NATALIA JONES Reigster Staff Writer
This may only be Rev. Charles A. Hough, IV’s third week at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, but his journey into the priesthood has been 28 years in the making.
Raised by an Episcopal priest, Fr. Hough said he felt called to the priesthood as a boy but decided to try a different path in college. While at Texas A&M; University, Fr. Hough received a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science.
During his junior year, he completed an internship with Attorney General John Ashcroft and had a job lined up with the justice department after he graduated.
Although his plans were to attend law school, Fr. Hough said he could not ignore his true calling.
“For me, it was like a 2x4 to the head,” said Fr. Hough. “I was sitting in a pew and realized, ‘Hello, you’re whole life has been around the church and why not utilize that by this grace of God given gift he’s given to you, in molding you to lead his people.’”
In March 2007, Fr. Hough was ordained deacon and then graduated from Nashotah House Theological Seminary in May with a Masters in Divinity. He then began at St. Mark’s Church in Arlington and was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests on Sept. 9, 2009.
This August, Fr. Hough was called to serve as Rector of St. Paul’s Church in Gainesville. He along with his wife, Lindsay and 18-month-old son, Charlie, moved here to plant roots both within the community and church.
He may only be 28-years-old, but Fr. Hough has big plans for St. Paul’s.
“The main thing, for me, is worshipping God and in that, my wish in God and in focusing on that, is that the love of God that we experience will then allows us and permeate through us to love our neighbors,” said Fr. Hough. “If we keep focused on the main thing — the focus of loving God and worshipping God and his son, Jesus Christ — then we will go out into the community and be lights of Christ in the community of Gainesville.”
Although Fr. Hough admits his plan is “huge” and “broad,” he feels it is important for members of the Episcopal church to stay focused, especially in a time of controversy as the church has recently found itself in.
In 2003, controversy was created when the Episcopal Church decided to ordain an openly gay bishop. Following that decision, several churches, including St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, have decided to breakaway from the general convention.
“We removed ourselves from the general convention, trying our best to uphold the faith once delivered,” explained Fr. Hough. “What we’re trying to do here at St. Paul’s is do the word of God, whatever that may be. And we pray daily, for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ in this church as well as in other denominations.”
While the controversy stemmed from the topic of homosexuality, Fr. Hough said the real problem is larger than just one issue.
“I can label (homosexuality) as a sin, but I’m a sinner too and I’ll judge the log in my eye before I judge the splinters in others,” he said. “It was the Dioceses at large in Fort Worth that discerned that the Episcopal Church was going away from the faith, by so many events and there was a lot of pressure by the National Church.”
As a result, he added, the Dioceses discerned that it was time to remove itself from the governing body which was the general convention.
“It’s a sad state but for St. Paul’s what we need is to get back to the main thing,” said Fr. Hough. “We’re in a period of discernment, but I hope all Christians are in a period of discernment right now. What we’re going to do is try to discern what God would have us to do and make that happen through his grace.”
Fr. Hough said he sees this time as a challenge, one that he is enthusiastic to be apart of.
“It’s a sad, sad controversy we find ourselves in, but we will try our best to move our way through it and uphold the gospel and not preach politics from the pulpit,” he said. “I believe that the will of God is to work towards the unity of this church and of all Christians. That is the hope of the priest here at St. Paul’s Church, that we can be humble enough to do something and align ourselves with God’s will.”
St. Paul’s Episcoapl Church is located at 415 E. California. To learn more about Fr. Hough and the church, visit www2.nortexinfo.net/StPaul/.
