Fr. Michael came to St. Dunstan’s in July 2017 as Formation Director, and Bishop Morales installed him as our new rector on June 3, 2018. He and his wife, Michelle, both grew up in South Florida, where they were high school sweethearts before moving to Los Angeles in 2000 and then to Chicago in 2004. Fr. Michael and Michelle have two kids, Anna and Joshua, who are the joy of his life. Bishop Morales ordained Fr. Michael as a priest on January 18, 2014, on the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter. Before coming to SDAC, he served as supply clergy in many churches in the Diocese of Quincy and as the Vicar of St. John Church in Preemption, IL, and Trinity Anglican Church in Monmouth, IL.
ABOUT
You don’t have to spend much time around Fr. Michael to realize that one of the things that he is passionate about is teaching Scripture to the people of God. Whether leading our Sunday morning Bible study or preaching from the pulpit, he loves to help people see the truth of Scripture in new, fresh, and life-changing ways. He has a passion for Biblical Theology, Biblical Exegesis, and Biblical Languages. He’s also a geek and a nerd in the best sense of those words. If you want to get his attention, you only need to start talking to him about Star Wars, the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He loves listening to music, especially by Derek Webb, Mumford and Sons, and Jack White, and reading, especially anything by N. T. Wright.
EDUCATION
- B.A. in Biblical Studies with a double emphasis in Biblical Languages and Systematic Theology from The Master’s College (2004)
- M.A. in Biblical Exegesis from Wheaton College Graduate School (2006)
- M.A. in Historical and Systematic Theology from Wheaton College Graduate School (2007)
- Th.M. in New Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (2009)
- Ph.D. in Religious Studies with an emphasis in Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity from Marquette University (2022)
- (In Progress) D.Min. in Pastoral Leadership from Nashotah House Theological Seminary