In May 1999, the Reverend Timothy Browning Safford was called to be the nineteenth Rector of Christ Church. His passion is for Christ Church to be accessible in worship, inclusive in spirit, and diverse in theological and ecclesiastical outlook, a safe place for believer and skeptic alike.
He says, "Now, we must unleash, through God's grace, a spirit of renewal in Christ Church, and that will come through participation in the Disciples of Christ in Community program. We have so many new members in their 20's and 30's, finding their way in life, seeking God's presence and blessing. We will give this emergent community our most considered efforts so that we can trust the future of our church to them."
"We must never stop accounting for the truth that we are not ethnically and racially reflective of the city around us at Christ Church," he says. "We have set this goal, but not kept pace. Why? We must reclaim our history that in our colonial origins, we were a far more diverse church, abolitionist in spirit, and welcoming of all racial and ethnic groups in Philadelphia. What are the barriers now? If the demons of racism and elitism hover at our doors and harbor in our hearts, we must publicly and intentionally exorcise them. It will be harder for newcomers to see us as bringing the Reign of God if we don't reflect the stats on God's census."
Tim constantly encourages Christ Church to see its mission as a "public church," serving and witnessing to all who come equally and openly. He says, "We have great responsibilities at Christ Church, with a duty to respond to the needs of one pilgrim seeking God, and to preserve the legacy of a a 312 year history and our majestic buildings. A public library is always open, inviting people in, whether they want to borrow a book or not. Christ Church will be open, without condition, to those who, for whatever reason, come within our embrace."
More than 300,000 people worship in, visit, and tour Christ Church each year.
Prior to coming to Christ Church in Philadelphia, Tim served as Senior
Associate for Mission, Parish Life and Administration at All Saints
Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California (1988-1999), and as Curate of
St. John's Parish, Bridgeport, Connecticut (1985 to 1988).
In Philadelphia, and previously, much of Tim's ministry has been
dedicated to the work of outreach and social transformation, including
work with the homeless, gay and lesbian ministries, those with AIDS,
refugees, and with low-income housing. Here, in Philadelphia, Tim serves on the boards of Episcopal Community Services (ECS) and
Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania. He has served as Chair
of the Diocesan Commission on Ministry. He serves as Chaplain to many
honorary and patriotic groups in Philadelphia and nationally.
In 2001, Tim was accepted as a Pastor-Theologian at the Center for
Theological Inquiry in Princeton, New Jersey. In 2000, he was awarded
the Lawrence J Mikkelsen Preaching Prize for his Sermon on the Gospel
and Social Justice and Human Dignity.
Tim received his Master of Divinity from the Yale University Divinity School, and received sacred orders for the diaconate in 1985 and for the priesthood in 1986 by the Rt. Rev. Robert Clafin Rusack, Bishop of Los Angeles.
Tim is married to Lynn Karoly, a Senior Economist at RAND, and they have two daughters.
Just call him "Tim," and your kids can also, though "Pastor Tim" is fine, too, if more formality is desired.