The Reverend Kendrah McDonald Called as Associate Rector for Children, Youth & Families

Hello All Saints’ Parish! I am overjoyed to begin my time as your new Associate Rector.

Children, Youth, and Family ministry is my passion. I am excited to work with the children, youth, and volunteers and discover how we can continue to build God’s Kingdom through meaningful lessons and experiences. I am eager to meet all the children and youth and find out what makes them unique and what the desires and questions of their hearts are, to learn from and with them, and to teach and mentor them. The call of my heart is to listen to and give voice to those whose voices are not heard or who are ignored.

All Saints’ outreach to the community and your work in Racial Reconciliation is valuable ministry in which I hope to participate. I look forward to my relationship with Parents’ Day Out and Day School community. Getting to know preschoolers during centers and at recess lifts my soul and spirit. Talking with staff and parents is a joy.

When the Rector emailed the job description to me, I prayed that I would be the person for All Saints’ and that All Saints’ would be the place for my family. Genevieve and I talked for an hour and a half and were surprised that so much time had passed. I enjoyed meeting and talking to the ministry leaders, children, and youth who interviewed me, and they ignited my anticipation to join in All Saints’ ministries.

My family and I look forward to being part of All Saints’, joining with the Holy Spirit in the work and ministry of the parish. We are also pleased to be closer to family and friends in our return to Austin.

May the Lord bless you and keep you and may we continue to grow in the love and knowledge of God and Jesus Christ our Lord together.

The Reverend Kendrah McDonald+

About The Reverend Kendrah McDonald:

Kendrah has served as Associate Rector of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church and Day School in Harlingen, Texas since July of 2019. During her three-year tenure, Kendrah helped rebuild the youth and children ministries and maintained awareness of ongoing outreach efforts in the community. She created and directed a confirmation program, sent weekly emails to families during the pandemic to help them have conversations and teach their children according to the lectionary (appointed Sunday scriptures), and coordinated events. The volunteer numbers for the children’s ministry doubled during her time there and the number of families increased. She was integral in a ministry to support a floor of nurses and staff during the height of the pandemic with encouraging notes, care packages, and weekly meals. Additionally, she was the chaplain to the day school, with oversight on the religion class curriculum, liturgy, and readings for Chapel, and on the risk management committee of the school board. She was known to wear goofy costumes during the Birthday Chapel on Wednesdays once a month during the height of COVID when Chapel was live streamed to the classrooms.

Along with her work on the congregation level, Kendrah has also participated at the diocesan level as a member on the Christian Formation Committee and on the Bishop Youth Commission where she helped develop lessons and curate resources to study Isaiah, Philippians, and Ephesians, helped plan and implement the Diocesan Confirmation retreat, and participated as chaplain and dean at diocesan camps. She also conceived of and helped plan and implement an LGBTQ+ Family Camp in the Diocese of West Texas at Camp Capers last November and is planning one for this December.

Prior to her work as a priest with St. Alban’s, Kendrah worked as a substitute teacher in Llano and Mason, Texas, was a stay-at-home mom, volunteered as a reading and sight word tutor, and coordinated the Backpack Buddy program at Mason Elementary. Before that, she taught middle school in Austin, Texas at Pearce Middle School and at Llano Junior High in Llano, Texas. Kendrah graduated cum laud from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia with a Master of Divinity, and graduated magna cum laud from (Southwest) Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a minor in Political Science. She grew up in Llano, Texas.

Kendrah is married to Robert McDonald, a CPA and CFO at the Port of Harlingen. Yes, Harlingen has a port. Who knew? They have four children and two grandchildren. Melissa, Justin, and Luke live in College Station. Michelle, Colin, and Pascal live in Austin. Ezryn (aka Maegan) and Ray are 16 and 14 respectively with they/them pronouns. When Kendrah is not working, she enjoys reading, sports, walking and playing with her dogs, serving at her cat’s pleasure, playing games, watching movies, and binging shows with her family. She loves dessert and taught the staff at St. Alban’s that having leftover cake for breakfast is the same as having a donut, of course.