Obituary for Rev. Dr. William Stuart Pregnall
Reverend Dr. William S. Pregnall, 87, died at his home in Irvington, Va. on March 15, 2019. Born in Charleston, SC in 1931, he is survived by his wife of 66 years, Joye Pregnall ; son Stuart (Annandale VA), daughter Gabrielle Johnson (Guilford CT), and six grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son Marshall in 2016.
He graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 1952 where he was Phi Beta Kappa, and selected for the Order of the Golden Fleece, the Grail, Phi Eta Sigma and Scabbard and Blade. Following graduation he served in the Navy for three years as a line officer aboard the USS Rodman (DMS 21).
He earned three degrees – B.A. (UNC-CH), M. Div. (Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, VA) and D. Min. (University of the South, Sewanee, TN). He was awarded an honorary D.D. by the Virginia Theological Seminary (1987) and the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (1990).
He was ordained deacon (1958) and priest (1959), and began his ministry in the Diocese of South Carolina, serving in Jasper County. He held services at the Church of the Cross in Bluffton, SC and Holy Trinity Church in Grahamville, SC, and he began the first year-round ministry of the Episcopal Church on Hilton Head Island, SC. He returned to Charleston, SC serving as the first Director of Christian Education for the Diocese.
In 1960, he moved to Charleston, WV where he served as Assistant Rector and then as Rector at St. John’s Episcopal Church. There he instituted urban ministries including a regular TV show with a Methodist Pastor and a joint effort with the Methodists to provide low cost housing in the city. He also led the parish to establish a partnership with the Guatemalan Lake Izabel Farming and Education project, sending laity to assist with needs in medicine, construction and education.
He answered a call to serve as the Episcopal Chaplain at St. Albans, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA in 1966. There he was involved in all aspects of student life, as well as the Anti-War movement, drug education, suicide counseling, and women’s rights on campus.
In 1970 he responded to a call bringing him to Washington, D.C., where he led St. Augustine’s Mission to become a Parish in the Diocese of Washington. During that time, St. Augustine’s and Temple Micah, a Reform Jewish congregation, entered into a covenant to share the building of St. Augustine’s for their worship services and ministries. The covenant continued for twenty-three years.
In September 1973 he was called to the faculty of Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria VA, and became a tenured professor there in 1978. In addition to overseeing the annual placement and field education of over 100 students, he instituted Lay Committees for seminarians doing field work, taught pastoral subjects, and conducted the program of theological reflection seminars for all students.
In 1981 he became Dean and President of the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) in Berkeley, CA. While at CDSP, he was Chairman of the nine Presidents of the Graduate Theological Union, which offered a doctoral degree to students from Catholic, Protestant, and non-Christian affiliations. He called several new faculty and additional staff, bought an additional building for student family housing, renovated other buildings and increased the endowment. He established a Dean of Students position which was filled by the first woman priest at CDSP. He traveled extensively promoting the only Episcopal seminary west of the Rocky Mountains . It became the third largest in his denomination while teaching in a uniquely rich ecumenical environment.
In 1989 he moved back East, becoming Rector of St. Mary’s Parish, MD which included Trinity Church in St. Mary’s City MD and St. Mary’s Chapel in Ridge MD.
Lay people of the church and liturgy were the theological foci of his ministry. His doctoral thesis, “The Role of Lay People in Theological Field Education” became the model for the guidance and evaluation of seminarians throughout Episcopal seminaries. One of his two books, Laity and Liturgy, reflected a theology of liturgical renewal and gave guidance for the Episcopal Church affirming it was the whole laity gathered who celebrated the Sunday Eucharist.
In 1993 he retired and moved to the Fredericksburg VA area where he lived for thirteen years. In 2006 he moved to Irvington VA.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 on April 13th, at Grace Episcopal Church in Kilmarnock, VA. In a letter addressed to his family, he requested that people who wanted to make donations do so to charities serving his last home.
In lieu of flowers, we have chosen the Northern Neck Middlesex Free Health Clinic, where he volunteered for several years. Please make checks out to the "Northern Neck Middlesex Free Health Clinic" and send it to PO Box 1694, Kilmarnock VA 22482. Write "In memory of Rev. Dr. W.S. Pregnall" on the memo line. Donations can also be made online at http://nnmfhc.org.
The other charitable donation we encourage is the Employee Christmas Fund at Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury - these funds are divided among the many people who provide care and services to the residents. Please make checks out to the "Employee Christmas Fund" and send them to Human Resources, Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury, 132 Lancaster Drive, Irvington, VA 22480. Write "In memory of Rev. Dr. W.S. Pregnall" on the memo line.
He graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 1952 where he was Phi Beta Kappa, and selected for the Order of the Golden Fleece, the Grail, Phi Eta Sigma and Scabbard and Blade. Following graduation he served in the Navy for three years as a line officer aboard the USS Rodman (DMS 21).
He earned three degrees – B.A. (UNC-CH), M. Div. (Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, VA) and D. Min. (University of the South, Sewanee, TN). He was awarded an honorary D.D. by the Virginia Theological Seminary (1987) and the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (1990).
He was ordained deacon (1958) and priest (1959), and began his ministry in the Diocese of South Carolina, serving in Jasper County. He held services at the Church of the Cross in Bluffton, SC and Holy Trinity Church in Grahamville, SC, and he began the first year-round ministry of the Episcopal Church on Hilton Head Island, SC. He returned to Charleston, SC serving as the first Director of Christian Education for the Diocese.
In 1960, he moved to Charleston, WV where he served as Assistant Rector and then as Rector at St. John’s Episcopal Church. There he instituted urban ministries including a regular TV show with a Methodist Pastor and a joint effort with the Methodists to provide low cost housing in the city. He also led the parish to establish a partnership with the Guatemalan Lake Izabel Farming and Education project, sending laity to assist with needs in medicine, construction and education.
He answered a call to serve as the Episcopal Chaplain at St. Albans, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA in 1966. There he was involved in all aspects of student life, as well as the Anti-War movement, drug education, suicide counseling, and women’s rights on campus.
In 1970 he responded to a call bringing him to Washington, D.C., where he led St. Augustine’s Mission to become a Parish in the Diocese of Washington. During that time, St. Augustine’s and Temple Micah, a Reform Jewish congregation, entered into a covenant to share the building of St. Augustine’s for their worship services and ministries. The covenant continued for twenty-three years.
In September 1973 he was called to the faculty of Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria VA, and became a tenured professor there in 1978. In addition to overseeing the annual placement and field education of over 100 students, he instituted Lay Committees for seminarians doing field work, taught pastoral subjects, and conducted the program of theological reflection seminars for all students.
In 1981 he became Dean and President of the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) in Berkeley, CA. While at CDSP, he was Chairman of the nine Presidents of the Graduate Theological Union, which offered a doctoral degree to students from Catholic, Protestant, and non-Christian affiliations. He called several new faculty and additional staff, bought an additional building for student family housing, renovated other buildings and increased the endowment. He established a Dean of Students position which was filled by the first woman priest at CDSP. He traveled extensively promoting the only Episcopal seminary west of the Rocky Mountains . It became the third largest in his denomination while teaching in a uniquely rich ecumenical environment.
In 1989 he moved back East, becoming Rector of St. Mary’s Parish, MD which included Trinity Church in St. Mary’s City MD and St. Mary’s Chapel in Ridge MD.
Lay people of the church and liturgy were the theological foci of his ministry. His doctoral thesis, “The Role of Lay People in Theological Field Education” became the model for the guidance and evaluation of seminarians throughout Episcopal seminaries. One of his two books, Laity and Liturgy, reflected a theology of liturgical renewal and gave guidance for the Episcopal Church affirming it was the whole laity gathered who celebrated the Sunday Eucharist.
In 1993 he retired and moved to the Fredericksburg VA area where he lived for thirteen years. In 2006 he moved to Irvington VA.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 on April 13th, at Grace Episcopal Church in Kilmarnock, VA. In a letter addressed to his family, he requested that people who wanted to make donations do so to charities serving his last home.
In lieu of flowers, we have chosen the Northern Neck Middlesex Free Health Clinic, where he volunteered for several years. Please make checks out to the "Northern Neck Middlesex Free Health Clinic" and send it to PO Box 1694, Kilmarnock VA 22482. Write "In memory of Rev. Dr. W.S. Pregnall" on the memo line. Donations can also be made online at http://nnmfhc.org.
The other charitable donation we encourage is the Employee Christmas Fund at Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury - these funds are divided among the many people who provide care and services to the residents. Please make checks out to the "Employee Christmas Fund" and send them to Human Resources, Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury, 132 Lancaster Drive, Irvington, VA 22480. Write "In memory of Rev. Dr. W.S. Pregnall" on the memo line.