St. James Episcopal Church welcomes Rev. Peter Ackerman as new rector
The Ackerman family. Photo courtesy of St. James Episcopal Church
Priest with Hollywood roots arrives from Maryland
– St. James Episcopal Church in Paso Robles has welcomed the Rev. Peter Ackerman as its new rector, according to the church.
The church’s vestry extended the call to Ackerman, and he accepted. His first Sunday with the congregation was set for Oct. 18. Ackerman moved to Paso Robles with his wife, Marie, and son, Harry, from Christ Church in Chaptico, Maryland, where he served as pastor, according to the church. The church had been seeking a new rector, according to the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real.
Ackerman’s path to the priesthood began in the entertainment industry, according to a 2022 report in Southern Maryland News. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley, had a few brief acting roles and later worked behind the scenes on television commercials and music videos. He also worked as an assistant to a line producer on the television series “Friends.”
Ackerman later became a youth leader and parish administrator at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Studio City, then attended Virginia Theological Seminary, according to the report. He was an associate rector at Immanuel Church on the Hill in Alexandria, Virginia, and the rector of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Springfield, Virginia, before serving as a pastor in Lodi and, in 2022, at Christ Church in Chaptico.
St. James holds Sunday services at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. at 1335 Oak St. in Paso Robles. The 10 a.m. service also streams on Facebook Live, according to the church.
Paso Robles Daily News previously reported on upgrades at St. James Episcopal Church.
For more information, visit the church’s website at saintjamespr.org.
