The Rev. Sam Sheridan

Assistant Rector

Father Sam comes to us from Waynesboro Virginia, which he describes as the part of Virginia that is more Appalachia than the South. He graduated with a BA in Theatre Arts from Sewanee: the University of the South, and more recently with an M.Div from Virginia Theological Seminary. In the decade between those two schools he had many jobs, often simultaneously. He served as Floor Manager at Bronzecraft Foundry for Sculpture, and Children and Youth Minister at St John's Episcopal in Waynesboro; Assistant General Manager at Pasture and Pasture Q, and Director of Private Events at Keswick Hall and Golf Club in Charlottesville, Virginia among several other positions. Before seminary he would have told you that he was a sculptor, writer, painter, and foundryman who had other jobs to support all his arts habits. Now he has added preacher and pastor to the list.

He has studied Hebrew and the Old Testament with the intention of cultivating himself as a biblical preacher. In seminary he served at St. Margaret’s in Woodbridge and Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill and in each place was able to preach almost every other week for two years.  He has also worked on a grant with the Episcopal Evangelism Society to interview Episcopal chaplains about what chaplaincy skills can be used in congregational evangelism. That started as an independent study under the Rev. Stacy Williams-Duncan, Rector of Littlefork Episcopal Church in Rixeyville Virginia, as both are interested in what chaplains can teach the wider church. Sam believes these two callings and interests are the same; preaching and evangelism. Publicly or privately proclaiming the Good News in Christ isn’t a charism that some people have access too while others don’t. Preaching or evangelizing (or pastoral care for that matter) are skills we can learn, develop, and improve upon. And Sam would very much like to keep improving here at Immanuel.

Fr. Sam is recently married to Rev. Mary Margaret Winn, Assistant Rector at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Sterling Virginia. She is from all over the south, having been born and raised in Atlanta, also earning her BA in English from Sewanee in Tennessee, serving as Youth Minister at Grace St. Luke's in Memphis, and recently earning her M.Div at Virginia Seminary. Mary Margaret and Sam live in Sterling with their weirdly matching pets; Ajax, a black and white Australian Cattle Dog, who came with Sam, and Raiford, a black and white cat who begrudgingly tolerates Mary Margaret.

After three months of married life... Ajax and Raiford have come to a tenuous peace, but a peace nonetheless. All sides are cautiously optimistic.