Who We Are
Our parish family includes people who have lived in Spartanburg for generations, and those who have recently moved here. Some of us were raised in the Episcopal Church, while others have come from other traditions. We’ve all found a home at the Advent; a community discovering God’s purpose for each one of us while walking in love as Christ loved us.
The Episcopal Church of the Advent and Spartanburg have grown up together.
The city was incorporated in 1831; although by 1840, Episcopal services were being held in the area, there had yet to be an established Parish in Spartanburg. In 1848, the Episcopal families in the District of Spartanburg were admitted into the Diocese of South Carolina as the Church of the Advent. In 1922, as the population of the state grew, it would become part of the newly established Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina. Since then, “the Advent” (as we’re known locally) has continued to grow, adapt, and thrive in response to the needs of our surrounding community.
Meet Our Clergy
Christie has been an Episcopal priest for twenty years. She began her ordained ministry as the Associate Rector for Pastoral Care at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas, TX. From there she was called to be the Canon for Community Life at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC and then returned to St. Michael and All Angels as the Associate Rector for Discipleship and Engagement. She then became the Rector of St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church in Gulf Breeze, FL. Most recently, she served as the Associate Rector at St. James Episcopal Church in Hendersonville, NC.Christie also stepped in to successfully serve as Interim Rector at both St. Michael and All Angels and St. James.
Christie has been the Chair of two Commissions on Ministry (in the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast and the Diocese of Western North Carolina), a Clergy Delegate to General Convention in 2018 from the Diocese of Western North Carolina, on two Bishop Search Committees and the Chaplain to many mission groups ministering in Central and South America.
Christie was raised in Dallas, TX and Palo Alto, CA and attended college in Virginia, where she fell in love with the Blue Ridge Mountains. Before attending seminary, she lived and worked in Boston and Cambridge, MA for thirteen years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Vocal Performance from Sweet Briar College, a Master of Divinity from the Yale Divinity School and the Certificate of Anglican Studies from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale.
Christie is married to The Rev. Lin Walton, also an Episcopal priest, and is stepmother to two lovely adult children, Jeremy and Sophie. When she’s not at the Advent, she loves hiking and backpacking, scuba diving, kayaking, reading, singing and history of all kinds.
Paula was called in 2017 to lead Advent’s Pastoral Care ministries. Although Paula is originally from Virginia, she spent most of her formative years in Charleston, South Carolina. She earned her BA from Furman University and her MEd from Converse College. In 1994, after receiving her MDiv from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, she was ordained as a Baptist minister.
While in seminary, Paula discovered a deep passion for pastoral care and went on to serve as a chaplain in several places in the Southeast. Her spiritual journey eventually led her to Boone, North Carolina where she served as Director of Christian Education at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. While there, Paula discovered how liturgy and ritual offer profound comfort, healing, and transformation, especially during life’s transitions.
After earning a Certificate in Anglican Studies from Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, VA, Paula was ordained to the priesthood in 2016. Before her call to the Advent, she served as curate at St. James Parish, Wilmington, North Carolina. Paula and her husband, T., a retired chemistry professor, share a house with two very spoiled toy poodles, Jack and Colby. In addition to enjoying movies and Broadway shows with T., Paula likes the challenge and stress relief of Burn Bootcamps.
Meet Our Staff
