JUST WHO IS NED MORRIS?

The Rev. Ned Morris began his ministry at Calvary on October 1, 2004. Ned was born in Williamsburg, VA, in 1966, although his family was living in Barboursville, VA, at the time. At age five, he moved to Ellicott City, MD, where his mother and stepfather still reside. He attended Roanoke College (RC) in Salem, VA, and graduated in 1988 with a B.A. in Religion and Philosophy. It was at RC that Ned met his wife, Ellen. After college he was accepted into the Cathedral Volunteer Service Community in Washington, DC. This yearlong program, sponsored by the National Cathedral, provided a simplified Christian community living experience in a house with five other young adults. Ned served fulltime in a non-profit agency where he was an employment counselor for the chronically unemployed.

In 1989, he went back to RC and served as the Assistant to the Chaplain for Program Development. While working at RC, Ned enrolled in a Master of Social Work program through Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated in 1993. In May of that same year, Ned and Ellen were married. He continued to work at RC, expanding his position in the Chaplain’s Office to include areas where his M.S.W. would benefit the college and its students. RC remains very important to Ned, as this was where he first discovered his love of God and grew conscious of God’s love for him and the world. As mentioned earlier, he and Ellen met there as students, so this was another great love Ned discovered there. It was also the environment in which Ned discerned the call to the ordained ministry. After their marriage, he and Ellen became active members of St. John’s, Roanoke. After just a couple of years of being involved as an adult communicant, Ned began the formal process of discernment.

In 1997, he and Ellen moved to New York City, where Ned began taking classes toward a Master of Divinity from The General Theological Seminary. He completed his degree in 2001. During his time at General, Ned spent a year as a full time seminarian intern at The Church of the Epiphany on the Upper Eastside of Manhattan (1999-2000). His intern year yielded invaluable experience in urban ministry and also prepared him well for life after seminary.

He also worked for one year in the Presiding Bishop’s Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations in the National Church Offices of the ECUSA (2000-2001). In this capacity, he attended the General Convention in Denver, CO in 2000, and assisted with the successful passage of the legislation leading to full communion between the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America known as Called to Common Mission.

In February of 2001, he was ordained as a transitional deacon by The Rt. Rev. Neff Powell in the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia. In May of 2001, Ned and Ellen had their first child, Halstead, while still in New York. Six weeks later, they moved to Staunton, VA where Ned began serving as the Assistant Rector of Trinity Church. In September, just three days after 9/11, Ned was ordained to the priesthood on Holy Cross Day (9/14). The following March (2002), he was promoted to Associate Rector. In February 2003, Ned and Ellen had their second child, William.

Halstead, Ellen, Ned, and William Morris

Ellen is a talented artist and has in recent years grown very interested in Russian Orthodox iconography and in designing and hand painting paschal candles for churches. She has recently begun the process of starting a business to paint individualized paschal candles. She also taught art for three years in elementary schools.

Ned and Ellen have both visited Africa twice. They enjoy traveling, but have been quite limited with the recent growth of their family. They also enjoy basketball and softball and other sports and recreational activities. Reading and spending time with friends and family are important to them both.

In April, 2005, Ned and Ellen welcomed to their family a third child, a daughter, Lillian Louise Stewart Morris.