Pastor’s Welcome
Let us be glad…
“O God of the stars and planets, you are in the midst of the city… The river of your eternal life runs through all things. Let us be glad to be bearers of your eternity. Let us be glad to find you in one another.”
- J. Philip Newell, “Celtic Treasure”
Our Church and Our Pastor
Welcome, and thanks for getting to know us here and visiting our website!
St. Charles is a warm, welcoming congregation, and I hope you will get the chance to delight in our intellectually curious, progressive, and socially-engaged church members.
At our church, we enjoy a traditional, mainline worship style with classic hymns, a beautiful organ, a talented choir, thoughtful liturgy, and socially-conscious, progressive preaching. We welcome everyone, and at the same time, we’re especially committed to welcoming and creating safe space for people who may experience marginalization elsewhere in their lives.
Our congregation proudly welcomes folks from all faith traditions, socioeconomic backgrounds, racial and cultural heritages, sexual orientations, and gender identities. We affirm, and have for several decades, the leadership and full participation of women and our LGBTQ+ identifying friends in the life of the Church.
In other words, yes, we’re Baptist, but we are not a conservative evangelical church. We take seriously our call to think critically about our faith, to seek points of connection with other faith traditions, to love our neighbors, and to welcome all.
My own theology has been formed and shaped by liberation theologies, mystical writers, Celtic Christianity, and the liberal Protestant tradition. In my academic pursuits, I have given presentations on theology and ethics at Harvard Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Union Theological Seminary (NYC).
From 2021 through 2023, I served as the Administrative Pastor of St. Charles. In October 2023, my role expanded to also be the Interim Pastor following the successful tenure of the Reverend Elizabeth Lott, who led the congregation for ten years. On March 1, 2024, the St. Charles congregation installed me as their 20th senior pastor.
Before settling in New Orleans, I interned with two United Methodist congregations, served as the administrative pastor at the Gayton Kirk Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), and worked as the executive director of Together for Hope Louisiana, a faith-based non-profit in the Mississippi Delta.
In 2009, I completed a Master of Divinity from Union Presbyterian Seminary, and in 2015, I completed a Ph.D. in theological studies from Garrett Theological Seminary at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. My family and I are now delighted to call New Orleans our home, and we find it a great pleasure to be part of this congregation.
Peace,
Rev. Marc J. Boswell, Ph.D.