Father Ed Morgan
Father Ed Morgan is Associate Rector of All Saints Anglican Church.
It was 42 years ago that God first called Father Ed Morgan to serve Him. Father Ed’s journey to answer that call has taken many twists and turns, but through faith and with encouragement from God, on November 26, 2006, he was ordained as a priest in the Anglican Church.
“It was in September of 1964 that I heard God audibly talk to me. It was a very short — but very impressive — message. He certainly got my attention. Not knowing what to do with this kind of message, I went to my local pastor and asked him for direction. His advice was to try to ignore the call and if I could not ignore God, then to seek more direction,” Father Ed recalled.
As Father Ed was only about 20 years old, had recently joined the Marine Corps, and had just married his wife Julie, he decided to concentrate on his job in the service. After six years in the Marines, he went to work for Western Electric. It was during this time that he inquired into the process to follow to answer God’s call.
“When it came time to enroll at Eden Theological Seminary, I was told it would be to my advantage to live on campus. Julie and I had just bought a house, but we decided to give it a try. We needed an apartment because I had a five year-old son and a very pregnant wife! The apartment we got was small, but we thought if that is what God desired of us, so be it. We put our house up for sale on a Friday and by Saturday it was sold. Decision made! As we readied ourselves for the move to campus, we received a call from the school offering us a larger apartment if we where willing to live in the basement. It was six rooms instead of two and we quickly said yes,” Father Ed continued.
With a growing family to support, during his time at Seminary Father Ed worked as a waiter, drug street worker, drug counselor in a halfway house, assistant pastor, and youth group leader. He has also worked as a chaplain for the Hill Country Benedictine Monks, an advertising salesman, and a real estate agent; he has owned a jewelry business and “probably some others I don’t remember right now,” he added.
“In May 1973, I graduated from Seminary, and on June 4 th I was ordained as a Minister of Jesus Christ in what was once called the Evangelical and Reformed Church and later became the United Church of Christ. My first parish was in Great Bend, KS, and my second parish was in Geronimo, TX, outside of Seguin, TX. I am in Texas because I told God I would never come to the South. I am in a parish because I told God I would never go back into a parish. I think I may stop saying never to God,” he said.
During his years with the United Church of Christ, he felt the denomination went away from orthodoxy and into liberalism. He joined the Episcopal Church, but it, too, became less orthodox and more liberal. Eventually, he found All Saints through his work as a hospital chaplain with the Methodist Health Care System. Father Ed worked for six years as chaplain to the ICU, emergency rooms, and trauma department and as a sexual assault chaplain for San Antonio and surrounding communities until heart problems made him unable to keep the demanding hours the job required.
Father Ed has not traveled the road to the priesthood alone. He has had the support of his wife Julie along the way.
“God has blessed me with the most precious and loving wife in Julie. We have been married 43 years. God really knew what He was doing by putting us together. She is my best friend. Julie married a Marine. She was dragged into being a minister’s wife until the Holy Spirit showed her how she has a valid ministry with me. We are a team,” he said proudly.
Julie is a computer guru, a Senior IT Analyst for USAA, where she has worked for 17 years. Her job is to support about 1000 laptops for field adjusters. She also is in charge of support for “Cats” (catastrophes such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes). Father Ed said, “It is her efforts that allow me to enjoy my habit of ministry. She does think I should, by osmosis, know computers, but I don’t.” Julie loves to garden but doesn’t have as much time as she’d like to enjoy her hobby.
Father Ed and Julie have two grown sons. Edwin A Morgan, III, practices “frontier, combat medicine” in the Alaskan bush. He and his wife have three children and five adult adopted children. The family loves to travel, which is good as Ed III takes six-month positions that have taken him to Afghanistan, clinics in Bagdad, Indian reservations in South Dakota, and now Alaska. Younger son David, directs, writes, and designs sets for the children’s theatre in San Antonio. He has also done special exhibits for the Witte Museum, Botanical Gardens, and major theatrical touring companies. He also runs a summer theatre camp for 300+ children in the mountains of New York.
“Father Ed comes to us from many years of broadly-based ministry. He has a keen sense of caring for people, developed from his extensive background, much time spent in prayer and devotion, and excellent seminary training. I think we are very blessed to have him minister here to our All Saints family,” said Father Chip Harper about All Saints’ newest priest.
As an Anglican priest, Father Ed is looking forward to doing what he has always enjoyed most — proclaiming the Word of God and seeing people come alive in the Lord. “It is so nice to be able to do ministry that does not require emergency care with everyone you meet. I love to teach. I love serving at the altar. I love serving God’s people.”
