Fifty Years A Priest: Celebrating the Rev. Canon James Callaway

Trinity Church Wall Street today celebrates the 50th anniversary of the ordination of the Rev. Canon James G. Callaway, D.D. Canon Callaway was ordained to the priesthood July 1, 1971 by Bishop Paul Moore at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Manhattanville.

Known to literally thousands around the world as Jamie (which also happens to be his preferred informal name), Canon Callaway grew up in Kansas City, received his undergraduate degree at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN, completed seminary at General Theological Seminary in New York, and even served as a probation officer in Criminal and Family Court before his ordination.

Father Callaway joined Trinity Church Wall Street in 1980 as Deputy to the Rector, Dr. Robert Ray Parks. Over the next 34 years, he led the Trinity Grants Program and other Faith in Action ministries as well as Faith Formation and Development including the Trinity Institute and the Trinity Preschool.  On September 11, 2001, after the attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, he helped to expedite the evacuation of the Trinity Preschool and to safely reunite the children with their families.

During his leadership in the Trinity Grants Program, Canon Callaway worked closely with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, providing financial support and other resources which helped to hasten the end of apartheid in South Africa. 

Father Callaway remains active as General Secretary of the Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion. CUAC is a network of the Anglican Communion comprising over 160 colleges and universities with Anglican identity. He is a familiar pastoral presence at worship and will preach at Trinity during the 11:15am Holy Eucharist on Sunday, July 4.