By Bob Gibson
Daily Progress political blogger

Jim Richardson, the chaplain of the California Senate, has been chosen as the new rector at St. Paul’s Memorial Church in Charlottesville. 

Richardson of Sacramento, Calif., worked 22 years as a journalist before becoming a priest in 2000. He left The Sacramento Bee as senior writer in 1997 after covering politics and writing an unauthorized biography of Willie Brown.

The interim rector of All Soul’s Parish in Berkeley, Calif., as well as chaplain of the California State Senate, he was called by the vestry at St. Paul’s at the conclusion of a two-year search process. During most of that period, the Rev. Alan Mead of Richmond, Va., served as interim rector following the retirement of the Rev. David Poist.

Jim and his wife, Lori, worked together at the Bee for many years. Jim will officially join the staff of St. Paul’s Memorial Church on Aug. 1.

Having spoken with Jim and Lori, I am delighted to welcome them to Charlottesville and applaud their interest in keeping urban chickens.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UCLA in 1975 where he majored in history and anthropology, Richardson entered the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in 1997 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2000.

From 2000 until 2006, he served as associate dean and canon residentiary of Trinity Cathedral in Sacramento. In 2004, he became Chaplain of the California State Senate. For the past year, he has served as interim rector of All Soul’s Parish in Berkeley.

St. Paul’s Senior Warden Virginia Ritchie announced the call of Richardson and his acceptance at services Sunday, along with Alice Fitch and Charles Lancaster, co-chairs of the Search Committee at St. Paul’s, which nominated Richardson at the conclusion of its two-year search process.

Ritchie said that Richardson is “a man of intelligence and warmth, an effective and energetic leader with an infectious sense of humor and a ready laugh, a powerful preacher, compassionate pastor and committed advocate for those in need.”