Christ Church Welcomes Rev. Paul
Christ Church in Short Hills welcomes The Rev. Paul Keene as its new Assistant Rector. Rev. Paul was appointed over the summer upon graduating from seminary with a Masters of Divinity from Yale Divinity School. He also earned an Anglican Studies diploma from Berkely Divinity School. Rev. Paul was ordained to the transitional Diaconate on June 3, 2023, by Bishop Carol Gallagher at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston, in the Diocese of Massachusetts. Previously, he served for two years as a seminarian intern at St. Luke’s Parish in Darien, Connecticut. At Christ Church in Short Hills, Rev. Paul’s ministries will focus on Christian formation, adult education and pastoral care, as well as sharing liturgical responsibilities under the leadership of The Rev. Bowie Snodgrass, Rector of Christ Church in Short Hills.
“I am thrilled to introduce our new Assistant Rector, Rev. Paul, who has impressed all of us with his warmth, intellect, experience and deep faith,” said Rev. Bowie. “Rev. Paul is a strong preacher and caring pastor with a deep prayer life and capacity for innovation.”
During his seven years residing in Boston, Rev. Paul was the Minister of Music and Director of Choirs at St. Peter’s in Cambridge and served as Administrator and Minister for Digital Worship in 2020, during the first year of the COVID pandemic. He also worked in restaurant management for a leading dining establishment situated in Boston Harbor.
Rev. Paul noted that “music has always been a major part of my life.” He studied French Horn at an early age at the Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts, a regional secondary arts school. Rev. Paul holds a Master of Music in early music performance and interpretation from the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and received a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.
Rev. Paul resides in Maplewood with his husband, Dr. Corey Clapp, an atmospheric scientist and lecturer at Princeton University. His favorite pastime is cooking, reflecting his tastes and experiences of living various places throughout the U.S. and Italy with his family, as the son of a Navy officer.
