WASHINGTON DAILY NEWS
PROFILE22 ·
21
CHRIS CHRIS ADAMS
My name is Christopher Adams, the rector/pastor of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Washington, NC. I spent the first 12 years of life in Texas. Then, I moved to Rocky Mount, where I lived until attending college just down the road at East Carolina University. I went to graduate school at Duke Divinity School and then completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Theology at Virginia Theological Seminary. Currently, I’m completing a Master’s in Philosophy from Staffordshire University in the UK.
TRUE STORY
If you come to church on a Sunday morning, you are likely to see me dressed in the very traditional garments of a Christian priest. However, if you see me at Gamestop one evening, I’d probably be wearing a Superman t-shirt with all of my tattoos visible. Sometimes, I actually have to convince people I’m a priest and not a musician in a heavy metal band (although I used to do that as well!)
ALTER EGO
When I’m asked this, it’s always the same two answers. If I wasn’t a priest, I would be a comic book writer during the day and a struggling stand-up comedian in the evenings. I’m a storyteller, and I love working with words to capture the whole range of human emotions. Comic books are a fascinating medium because they allow our imaginations to run free while simultaneously marrying two incredible art forms: storytelling and illustration. I love the energy of stand-up comedy and the way it can quickly move from laughing at a crass joke to pondering the meaning of human existence. Plus, I really do just love making people laugh!
FAVORITE PLACE
As you are walking along the downtown boardwalk towards the coast, eventually the path goes around a small, nearly enclosed pond full of turtles. During the summer, my family found ourselves going back to that spot over and over again. The responsiveness of the turtles, the serenity of the lily pads and cranes, and the smell of the water come together into a quiet spot full of beauty.
PASSIONS
Comic books are a major part of my life. I love to collect them, read them, share them. I’m even writing my own write now. The art is being handled by a friend I’ve had since middle school. Woodworking, particularly pyrography, has become a nice way to be artistic and meditative at the same time. I also am passionate about being the best human I can be and making sure that the people around me know they are loved and valued.
DON’T ASK ME TO…
Take care of house plants. I am notorious for neglecting my wife’s house plants.
GUILTY PLEASURE
Skittles. Without exaggeration, I admit to having no self-control when it comes to those little candies.
ONE WISH
That humanity would rise above the divisions maintained by borders and flags and pool our collective resources to ensure that nobody goes to sleep hungry.
FAVORITE MEMORY
Honestly, when I spent the day with somebody on suicide watch. We ate hamburgers, played cards, and watched movies before he was able to be taken to an in-patient psych unit. It was memorable because he’s still alive today, and it didn’t feel like work eating those hamburgers and watching Netflix. I’m not sure I can experience anything much more profound than that. I was the lucky one to be there with him, and count myself lucky to still call him friend today.
