Meet Lisa Hunt

You were an Episcopal priest in Nashville before coming to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and School in Houston. How did you decide to move here?

Prayer brought me to Houston, God brought me to Houston. Because initially, it was hard for me to get over my prejudices about the city. My perception was about the arrogance and the exceptionalism and swagger, which was totally unappealing. What ultimately brought me to Houston was the church and school connection at St. Stephen’s. I wondered what the church's role could be in forming children in a religious school setting. What is possible at a small private school that would be impossible at a large public school. This was deeply attractive to me.

It was also the right time to leave Nashville. We had experienced a devastating tornado there and had to rebuild our church. The process of rebuilding was very creative and engaging, but after it was completed, I felt a kind of postpartum depression on a certain level. I also had been actively involved with the school district and launched their advocacy arm with the states. I was tired and feeling a little burned out. 

So I'd gotten a call from a former parishioner who was now at St. Stephen’s asking if I could recommend individuals to replace Helen Havens, who was retiring after serving as Rector of St. Stephen’s for many years. After providing the names, the search committee asked if I would be interested in coming here. It was the first time that I had been recruited because I tend to go to a place and get deeply rooted, and it was the first time that I thought, I would like to do that. My husband was also ready for a change in his job., and our kids were at an age where moving made sense to them. 

I came to visit, and the people were very gracious. It was during the rodeo in February, which I now know is the optimal recruiting season, because the weather is beautiful. One of the members of the committee told me later, to quote Jerry Maguire, that “you had me at hello.” They were interested in what I could bring, and I was ready for a new challenge.

What are some of the groups in Houston whose work you are excited about?

There are many. I think that the work of the LGBT community in Houston has been really interesting. The evolution of the Montrose Center from direct treatment to a whole range of services, including housing, has been exciting, as has the work Avenue CDC is doing to expand and diversify what affordable housing can look like in the city. I'm also impressed with the leadership in Montrose. There's a group that's been meeting for three years to look at transit in Montrose. They have a vision for what they want the community to be and are actively advocating for it. And the work that's gone on at MECA has also been very compelling; it is very grassroots and bold. 

What do you see as the role of religious institutions in Houston?

Houston, religiously, is a complex place. On the one hand, you have many megachurches. Joel Osteen, most notably, has a huge presence, nationally and internationally. But you also have a robust presence from mainline denominations, and then lots and lots of independent congregations. That's in the Christian realm. In the Jewish realm, you have every branch represented, as you do in the Buddhist and Muslim communities, and many, many others. We represent the world in many ways in Houston. Right now I think our religious community is very segmented, and that's a problem. In the absence of cohesion, our vision for the common good of the city doesn't coalesce. So the the politicians, the power, can operate pretty much as it wishes without a moral compass, to ask questions like how are we treating the people on the margins? What is happening to the Asian community in Houston, or to the Muslim community? 

This is where the interfaith community needs to come together. Interfaith Ministries, another group I've been working with, has done phenomenal work in terms of refugee services and elder care with meals on wheels. They've got lots of initiatives to bring people together, but they have largely shied away from political issues. Trump may no longer be in office, but the work isn’t over. You've got voter suppression and other issues going on, and I don't think we've dealt with racism in Houston. So I'm concerned. 

What are you what are your hopes for Houston in the next 20 to 25 years?

I think Houston prides itself on its diversity now, but I think that the city could be more creative than it is if the energies, insights, and capacities of those who are marginalized were more unleashed and had more freedom of expression. For example, the music scene in Houston isn't something we lift up to say it is one of the things that we're proud about, unlike Nashville or Memphis which take great pride in their music. Or Austin. In Houston, the talent is here, but those voices are not necessarily at the table. My hope for Houston is that we can unleash some of that energy and wisdom and creativity that is here but give it more power. I see the power in Houston being concentrated, and I think leveling that out and sharing it more would make Houston a more compelling city.