A member of the clergy from another denomination was asked why he thought a priest might want to come to Fort Stockton. Here is his answer:

Since the beginning of the Christian Church, followers of Jesus have sought the desert for a life of contemplation and a closer more meditative relationship with God and His Word. John the Baptist, the Announcer of the Christ, was called to ministry in the desert where people flocked, and Christ Himself came for baptism. Jesus our Lord spent forty days in the Judean Wilderness to experience the fullest of all temptations which are common to man. God’s Spirit led Philip to the desert road to meet up with the first Christian convert to an African region, the Ethiopian Eunuch. The original desert fathers set themselves apart to search for the Living Christ and find the meaning of His eternal word for the mission of the church in their time. Today, Christian pastors of all denominations find desert places and rural locations to be places of scope for the imagination and realms of meditation on God’s Word – the very best place in which to study in order to preach.

To elaborate further, unlike New York City, Fort Stockton is a great place to live, not just visit. At first glance, the desert terrain and dry heat eighty miles from a mall may be off-putting to people accustomed to the bright lights of the big city. But, if the visitor stays with us awhile, Fort Stockton will steal their hearts, and they’ll know they’re in God’s country.

The secret to Fort Stockton is its people: a hardy, caring, hard-working, friendly, multi-cultured group of people who are eager to extend the right-hand of Christian fellowship and embrace others on the journey of Christian growth and service. Specifically, the people of St. Stephen’s are eager for a priest-in-charge to lead us in spiritual development, Christian mission, and avenues of outreach.