The Rev. Dee Wellington Bright, Sr., brings some powerful, even dramatic, experience to Church of Our Savior. In fact, he nearly lost his life while preaching the Gospel.

It was a little more than two decades ago that Bright was serving as a priest in Liberia and he and his family were forced to relocate to the U.S. because of a civil war in their homeland. He was nearly executed.

Today, things are much less stressful and much more joyful as he recently was called to serve as rector at Church of Our Savior in Palm Bay. Bright brings 31 years of experience in parish ministry to Church of Our Savior, with leadership experience in pastoral and academic administration and strong skills in operating complex institutional and organizational systems. He also has done much work in youth ministries and outreach programs.

Bright is originally from the Diocese of Liberia in the Anglican Province of West Africa. Before relocating to the U.S., he served as a parish priest in Liberia and was the principal of the Episcopal High School in Monrovia. He served 10 years as a priest in Liberia before escaping the civil unrest there.

The Church of Our Savior rector is currently the leader of the Liberian Episcopal Community in the United States of America (LECUSA). He has served congregations in Texas, Massachusetts, and Oklahoma before being called as rector of Church of Our Savior. He has been a priest in the U.S. for 21 years.

Bright boasts an impressive academic background as well. He holds an undergraduate degree from Cuttington University in Liberia. He received his Master’s from the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. He received a Doctorate from Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut, and takes part in continuing education studies at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut.

Father Bright and his wife, Monyue, have three children: Dee, Jr., Vonti, and Tinika. Father Bright officially begins his ministry at the parish on Saturday, Sept. 1, and his first Sunday to preach will be Sept. 9.

Church of Our Savior is located at 1000 Jersey Lane Northeast, Palm Bay, FL, 32905. For more information on Church of Our Savior, call 321-723-8032.