Dr. Hawxhurst is a native of southern Maryland, where she grew up attending Centenary United Methodist in Shady Side, Maryland and Friendship United Methodist in Friendship, Maryland. She is married to Dr. Jerry Cappel. Jerry is the Associate Rector for Justice Ministries at St. Matthews’ Episcopal Church and they have two adult children, Ashley and Jordan Cappel.
Dr. Jean Hawxhurst
Dr. Hawxhurst received her B.A. from the University of Richmond in Virginia in 1987, after which she managed a hotel in northern California and taught school in Owensboro, Kentucky. She felt a call to share her faith on a more substantial level, and so attended Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky, where she graduated with a Master of Divinity in 1995. That year she also attended the Ecumenical Institute in Geneva, Switzerland, which was a catalyst for her deep interest in ecumenical ministries. She earned her Doctor of Ministry degree at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 2003.
While in school Dr. Hawxhurst served as the Student Associate Pastor of Pisgah Presbyterian Church in Versailles, the Youth Minister of Aldersgate United Methodist in Lexington, and an On-call Chaplain for the University of Kentucky Hospital. She was ordained as a probationer in 1994 and as an elder in the Kentucky Conference in 1997. Her first full time appointment was as the pastor of Fairview United Methodist in the Bowling Green District, where she served from 1995 to 1998. Christ Church United Methodist in Louisville was her second appointment, where she served as the Associate Pastor from 1998 until 2004, when she became senior pastor of Fourth Avenue.
Jean Hawxhurst and her husband Jerry
Her past conference responsibilities have included serving on the Commission on Christian Unity and Inter-religious Concerns and the Executive Board of the Kentucky Council of Churches. She is currently serving as a Director of the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, on the Executive Committee of the conference Board of Ordained Ministry,on the Magee Foundation, and on the board of HELP Ministries.
Send e-mail to Jean at jean@fourthavenue.us.
