The Rev. William Peyton

As Rector (Episcopalian for “head pastor”), Will is the priest in charge of our parish, with broad authority over such diverse areas as our worship life, the pastoral care of the whole parish community, the care and use of the church property, and the hiring and management of lay and ordained staff. Will has been the Rector at St. Paul’s since 2017, having previously served at St. James’ Church in New York City, and at St. Paul’s Church in Ivy, Virginia. He was also the Director of the Diocese of Virginia’s St. George’s Camp at Shrine Mont for five summers. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church.

Will is from Alexandria, Virginia where he grew up at Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill and attended public schools. He and his wife Betsy have lived in Charlottesville on and off for more than thirty years, moving away and coming back several times. Betsy is a registered nurse and the director of WellAware, a neighborhood-based community-health initiative. They have a daughter and two sons: Nellie is a journalist based in Johannesburg; Crawford is a graduate student in art business, and the studio assistant to a New York City artist; and Jamie, a graduate of Charlottesville High School, is a student at the University of Vermont.