Author: Jonathan Cooper

I was not raised in the Episcopal tradition. In fact, before stepping into my role as Director of Institutional Equity and Diversity at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School almost sixteen years ago, I could not have told you much about it. What I did and still do have is a deep and abiding faith. My father’s roots in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and my mother’s in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church shaped my upbringing, and my brother’s calling as an ordained pastor further grounded our family in faith. So when I arrived at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School, I found a space where I could live fully into my beliefs while doing the work I loved; it felt like a blessing I had not known to ask for. Read More »

Seventy toddlers follow a cross and banner into chapel every week at St. David’s Episcopal Day School in Wilmington, DE. A bible sits atop the altar. Nearby, a single apple hangs from a five-foot-tall ficus tree so fake that it passes as real. A stuffed-animal snake sssslithers onto the sssscene.  Read More »

I have always been a massive fan of superhero films. There is something so captivating about watching the various powers be used for good; the suspense that the music brings as you await to find out what obstacles are being faced, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with the storyline: love, loss, resurrection, return, and the entirety of Joseph Campbell's hero's journey living out before your eyes!  Read More »

An eighth-grade student recently offered her chapel homily on the theme of “What is the Meaning of Life?” and connected it to the story of Jacob wrestling with God. She said “my purpose in life... Read More »

Each August, as students return and classrooms come alive again, I’m reminded of how I found a place in Episcopal schools—and why I’ve rooted my career in the Episcopal school tradition.... Read More »