Meet Our Cadre

Fr TJ Humphrey is originally from the southeast Missouri area. After having graduated from college he served as a youth minister in another tradition for seven years in St. Louis. While he was in college, he discovered the Episcopal Church, and his sense of calling to the priesthood deepened over the course of those seven years. He eventually found his way ‘home.’

He and his family moved to Wisconsin so that he could study at Nashotah House Theological Seminary. It was during that time that he was able to get connected with the Diocese of Milwaukee. The highlight of his time in seminary was the summer he was able to study under the hermits of New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur, California. Fr TJ experienced a profound awakening during this time, and came to the realization that the world needs more priests who are steeped in contemplative spirituality. It was during this time that he also developed a passion for helping Christianity to recover its long lost wisdom tradition.

In his final year of seminary he was nominated to attend the Episcopal Church’s Preaching Excellence Program. Later he found out that he and a few other students were selected to have their sermons published. Shortly after graduating from seminary, Fr TJ was hired by the good people of St Paul’s to serve as their next priest.

Fr TJ is married, and he and his spouse have two children. He is an avid hockey fan (Let’s Go Blues!). He also loves going on back-country backpacking trips, listening to music, sipping on good bourbon, playing Legos with his children, discussing good (or not so good) books with his spouse, and spending as much time as each day will allow in contemplative prayer.

Fr TJ’s theological passions are centered on the Christian contemplative tradition and ancient Hebraic temple mysticism, and much of this passion comes out in his preaching and teaching. He once had a professor in college tell him to ‘preach where the fire burns,’ and he has sought to do just that ever since.