Who are you?

A Prince George’s County, Maryland native who moved to New York City for college and seminary, Father Christopher Pyles is the rector of Grace & St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Mount Vernon.  Having previously served parishes in Philadelphia and Central Pennsylvania over 20 years of ordained ministry, Chris was happy to return to Maryland in 2017.  Recently, he completed a two-year term on the Diocesan Council, and is preparing to begin a term as a regional dean.  He lives in the rectory adjacent to the church, and enjoys cooking and entertaining, exploring Mount Vernon and Bolton Hill, improving his Wordle and Connections stats, and traveling to England annually to tour cathedrals (15 down, 27 to go!).

How did you learn about St. George's Society of Baltimore?  

I first heard about the St. George’s Society in 2002, because at that time, the New York chapter rented an office in my residence hall at General Seminary in Manhattan.  Later, after becoming acquainted with past president Daniel Fisher, and the initiation of a relationship between Grace & St. Peter’s and the Baltimore chapter of the Society, I became interested in joining.  My dad’s side of the family arrived in Maryland from Wiltshire County, England in 1660, and I appreciated the chance to honor this part of my heritage.

What do you like about SGSB?  

I like the relationship that has recently been cultivated between the Society and Grace & St. Peter’s, in that the church has become a place to recognize important English events:  we marked the death of the Queen and the accession of the King with special services of Choral Evensong, and each year we have a service to commemorate Charles I.  This year, on November 9, we are keeping Remembrance Sunday in recognition of the 80^th anniversary of the end of World War II.  In addition, I appreciate the Society’s solid balance between social events and service, particularly the Trafalgar Night and St. George’s Day dinners and our fundraising efforts in support of disabled veterans.