of Connecticut since my ordination in December 2003. Prior to joining St. Peter’s, I served at St. Paul and St. James, New Haven. My wife Lucile and I began attending St. PJ’s when we moved to New Haven in 1999 so I could attend Yale Divinity School and Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. We still live in New Haven in the shadow of East Rock and our family has gown to include our daughter Margo and our son Alec…and we can’t forget our black lab Coal.
For over ten years I have been working with people who have been marginalized by serious mental illnesses, addictions, homelessness and poverty. I stumbled into this calling in the midst of a career change in 1996 when I left the florist business to take a job as the Garden Director and Case Manager at a community residence for formerly homeless adults on the Lower East Side in New York. That experience changed my life. It prompted my vocational discernment in the diocese of Long Island and ultimately led me to divinity school as a way to continue my ministry with persons who live at the edges of our communities, recognizing them for the unique, creative capacities they contribute to community life particularly in our cities. I have also long been interested in how to draw others into ministries of service in our cities.
I currently work in the Yale Department of Psychiatry as Senior Program Coordinator for the Community Services Network of Greater New Haven, a consortium of community-based behavioral health agencies. I direct the Supportive Housing Program and oversee Vocational Services, Consumer and Family Initiatives, and Spiritual Services. I have also served as chaplain resident at Connecticut Mental Health Center and Pastoral Care Intern and Coordinator of Community Life at Fellowship Place, a New Haven based psychosocial clubhouse. I received my B.A. from The New School and my M.A.R. from Yale Divinity School and Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. In addition to being a professional floral designer and longtime gardener, I also enjoy cooking, hiking, sailing, and messing about in boats.
My family and I are looking forward to getting to know you all and to discover with you where God is tugging at our hearts and calling us to serve.
The Rev. Kyle Pedersen, deacon
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