Press Release 10/28/06, Diocese of Tennessee
Fr. Baurschmidt is from from: Christ Church, Covington, The Diocese of Louisiana
I was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1959, a result of my father’s service in the United States Navy. My mother is a North Floridian, and my father is from Long Island. I grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, where my father taught at the University of South Carolina, in the College of Business.
I attended school in Columbia. I was confirmed at the Church of the Good Shepherd, and later with my family became a parishioner at Trinity Church (now Trinity Cathedral). My parents have been my most formative mentors.
I attended Kenyon College, in central Ohio, from 1977-1981. This was a significant time in which friendships were made and the intellect challenged. During this time I began the ordination process in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina. Clergy at both Kenyon and the Cathedral were important mentors in this process. In my final year at Kenyon I became a postulant for Holy Orders, and also met my wife, Caroline.
I attended the General Theological Seminary in New York, from 1981-1984. New York (along with New Orleans) remains one of my favorite places. In 1984 I was ordained deacon by Bishop Beckham of Upper South Carolina. In that same year I became Curate of All Saints’ Church, Worcester, in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts. Bishop Beckham ordained me priest in 1985. Caroline and I were married in 1986.
In 1987 I returned to school, as a graduate student at New College at Oxford University, UK. Caroline and I lived in Britain from 1987-1991. During this time I lived and worked as a Priest-Librarian (Chaplain) at Pusey House, an Anglican house of studies and chaplaincy to the entire University community. My supervisor in my academic program was Prof. Oliver O’Donovan, the Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology in the University, and Canon of Christ Church. The opportunity to study theology under learned and insightful guides, in concert with intellectually gifted peers, was both stimulating and humbling.
Our oldest son William was born in 1991, shortly before we returned to the United States. He was joined in 1994 by son Henry, and in 1997 by daughter Caroline. I love being a husband and parent.
In 1992 I became Rector of Christ Church, Albemarle, a pastoral-sized parish in the Diocese of North Carolina. As the only full-time staff member of this parish I learned the unique skill set that goes with this sort of ministry. Christ Church is a great parish, open and willing to tolerate the ministrations of a priest in his first try as Rector. I also completed my D.Phil. thesis for Oxford while in North Carolina, and was awarded the degree in 1996.
In 1997 I moved to the Diocese of Louisiana to become Rector of Christ Church, Covington. This parish has challenged and stretched me as a priest. I have learned much from our Bishop, clergy colleagues, and parishioners. Christ Church is a program-sized parish, with significant resource-sized features that make it transitional. As Rector I have served for over nine years on the Board of Trustees of Christ Episcopal School. I have also served for nine years on the Board of Directors of Christwood, an affiliated Continuing Care Retirement Community, for two of them as President of the Board. I have learned much about building community in these endeavors. Our time in Covington and in the Christ Church community has been a blessing for the Bauerschmidt family.
