St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Armonk New York

Our Pastor

"As both a parent and a pastor, I have been committed to bringing children fully into the life of the church, and to making worship a family experience. I believe a child should not remember an occasion in which he or she wasn't welcomed in worship."

The Reverend W. Harrison Abernathy has been Rector of St. Stephen's since September 1989. A native of North Carolina, and trained as a journalist, Harry worked as a reporter, editor and newsroom executive for daily newspapers in the South and Midwest for 13 years.

Although he grew up a Presbyterian, he was attracted to the Episcopal Church after the birth of his first son in Kansas. The church's worship, a tradition of beautiful music, and the weekly celebration of the Holy Eucharist were among the factors that attracted Harry to a new church home.

"God is at work in our lives all the time, even though we may not always see it. My job as pastor is to create a space for people to recognize God's presence, be nurtured by it, and feel comfortable sharing their experience with others."

Over time, Harry felt a call to explore the ordained ministry, entered seminary and was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1986. He began his ministry in a large, diverse congregation in Long Island before moving to Armonk to serve St. Stephen's. Harry has been married to Penelope Muse Abernathy (Penny), a media executive, for more than 30 years, and they have two sons - one who is grown and lives in Vermont, and the youngest, a college student.

Harry's favorite things are gardening, watching Western movies, playing an occasional round of golf, horseback riding, reading a good book, listening to a great sermon, or watching the latest political news on MSNBC.