Appointment of Trinity College Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life
June 11, 2021
Dear Trinity College Community Members,
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of the Rev. Marcus G. Halley as Trinity’s college chaplain and dean of spiritual and religious life. Marcus will begin his new role on August 4. As an essential member of the college, he will provide our campus community with spiritual and pastoral care and counsel. In addition, he will lead a diverse team in Spiritual and Religious Life representing Buddhism, Judaism, Protestant Christianity, Roman Catholicism, Islam, and interfaith communities.
Marcus joins the Trinity community from the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, where he has served since 2019 as the dean of formation. In this role, he supports the formation of all baptized Episcopalians in Connecticut, as well as the formation of new clergy. He works collaboratively with the Commission on Ministry to streamline and provide oversight for new and existing programs. He also serves as the priest-in-charge for the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, where he provides missional pastoral leadership for members of the congregation while working collaboratively with leaders within the parish to develop new models of leadership.
Marcus previously served as missioner for evangelism for the Episcopal Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota; rector at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church on Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis; and associate priest for young adults and families at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He holds a master of divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center and a master of sacred theology from the School of Theology at the University of the South.
We, along with the search committee, were impressed by Marcus’s passion for lifelong learning and his ability to build and maintain strong collaborative relationships with diverse populations. He has a proven track record of developing and implementing new processes and programs and reimagining existing processes and programs to raise the level of creativity and efficiency. He will be a positive, compassionate, and energizing member of the Trinity community.
We want to extend our gratitude to all members of the committee for their dedication and service on this critical search: Yasmin Affey ’19, residential learning coordinator; Sara Barrett ’21; Diante’ Dancy ’21; Christopher Hager, professor of English and chair of the English Department; Kathryn Wojcik, director of campus life initiatives and social houses; and Gail Woldu, professor of music. We also want to thank the Rev. Trevor Beauford, who has provided outstanding, steadfast leadership and served with great dedication as interim college chaplain throughout this very challenging and demanding year.
We look forward to welcoming the Rev. Halley to Trinity in August!
Sincerely,
Joanne Berger-Sweeney, President and Trinity College Professor of Neuroscience
Jody T. Goodman, Dean of Student Life and Director of the Bantam Network
