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On Sunday September 26, 2021 Rector Greg Kronz announced his retirement from St. Lukes, effective September 1, 2022. Here's the announcement from that day.
Dear Parish Family,
If you were not in church on Sunday, or you did not stream the worship service, or did not stay until the
end of the service/stream, you may not know about an announcement that I made. I announced on
Sunday my intention to retire on September 1st, 2022, as Rector of St. Luke’s Church. Though I arrived in
August of 1992, my first “official day” was September 1st, and a 30-year pastorate seems like a good time
to “pass the baton” to a new, younger Rector.
At one point, I thought that I might stay on into my 70’s. But, something changed. When my first
grandchild was born about three-and-a-half years ago, and Meredith and I visited when he was born,
that is what began to change me. In fact, the moment when the change began was when we got in the
car to leave and I immediately started crying! It surprised me, and that is when I began to think about
and pray about what it meant. We now have three grandchildren, and I find myself wanting to spend
more time with them. And, none of our children (and grandchildren) live closer than 9 hours away. I love
spending time with my children and grandchildren, and my grandchildren will soon begin to “have a
memory” (I recall memories from when I was about 4 or 5 years old). I feel called to be a part of their
lives, memories, and the foundation of their faith and values.
I have loved being at St. Luke’s; and, in many ways, my almost thirty years here has been a tremendous
blessing! Not everything has been easy; not all of my decisions and ministry “perfect;” and, I have
discovered as I have aged that in my “winter years” of ministry, I would like to focus on what I do best:
pastoring, preaching and teaching. If possible, I would like to stay on at St. Luke’s for a few more years as
the “part-time old pastor;” but, that is not my decision. That will be the decision of the Vestry, the
Bishop, and the new Rector. After I retire, I will be taking a “sabbatical” to continue to think about and
pray about what the Lord wants me to do with my time. That will also give “space and time” for the new
Rector to be the Rector without having me around! Meredith and I plan on staying around the area since
Hilton Head Island has become our home, and our children and grandchildren love coming here. And,
God willing, St. Luke’s will continue to be my Christian community. God is in charge, and I trust that He
will direct the future as I seek His will, walk with Him, and trust Him; Meredith and I together!
What is most important now is that we become a praying community specifically for God’s next Rector,
His choice of who is to be the next Rector at St. Luke’s. I am pondering and praying about this myself, and
I invite you to consider praying with some of these thoughts in mind: Moses told the people of Israel, as
God had directed and given Him the thought, that God would “raise up another prophet like him” to take
his place (see Deuteronomy 18:15-18). In my case, the next Rector will be a different person with
different gifts; but my prayer is that he would be a younger leader who loves Jesus, loves God’s Word,
preaches and teaches with the Word as His guide and the Holy Spirit as his source and power. I pray, too,
that he will love the people of St. Luke’s and of the lowcountry as I have.
Secondly, that He would have a “double filling of the Holy Spirit” as Elisha asked when he was anointed
to take Elijah’s place (I Kings 19:16, along with II Kings 2:9). Pray that God brings someone who is so filled
with the Holy Spirit and so inspired, that his witness is powerful, his leadership full of wisdom, and his
preaching and teaching would bring the Gospel and transform lives.
Thirdly, as Jesus said to His apostles in the Upper Room, that those future leaders and followers of His
would “do greater works than these” (John 14:12). We cannot do this apart from being His and being
filled every day, more and more with His Holy Spirit.
Every day I read the obituaries in the Island Packet. This past weekend, there were around seven or eight
obituaries, and several of the deceased were in their 70’s. And, in the last couple of weeks, two young
men in our community have died of COVID; a young man in his forties that I married to his wife
seventeen years ago; and another young man in his fifties (the late Rose and Paul Schlosser’s son-in-
law).
Our Lord knows the number of our days, but we do not! I don’t know how many days or weeks,
months or years that I have left. He knows! But with that time, I want to spend more time with my
growing family, more time maximizing the gifts for ministry that I have, and enjoy my remaining years
with Meredith. For me, that means that it is time for a new Rector for St. Luke’s. Please pray along with
me what I said above, along with praying for our Vestry and the Search Committee. God will take care of
St. Luke’s. He wants it to continue to be a witness in the community for Him; and, even more, to grow
and thrive. He will, as we pray and faithfully seek His will.
Love to you all, in Christ,
Greg Kronz
Dear Parish Family,
If you were not in church on Sunday, or you did not stream the worship service, or did not stay until the
end of the service/stream, you may not know about an announcement that I made. I announced on
Sunday my intention to retire on September 1st, 2022, as Rector of St. Luke’s Church. Though I arrived in
August of 1992, my first “official day” was September 1st, and a 30-year pastorate seems like a good time
to “pass the baton” to a new, younger Rector.
At one point, I thought that I might stay on into my 70’s. But, something changed. When my first
grandchild was born about three-and-a-half years ago, and Meredith and I visited when he was born,
that is what began to change me. In fact, the moment when the change began was when we got in the
car to leave and I immediately started crying! It surprised me, and that is when I began to think about
and pray about what it meant. We now have three grandchildren, and I find myself wanting to spend
more time with them. And, none of our children (and grandchildren) live closer than 9 hours away. I love
spending time with my children and grandchildren, and my grandchildren will soon begin to “have a
memory” (I recall memories from when I was about 4 or 5 years old). I feel called to be a part of their
lives, memories, and the foundation of their faith and values.
I have loved being at St. Luke’s; and, in many ways, my almost thirty years here has been a tremendous
blessing! Not everything has been easy; not all of my decisions and ministry “perfect;” and, I have
discovered as I have aged that in my “winter years” of ministry, I would like to focus on what I do best:
pastoring, preaching and teaching. If possible, I would like to stay on at St. Luke’s for a few more years as
the “part-time old pastor;” but, that is not my decision. That will be the decision of the Vestry, the
Bishop, and the new Rector. After I retire, I will be taking a “sabbatical” to continue to think about and
pray about what the Lord wants me to do with my time. That will also give “space and time” for the new
Rector to be the Rector without having me around! Meredith and I plan on staying around the area since
Hilton Head Island has become our home, and our children and grandchildren love coming here. And,
God willing, St. Luke’s will continue to be my Christian community. God is in charge, and I trust that He
will direct the future as I seek His will, walk with Him, and trust Him; Meredith and I together!
What is most important now is that we become a praying community specifically for God’s next Rector,
His choice of who is to be the next Rector at St. Luke’s. I am pondering and praying about this myself, and
I invite you to consider praying with some of these thoughts in mind: Moses told the people of Israel, as
God had directed and given Him the thought, that God would “raise up another prophet like him” to take
his place (see Deuteronomy 18:15-18). In my case, the next Rector will be a different person with
different gifts; but my prayer is that he would be a younger leader who loves Jesus, loves God’s Word,
preaches and teaches with the Word as His guide and the Holy Spirit as his source and power. I pray, too,
that he will love the people of St. Luke’s and of the lowcountry as I have.
Secondly, that He would have a “double filling of the Holy Spirit” as Elisha asked when he was anointed
to take Elijah’s place (I Kings 19:16, along with II Kings 2:9). Pray that God brings someone who is so filled
with the Holy Spirit and so inspired, that his witness is powerful, his leadership full of wisdom, and his
preaching and teaching would bring the Gospel and transform lives.
Thirdly, as Jesus said to His apostles in the Upper Room, that those future leaders and followers of His
would “do greater works than these” (John 14:12). We cannot do this apart from being His and being
filled every day, more and more with His Holy Spirit.
Every day I read the obituaries in the Island Packet. This past weekend, there were around seven or eight
obituaries, and several of the deceased were in their 70’s. And, in the last couple of weeks, two young
men in our community have died of COVID; a young man in his forties that I married to his wife
seventeen years ago; and another young man in his fifties (the late Rose and Paul Schlosser’s son-in-
law).
Our Lord knows the number of our days, but we do not! I don’t know how many days or weeks,
months or years that I have left. He knows! But with that time, I want to spend more time with my
growing family, more time maximizing the gifts for ministry that I have, and enjoy my remaining years
with Meredith. For me, that means that it is time for a new Rector for St. Luke’s. Please pray along with
me what I said above, along with praying for our Vestry and the Search Committee. God will take care of
St. Luke’s. He wants it to continue to be a witness in the community for Him; and, even more, to grow
and thrive. He will, as we pray and faithfully seek His will.
Love to you all, in Christ,
Greg Kronz
GREG KRONZ
Rector
Greg was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1957. He was raised Roman Catholic, and lived in the city of Pittsburgh with his parents and three siblings until the age of 12. He then moved “to the suburbs”, and eventually began attending Young Life, a non-denominational Christian outreach for High School students. It was his involvement in Young Life that would cause him to come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord, and eventually have a major impact in leading Greg to full time ministry.
He attended college at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring initially in Chemical Engineering. However, he became a Young Life volunteer leader, and part-time youth minister, and would eventually change his major to Religious Studies and Philosophy and move toward joining the Episcopal Church.
Following graduation from college, Greg married Meredith, also a Young Life volunteer leader (as well as Young Life staff), whom he met while they were working together in youth ministry. Several years later, he attended Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry.
Greg has been married to Meredith over forty one years; and they are blessed with three children, Bethany (married to Charlie), Daniel (married to Natalie), and Aaron (married to Morgan); and two grandchildren: Owen (to Bethany and Charlie) and Simon (to Daniel and Natalie). He enjoys his family, golf (in reality, most sports: recreational, or spectator!), reading, and playing guitar.
Greg has been blessed to be the Rector of St. Luke's for over 28 years, following being an Associate at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Wilkinsburg, PA; and Christ Episcopal Church in San Antonio, TX. He was ordained in the Episcopal Church in 1985, following his graduation from Trinity Episcopal School for ministry. As the Episcopal Church has since drifted from Biblical Authority, the Diocese of South Carolina and St. Luke's has disassociated from the Episcopal Church, and has become affiliated with the Anglican Church in North America, Greg has subsequently been a practicing presbyter in the Anglican Church.
Contact Greg: gregkronz@stlukeshhi.org
Rector
Greg was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1957. He was raised Roman Catholic, and lived in the city of Pittsburgh with his parents and three siblings until the age of 12. He then moved “to the suburbs”, and eventually began attending Young Life, a non-denominational Christian outreach for High School students. It was his involvement in Young Life that would cause him to come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord, and eventually have a major impact in leading Greg to full time ministry.
He attended college at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring initially in Chemical Engineering. However, he became a Young Life volunteer leader, and part-time youth minister, and would eventually change his major to Religious Studies and Philosophy and move toward joining the Episcopal Church.
Following graduation from college, Greg married Meredith, also a Young Life volunteer leader (as well as Young Life staff), whom he met while they were working together in youth ministry. Several years later, he attended Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry.
Greg has been married to Meredith over forty one years; and they are blessed with three children, Bethany (married to Charlie), Daniel (married to Natalie), and Aaron (married to Morgan); and two grandchildren: Owen (to Bethany and Charlie) and Simon (to Daniel and Natalie). He enjoys his family, golf (in reality, most sports: recreational, or spectator!), reading, and playing guitar.
Greg has been blessed to be the Rector of St. Luke's for over 28 years, following being an Associate at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Wilkinsburg, PA; and Christ Episcopal Church in San Antonio, TX. He was ordained in the Episcopal Church in 1985, following his graduation from Trinity Episcopal School for ministry. As the Episcopal Church has since drifted from Biblical Authority, the Diocese of South Carolina and St. Luke's has disassociated from the Episcopal Church, and has become affiliated with the Anglican Church in North America, Greg has subsequently been a practicing presbyter in the Anglican Church.
Contact Greg: gregkronz@stlukeshhi.org