Leaders of Chicago’s Episcopal faith community on Feb. 27 welcomed the appointment of the Very Rev. Lisa Hackney-James as Dean of the city’s iconic St. James Cathedral.
Hackney-James becomes the ninth Dean in the history of the Near North Side Cathedral, which represents the flagship church of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, the home of one of the city’s oldest religious congregations, and a majestic structure that represents a frequent stop on tours of the area’s vaunted architectural landscape.
Hackney-James, who was already exercising executive responsibilities for St. James as Provost, will be formally installed as Dean by the Rt. Rev. Paula E. Clark, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago on Sunday, March 2nd at 4:00pm during a festal Evensong in the Cathedral. She was selected for the position by the Cathedral’s lay leadership.
“In this call to further service, I am grateful to the wardens, chapter and people of St. James for the trust you have placed in me, for the confidence that you have expressed in my leadership, and for the invitation to delve ever more deeply into leadership with you in the midst of this historic, dynamic, and Spirit-filled community of faith,” Hackney-James said.
Meanwhile, Bishop Clark praised Hackney-James for her exemplary skills as both a compassionate and inspirational pastoral presence and a sophisticated administrator.
“Having had the pleasure of working with Lisa for the past three years, I know she has the ability, dedication and faithfulness needed to realize a new vision for St. James Cathedral,” Clark said.
Hackney-James takes the mantle of the Cathedral’s leadership at a pivotal time in the 191-year history of the parish, which, as a place where both Abraham Lincoln and Dr. Martin Luther King worshiped, has played a recurring role in Chicago’s historical milestones and cultural legacy. Her tenure begins as St. James continues negotiations with the Episcopal Diocese to purchase 65 E. Huron, a property adjoining the Cathedral that hosts vital outreach ministries, a convening space where communities both civic and sacred meet, administrative offices for Diocesan and St. James staff, and an outdoor plaza enjoyed by the surrounding neighborhood.
In her capacity as Provost Hackney-James was a key architect of the plan to purchase the property, working in close collaboration with Bishop Clark to formulate a proposal that would be mutually beneficial and quell concerns that had surfaced over how a potential redevelopment of the land might have affected the fate of the Cathedral and the surrounding neighborhood. The proposed purchase provides a blueprint for maintaining the integrity of St. James’ physical campus while strengthening the financial capacity of the Diocese.
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Hackney-James was ordained at St. James Cathedral in 2003, following a first career as a professional harpist. She returned to the Diocese of Chicago in 2014 after nearly a decade of ministry in Cleveland Heights, an inner-ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. There, she served on the staffs of two Episcopal congregations, and as a founding member of the executive team of Greater Cleveland Congregations, an Industrial Areas Foundation affiliate made up of 50+ interfaith congregations, schools, and unions whose work included advocacy in public education, health care access, and criminal sanctions reform. With her two Episcopal parishes and the local public school between them, she pioneered a collaborative partnership supporting academic excellence among students and bridge-building among their families.
She was called to serve as Dean of St. James by the parish’s elected lay leadership, known as Cathedral Chapter.
“I want to offer my profound thanks for the gifts of leadership, gravitas, good humor, and spiritual inspiration that Lisa has afforded the Cathedral community since she arrived at St. James in 2015,” said Susan Fickling, Senior Warden of St. James. “There is no doubt this experience, in all its breadth and diversity, was preparing Lisa to lead us in this moment.”
