St. Mary’s Sewanee Names Runkle its New Executive Director

St. Mary’s Sewanee: The Ayres Center for Spiritual Development announced on Aug. 6 that the Rev. John Runkle has accepted the board of trustees’ call to become the center’s third executive director. 

Runkle takes over following a very successful period in the life of St. Mary’s Sewanee, including increased and expanded programming, the completion of Phase I of the View and Vision Campaign, a new lodging facility and the McRae Meeting Room, vast growth in the Annual Fund, and more. St. Mary’s Sewanee has also recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. 

“After several weeks of careful consideration and many conversations, the board of St. Mary’s Sewanee is delighted to welcome John back to the Mountain during this exciting transitional time for the center,” said Dale Grimes, board president.

As an Episcopal priest, he has served a number of parishes in Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee since being ordained in 1999. Most recently, Runkle has served on the staff of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Va. A licensed architect, Runkle has also served as the Canon for Architecture and the Arts in the Diocese of Washington. From 2005 to 2010, Runkle served as the  cathedral conservator at Washington National Cathedral.

A prolific writer, Runkle’s book, “Searching for Sacred Space: Essays on Architecture and Liturgical Design in the Episcopal Church”is a collection of thought-provoking essays that focus on liturgical space and its proper support of common worship. 

A popular speaker at lectures, conferences and retreats, he also teaches at Virginia Theological Seminary and Wesley Theological Seminary on the theology of sacred space and history of religious architecture. Runkle is a licensed presenter with Contemplative Outreach and has served on the staff of four Centering Prayer retreats at St. Mary’s Sewanee.

Runkle is a 1999 graduate of the School of Theology at the University of the South. He also earned degrees at the University of Tennessee and Mary Baldwin College. He and his wife, Harriet, a schoolteacher, have one grown son. They enjoy hiking and art. 

“St. Mary’s Sewanee has been instrumental in the spiritual lives of numerous people. For me, it’s bedrock—the prayerful retreats, lasting relationships and the beauty of this place have shaped me to be who I am,” Runkle said. “Truly, it’s a privilege to be called back to serve here and help build on the ministries and traditions of this sacred place.” 

He will begin his duties on August 26. For more information about St. Mary’s Sewanee and its programs, visit <www.stmaryssewanee.org>.