Rev. Peter Tepper Called As New Rector!!

Our new rector at St Peter the Fisherman is the Rev. Peter Tepper. During the interview process he told us he prefers to be called Father Peter. Father Peter is married to Michelle Tepper and the father of 2 girls, Sophia age 12 and Zipporah age 2. His first Sunday with us will be the 2nd Sunday of Advent, Dec 4^th.

Father Peter is coming to us from the Cathedral Church of St. Luke in downtown Orlando where he has served for the last 3 years. He was the outreach pastor in charge of missions, outreach, and evangelism. He accomplished the launch of their live streaming services, was in charge of teaching the Alpha course at the Cathedral, and in charge of their Sunday evening service, increasing attendance dramatically in his time at St Lukes.

Father Peter grew up in a missionary family. His father was a missionary in Mexico and Spain. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in History and a minor in Portuguese and Computer Science. He then served in the US Army. In response to the 9/11 attacks, he served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Qatar, overseeing the redeployment and re-integration of two companies. He also served in South Korea as a Captain overseeing the Human Resources, Chaplain, Medics, and Legislative Administration of a 700 man Battalion as the aide to the Battalion Commander.

After serving in the military, Father Peter received a Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Theology at Wycliffe Hall, a theological college at Oxford University, Oxford, England.

Prior to serving at St. Lukes he served as an Associate Pastor at First Assembly Deland, Associate Pastor at Latimer Minster in the UK, and Chaplain to undergraduate students at the historic St. Aldates Church, Oxford, England.

Father Peter considers himself a bit of an extrovert, telling us that he recharges around other people. He is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese, Italian, and Greek. His hobbies include playing the guitar, running, reading, learning foreign languages, and traveling.

Father Peter desires to pastor a church that makes Disciples of Christ. He has wonderful gifts to share and said one of his greatest privileges is to help others develop their spiritual and ministry gifts. Father Peter is very enthusiastic about our 3 Eucharistic services on Sunday, stating he loves the idea of the community beach service and in his words “bringing the church outside the walls.”

Father Peter and his wife Michelle are excited to become a part of our St. Peter’s family. We will welcome Father Peter on December 4^th, as he makes the transition to become our pastor, guide, and spiritual leader.