Leadership
The Rt. Rev. Holly Hollerith, IV
Bishop
600 Talbot Hall Road, Norfolk, Virginia 23505
(757) 423-8287
Vestry

2011 Vestry, St. Matthew’s, Chesterfield

Sr. WardenTom Carr (12)
Jr. WardenLynn Hillman (13)
Register    Nancy Campbell
Treasurer  Sarah Parkison, CPA
Finance     Tom Carr

Vestry Members

Sean Kelly  (11)
Dianne Lewis  (11)
Denny Petfield (13)
Tammi Piguet (12)
Sandy Speer (12)
Kay West  (11)


The Rev. Earnest Graham III
Rector
804-334-8443

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Chesterfield called the Reverend Earnest Graham to serve as priest. He brings a wide range of experience in ministry to the church, having served in all sizes of churches and a variety of locations and types of ministry. At the heart of each is a vibrant sense of Christian community and members sharing their gifts with each other and the world, a characteristic he sees in St. Matthew’s. 

Earnest is married and has one child. His wife Shirley is also an Episcopal priest, serving as rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Williamsburg.

Earnest grew up in the wide open spaces of Wyoming, and could often be found with a sketchbook in hand, drawing anything and everything. He studied art and worked as a graphic artist and illustrator. At the same time, he became active in the Episcopal Church, and was drawn toward the larger story of God’s grace. The experience of genuine community and care that he found there opened up new avenues in his life, and soon he was on a new path, seeking God’s will for his life. The journey led him to Virginia Theological Seminary where he studied, worked and prayed in preparation for ordained ministry.  He received his Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2001. Upon graduation and ordination, Earnest served at Christ Church in Alexandria VA as a clergy resident in the Foundations for Spiritual Leadership program, sponsored by the Lily Endowment. The program, modeled on medical residencies offered a wide range of experience in ministry along with intentional time for study and reflection. He served as Assistant Rector at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Great Falls VA, with special oversight of children and youth programs, outreach and missions, and pastoral care.  Most recently he served as interim rector at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Suffolk VA.

Earnest combined his passion for art and story-telling with his love of scripture and theological education by translating books of the bible into the visual language of comic books. He collaborated with his wife in making a comic translation of the books of Jonah, Esther and Amos, titled “The Unlikely Chosen” which was published in 2008 by Seabury Press. Earnest continues making bible comics, including the Parables of Jesus, the epistle of James, and portions of the Psalms. Samples of the artwork are available on the website: www.earnestillustrations.com