NASHUA — One man followed his faith from Wisconsin to New Hampshire, now serving as the new rector of The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd.

The Rev. Michael Greene was selected to serve in this role after a two-year search by the church’s search committee that worked to identify and discern candidates to be their next rector. This search came a result of the retirement of longtime rector, the Rev. Robert Odierna.

During late spring, the vestry (church’s governing body) called Greene to serve as their next rector, and he began back in early July. Greene was the dean at Christ Church Cathedral in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, before he and his wife, Hope, and two children, Aidan and Miriam, moved across the country for a new beginning.

“It just felt like the right time to do it and this has been a very welcoming, and receptive community and we hit it off right from the start,” Greene said.

Greene arrives with an extensive background, having been ordained for 14 years now. However, he has worked in the church much longer than that. He grew up with a father who was also an Episcopal priest. He grew up with youth group, functions and things of that nature, but also stuck with it later in life.

In college, he was also involved in campus ministry, although at that time, he decided he was also going to explore other options by earning degrees in math and physics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Later, a couple strange twists of fate led his wife and him to head overseas to England where he trained for priesthood at the College of the Resurrection in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, England. He spent three years there and continues to keep relationships with them. He said the monastery has a history of world mission and a lot of important work has been done, particularly in South Africa. His association with them has led him to do a lot of work in Zimbabwe during the last 15 years. Moreover, he is also a member of the Society of Ordained Scientists.

“My devotion in the church is to education, and particularly with a focus on the next generation in a time when religion seems to be increasingly seen as irrelevant by members of society,” Greene said. “We need to sort of stand up and witness to the fantastic tradition of thought, philosophy and education that, in particular, Christianity, and in particular, Episcopalianism, Anglicanism brings to the table.”

Greene is looking forward to getting to know those in Nashua – and to finding ways both he and his family can help the church be a force for good.

Adam Urquhart may be contacted at 594-1206, or at aurquhart@nashuatelegraph.com.