Since the early days of the Spy’s Profiles in Spirituality project, one of the most intriguing stories for us has been the tale of the late-comers, those who have left successful careers late in life to become a pastor or minister.
Beyond the financial adjustments and the disruption, this vocational change can cause within families, at the heart of these experiences is the extraordinary spiritual transformation that causes one to drop everything they are doing to serve God literally.
Chestertown’s Bernie Schroeder is one of those examples. The son of the Midwest, with a strong political interest and desire to engage in public policies, Bernie followed his local congressman to Washington as a top aide. Washington would become the base for Bernie and his family for the next thirty years as he became a successful lobbyist and the CEO of a utility company.
But at 57 years old, Schroeder made this big leap to become an Episcopal Church priest. And that not only meant enrolling in divinity school but passing the strict demands the Episcopalians set for their pastors.
More than a decade later, the Rev.Bernie Schroeder reflects in our Spy interview on this unique turn of events as he continues his calling as the Priest-in-Charge at Christ Church, Cambridge, where he has taken up part-time residence.
This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more information about Christ Church, Cambridge please go here.
Bishop Joel Marcus Johnson says
Good Father Bernie – Your interview with Dave Wheelan strikes a chord in my heart as, back in the ’90s, among my missions I celebrated in Spanish for Dorchester County at Christ Church before we decided to celebrate house masses in each of the crab packing towns – e.g., Cambridge, Hoopers Island, etc., and throughout lower Delmarva. I too was a somewhat tardy vocation, priested in my 40s though schooled early on. I’d taken a detour as an orchestral exec and a syndicated NPR classical broadcaster – you may remember “IBM’s Your Heart of Music, the Program About Life and the Classics that Help You to Live it – now here’s Joel.” Now in my 70s and retired, I’m actually going back to “Your Heart,” though with the light of my vocation shining bright in the classical music window. As Suzie and I live in Easton, perhaps some Sunday we’ll warm a rear pew at Christ Church. Your life and vocation sound wonderful – I’ll remember you in my prayers. Peace be with you, +Joel