Jonathan Daniels House hires The Rev. Gillian R. Barr as Executive Director

We are excited to announce that the Rev. Gillian R. Barr has been hired as the first Executive Director of Jonathan Daniels House, and as Priest-in-Charge of Good Shepherd in Pawtucket.

It has been an exciting few months for our Jonathan Daniels House (JDH) project, which aims to open a service-oriented intentional community for young adults. In November JDH was accepted into the Episcopal Service Corps, a national network of over 25 similar programs. Shortly after we were accepted, our online application for interns went live. The ball is rolling, and we received our first intern profiles just as we began our conversations with prospective executive directors to run the program.

The Rev. Gillian Barr will bring years of experience in young adult ministry and Christian formation to JDH, having served in various College Chaplain positions. Most recently she has been at Old Dominion University in Norfolk Virginia where she also served as the assistant priest in a church coincidentally called Good Shepherd. We look forward to her parish work at our own Good Shepherd in Pawtucket. May her two new ministries in Rhode Island deepen and inspire each other.

Pray for warmer weather over the next few weeks as Gillian packs up her things in Virginia and drives to join us here in the middle of this particularly freezing New England Winter. As she transitions, she has sent us a few words to introduce herself:

I am incredibly excited to be joining all of you in the Diocese of Rhode Island.  My own college and post-college years were a crucial time in my own faith journey.  This is one reason why the Episcopal Service Corps' mix of vocational and spiritual reflection, intentional community, and dedicated service has attracted me ever since I first learned of it some years ago.   Creating a community of young adults working for justice while exploring their faith and future is a wonderful way to continue the legacy of Jonathan Daniels. I am humbled and inspired as I take up my new responsibilities alongside those who have been working for several years to bring this vision to life. 

My ministry has always been a blend of parish work alongside ministry in non-parish settings, so I look forward to also joining with the people of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Pawtucket. Good Shepherd is a parish family that lives out the same values of love, community, faith, and care for those on the margins that Jonathan Daniels House seeks to embody. 

 I was born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland. (I've also lived in San Diego, California and Norfolk, Virginia, but amazingly am not related to anyone in the Navy!) I enjoy sailing and getting out on the water in the summer.  I love animals--I'm currently the servant to two cats and have also owned dogs.  I’m a history buff, hope to regain the Spanish fluency I had when living in San Diego, and would like to learn to be a better photographer. I am looking forward to getting to know Rhode Island and exploring all it has to offer. 

Blessings,
Gillian