His ordination took place on the morning of Wednesday, May 10, in the Upper School at Holy Trinity Academy, Melbourne. But the Rev. Timothy Rutherford, head chaplain for the school, already sees the difference ministering with the authority of Christ makes, and he has one primary response: thankfulness.
“Gratitude was the overwhelming feeling of the day,” Rutherford said of the service. “I cannot thank Bishop Brewer enough for being willing to come, to make it so that the ordination happened with my people. I can’t thank the people who came from outside the school enough; I feel more than blessed.”
(L-R) The Rev. Timothy Rutherford’s sons, Asher and Beowulf; his wife, Amie; the Rev. Timothy Rutherford and his father, the Rev. Tom Rutherford | Photo: Rebecca Allison
Rutherford and his wife, Amie, a grant writer and former teacher, have been married for more than 18 years and have two sons, Beowulf and Asher. The new ordinand grew up in the Diocese of Central Florida at Church of the Messiah, Winter Garden, where his father, the Rev. Tom Rutherford, serves as rector. In fact, the younger Rutherford celebrated Communion for the first time with the Messiah congregation the Sunday after his ordination.
“I started at that church with my dad when I was in eighth grade,” he said. “My wife and I got married in that church, and he baptized my sons there. … Celebrating Communion for the first time at Messiah, it was huge for me.”
Despite his long history with The Episcopal Church, Rutherford did not aspire to the priesthood until a few years ago. “I was in youth ministry,” he said. “I really just thought I would be a youth pastor for the rest of my life, and so I never looked at the priesthood as something that I was aspiring toward.”
But God used a previous chaplaincy position at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Academy, Fort Pierce, to move his heart in a new direction.
“While I was there, I realized the chaplaincy really needed to be an ordained position, one that should be able to administer the Eucharist, that should be able to bless kids, that should be able to baptize, that should be able to do confession,” Rutherford said. “And I felt like my hands were tied because I couldn’t do any of those. … And so I entered the discernment process. And it’s all taken off from there.”
His path toward the priesthood included a stint as a middle school teacher during his discernment process; a full-ride scholarship to Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia; and six months of long-distance learning during his time in seminary due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed his family to spend more time with extended family in Florida. As a result, “My kids know their grandparents so much better than they ever would have,” he said.
Rutherford said his entire family’s experience at VTS was “awesome,” adding, “My children got to be with a group of other boys who are about their age. … They know what good friends are supposed to look like now, and their standard for friends is a lot higher than it would have been if we had not lived in community.”
The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer censing the altar at the priesthood ordination of the Rev. Timothy Rutherford. | Photo: Rebecca Allison
The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer ordained him and eight others to the diaconate in September 2022 at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando. Since the students at Holy Trinity come from a variety of backgrounds, Brewer not only addressed Rutherford during his ordination as priest but also spoke to the students, teaching them about the various parts of the service and the scriptures used.
“It was a fun blend of a sermon and a teaching,” Rutherford said. “And it was humbling to know that he did not come to do the ordination for me but because he knew it was at the school. … It was so that our students could see it and be a part of it.”
Just as God showed Rutherford years ago, ordination matters.
The week before his ordination to the priesthood, a student came to him requesting baptism. “After going through the catechism with her, it seems that it’s right and good, and so we’re going to get to baptize her,” he explained. “This is what I’d hoped and dreamed about what it was going to be like here as an ordained priest who’s acting as a chaplain.”
Rutherford’s ordination also initiated some interesting questions. Students wondered if he would have to “get rid of his family” since, in some traditions, priests remain single, or if he would “try for bishop.” Others asked what to call him (“Father Rutherford, Chaplain Rutherford or Chaplain”).
Overall, he remains grateful for the entire ordination experience. “It’s not an opportunity that many students get in a school setting,” he said. “So I feel more than blessed that Bishop Brewer was willing to come and have it at the school. It was wonderful.”
Rutherford also expressed gratitude for the clergy who attended the service. “The number of other priests who came to the ordination – it was overwhelming,” he said. “They were vesting in our small chapel, and to walk into that cloud of witnesses, just the amount of wisdom and experience within the room. … If they’re willing to come to my ordination, I know I can count on them if I need to reach out about anything.”