Today is St. Paul’s Episcopal Church’s Rector Jack Alvey’s last service at the church.

Alvey announced a few months ago his new calling to be the new Rector at The Church of the Ascension in Vestavia Hills.

“I’ve learned who I am as a priest at St. Paul’s,” said Alvey. “I like this size congregation because you can really be more intimate with the people. It is not a small church, but it is small enough to where you know everyone and you can get to know them on a personal level. You don’t really have that opportunity in other churches.

“I’m someone who likes to be in the middle of it and be with the people,” said Alvey. In Vestavia, there is a tremendous opportunity for growth, and I fell called to help that church grow. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of St. Paul as far as the people that are there.”  

Alvey said.

Alvey said his move to Selma was not expected.

“My call to Selma was remarkable,” said Alvey. “It was off my radar and when the opportunity presented itself, every sign pointed to go to Selma. One of the things about St. Paul’s is that they have strong leaders, and I knew it would be a supportive church. They are very supportive of their clergy and did that to us as well.”

Alvey also credits St. Paul’s to the place where he met his wife.

The Birmingham native began his priesthood duties in Homewood as an associate priest.

“This job at St. Paul’s is the first Rector position for me,” said Alvey.  

Alvey has been at St. Paul’s for four years, and came into the position on the cusp of the 50th Anniversary of the 1965 marches.

Alvey said being in Selma during that anniversary time allowed him to create partnerships with other religious leaders in the area, and said that being involved here will help him with his Vestavia Hills position being involved in all aspects of the city.

Alvey traces the beginnings of his priesthood career to a week-long service he attended in Birmingham at St. Luke’s when he was 16.

“In the middle of that week, there was a healing service and the deacon invited us to the altar rail to receive the laying of the hands, anointed oil and prayers for healing  and he asked what kind of prayers we needed and how he could pray for us,” said Alvey. “I told him my parents were in tough place, and he told me I didn’t hear him. He asked again how he could pray for me. I broke down in tears and I had never let myself go there. I felt lifted while he was praying and I felt encouraged in a way that I had never felt before. I knew I wanted to be part of that ministry of healing.

“That was what Jesus was all about, everything starts with healing,” he said. “If you don’t know healing, then you can’t really get on with anything in life. I think the same thing is true for Selma, and one of the things that Selma is still trying to heal from is not only what happened in 1965, but what happened in 1990 with the school system.

“One of the thigs I have really immersed myself in is the work of healing and you see churches that are promoting the work of healing,” said Alvey. “Healing is what leads to reconciliation. You have to have healing. It is part of the story in order for anything good to happen. So that is what really drew me into what I’m doing today.”

With the goal to heal through ministry in mind, Alvey attended the University of Alabama and it was there he met a priest that led him to attend seminary school.