The Rev. Sarah Smith Called to Holland Hall
We are excited to share that the Rev. Sarah Smith has been called to be the next Head Chaplain at Holland Hall Preparatory School in Tulsa. Sarah will also serve as an assistant strength coach and division chair of religion at Holland Hall and as an associate priest at Christ Church Tulsa.
Bishop Poulson Reed shared his thoughts, "Sarah is one of our own: raised up for ordination in Oklahoma. Now that her curacy is completed, I’m so happy that she will be serving at Holland Hall, where she will impact students of all faiths for good."
Sarah is a sixth-generation Oklahoman. Growing up in northwest Oklahoma City, she attended Heritage Hall High School. Sarah was recruited to play softball at the University of Notre Dame. She played left field for the Fighting Irish and completed a degree in Catholic Systematic Theology. After her undergraduate studies, she completed a master's degree in sports administration at the University of Northern Colorado. She was an administrator in the Notre Dame Athletics Department in the Office of Student Welfare and Development.
Sarah completed a master's in Theological Studies at Vanderbilt University with a Carpenter Certificate in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality in May 2016. Sarah served as a seminarian intern at St. Ann's Episcopal Church in Nashville for two years, funded by the Arcus Grant. Her ministry focus was homelessness. She assisted in the creation of Launch Pad—grassroots shelters in urban churches—for young adults experiencing homelessness in Nashville. After, Sarah served as the Director of Media & Technology for the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma and the Head Softball Coach at Casady School. In November 2017, she started the Theosophia Podcast, a platform for women's voices in theology.
In December 2021, Sarah was ordained to the transitional diaconate. She completed a diploma in Anglican Studies at the Seminary of the Southwest in May 2022 and immediately started her curacy at St. Paul's Cathedral in OKC and then at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Shawnee. She was ordained to the priesthood on June 24th, the Feast Day of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Sarah was selected to be a part of the first cohort of the Trinity Wallstreet Fellowship Program. This executive MBA-style curriculum is designed to help young clergy and lay people become innovative, values-driven, and faith-inspired leaders in the contemporary world of the Church. Sarah leads a chapter organization of a new community in the Episcopal Church called the Order of Naucratius. Naucratius, Oklahoma, is a hunting and fishing Creation Care ministry that strives to bring protein to those in need.
Sarah shared with us what she looks forward to in her new role, "First and foremost, I'm excited to get to know the kids! Building relationships and trust is foundational to all our work in the school, and I can't wait to get to know everyone. I'm very thankful that I get to serve a variety of roles at HH so I can get to know the kids and staff from different contexts - the chapel, the classroom, and the gym. Being in these various spaces will help me serve the students and faculty/staff more holistically. It is also very special and unique to have three female chaplains, and I am overjoyed to work with such incredible women and learn from them."
Sarah shared why Episcopal Schools are important, "Episcopal Schools are incredibly important because we are nurturing and shaping the future of the Church and our communities. It's vital to help educate and form young humans into kind, loving, well-rounded, critical thinking, compassionate people who want to make the world a better place for everyone. Holland Hall is a very special place with a lot of wonderful people. Most staff/faculty you meet have served at the school for multiple decades, and that's a testament to the strength and care of the community for one another. I am honored to join such an esteemed community and institution, and I can't wait to grow and learn together in our faith, academics, athletics, and the arts. Go Dutch!"
