The Church of the Ascension recently called and welcomed the Rev. Jenny Newman as our new clergy following a two-year vacancy and a worldwide pandemic. Although held strong by our wonderful senior warden and leadership team, Jenny fills the void of a church seeking a strong, capable, compassionate, intelligent leader. We could not have found anyone better than Rev. Jenny!

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The Rev. Jenny Newman, a former teacher and college counselor, joins us from the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. Although she completed her formal Episcopal education in Texas, she is no stranger to Hattiesburg! She received an undergraduate degree from William Carey University and is a native of southwestern Mississippi. Rev. Jenny will certainly enhance our parish with her experiences of being a world traveler, missionary, and learner while staying true to her deep southern roots.

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Although here only a short time so far, Ascension is certainly poised to transition from “Hattiesburg’s best-kept secret” to a “city on the hill” under Rev. Jenny’s leadership. She has a heart for the underserved, the hurt, the broken, and the unloved in our community. There is no better clergy, and no better church family, to reach out to people who need to see the love of Jesus in others.

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The Rev. Jenny is our Priest-in-Charge and the chaplain for Canterbury, the Episcopal Church at the University of Southern Mississippi. She is committed to creating a strong, loving bond with the students in this amazing organization.