The Reverend Charles E. Owens III (Chuck) is a grass roots believer who knows first hand the struggles and challenges of everyday life. He is a real world disciple having spent over twenty-five years as an educator, counselor, and independent school headmaster prior to entering full-time ministry.
During his half century in the Episcopal Church, Father Owens has served in various lay leadership roles at the parish and diocesan levels. As a priest he has been a member of the Diocesan Council, the Commission on Ministry, Congregational Development Committee, Board of Trustees of York Place and the South Carolina Christian Action Council. He has led many retreats to include the Diocesan Men’s Conference and most recently, with his wife, the Diocesan Couples Conference.
Relentless in his faith, Father Owens is a gifted Scriptural teacher and preacher of the Gospel and challenges members of this parish to grow in their personal relationships with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Under his leadership, The Church of the Cross has experienced phenomenal growth and has now embraced a vision for a two-campus ministry committed to reaching the unchurched in southern Beaufort and Jasper Counties.
Information about me
I felt the call to ministry, was ordained as a deacon in January 1994 and as a priest in June 1994. I served for one and one half years as curate at the Church of the Redeemer in Orangeburg, SC, before becoming the Rector at The Church of the Cross in Bluffton, South Carolina in August 1996. In addition to numerous seminars and ongoing professional programs, my education includes a B.S., M.Ed, and D.Min
Married for thirty-seven years, my wife, Becky and I have two grown children and five grandchildren.
| Books I am currently reading or have just finished... |
"POPS: A Life of Louis Armstrong"
| Terry Teachout |
"Walaid By Light: The Gospel That John Wrote"
| John Barr III |
"The Last Bus to Albuquerque"
(A commemorative edition of his work) | Lewis Grizzard |
"Building Faith at Home"
(Why faith at home must be your church's #1 priority) | Mark A. Holmen |
"Battlefields and Blessings"
(Stories of faith and courage from World War II) | Larkin Spivey |
"Robinson Crusoe"
(A sailor shipwrecked on a deserted island carves out a life for himself with courage and ingenuity) | Daniel Defoe |
"Common Sense"
(The case against an out of control government, inspired by Thomas Paine.) | Glenn Beck |
"Faith Based Family Finances"
(Let Go of Worry and Grow in Confidence) | Ron Blue and Jeremy L. White |
"Never Silent"
(How third world missionaries are now bringing the Gospel to the United States) | Thaddeus Barnum |
Some of my favorite authors are...
- Max Lucado
- John Scott
- George Barna
Some of my favorite movies are...
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Those Gallant Hours
- For the Love of the Game
- Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Some of my favorite quotes are...
“Great love and great achievement replace great risk.”
“Judge your success by what you had to give up to get it.” Anonymous
“What the heart desires, the will chooses and the mind justifies.” Martin Luther
“The best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other." Anonymous
“As long as you have a pulse, you have a purpose.” Anonymous
“When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.”
"You can close your eyes to reality but not to memories." Unknown
“Positive thinking is how you think about a problem. Enthusiasm is how you feel about a problem. The two together determine what you do about a problem. If I could do anything for people, I would help them change their perspectives, not their problems. Positive thinking does not always change our circumstances, but it will always change us.” Norman Vincent Peale
"If you have the car under control, you are not going fast enough!" Mario Andretti
"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you will help them to become what they are capable of being." Johann Wolfgang vanGoethe
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men....it is the Lord Christ you are serving." - Colossians 3:23-24
“Open your arms to change but don’t give up your values.”
If you would like to contact me, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to send me an email or give me a call at 843-757-2661.