St. Paul’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Jacksonville Beach has appointed Rev. Louanne Loch as its 11th rector.
“I look forward to working closely with our headmaster, Martha Milton, and our children and youth director Brooks Slater, as well as our vestry and committee chairs to create a fresh vision for our parish,” said Loch, who previously served as rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Gainesville for nine years.
Loch led her first services on Oct. 26, and Bishop Samuel Johnson Howard of the Diocese of Florida presided over Loch’s official appointment as new rector on Nov. 10.
Loch has been ordained for 21 years and a rector for 18 of those years. Prior to moving to Gainesville in 2007, she served at St. Matthias Church in Baltimore and St. Johns Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, N.C.
Within the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, Loch has chaired the convention nominating committee and finance committee and served on the executive committee and board of examining chaplains. She is also the former president of the board of the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes and co-founder and co-president of the Alachua County committee on interfaith relations.
Loch has a master of divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary.
