As a youth, Fr. Getz was educated in public school in California and Arizona, but also attended Cathedral School for Boys in San Francisco (Episcopal owned). The son of an Episcopal priest , he emphasizes, “Nothing will make me leave the Episcopal Church!”. He received his high school diploma from Texas Military Institute in San Antonio (also Episcopal owned) and earned his B.A. in Education and Sociology from Incarnate Word College in San Antonio.

 He obtained graduate degrees from Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin (MDiv) and Trinity University in San Antonio (MEd), where he specialized in School Administration. He received advanced studies certification in Congregational Development from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.

He has held a variety of positions in Texas, ranging from retail management, to teaching and administration in Episcopal schools. He has been Headmaster at Resurrection in San Antonio and Advent in Stafford. He has served as Rector at St. Matthew’s in Henderson and Holy Comforter in Angleton. He comes to us from a Fellowship in Pastoral Care at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston. As a hospital Chaplain he had one rotation where he ministered to patients in the Pediatric ICU and in orthopedics. During his second rotation he was responsible for all open heart surgery and organ transplant as well   as to any Episcopalians in the two neighboring hospitals (Texas Children’s and Methodist). Also, while serving his Fellowship, he was in demand as a supply priest for area congregations while they searched for new Rector. 

Fr. Getz has been married to his wife, Gay, for over 30 years. The couple has two grown children, a daughter in Washington D.C. who works for the Episcopal Church in the Office of Government Relations, and a son, daughter-in-law and grandson in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

 Fr. Getz is most affable and enthusiastically acclaims humor as an important part of his life. “While life is not a joke, I believe God did create us for happiness. No, He didn’t ‘promise us a rose garden’ but there is always an under-girding of joy, even in the midst of sorrow, knowing that God has such a great love for us.” He family or origin has the motto, “We have more fun than people.”

 He cites Billy Graham as an important spiritual influence and shares a labyrinth ministry with his wife called Heartwalk (www.heart-walk.org). He loves British murder mysteries (He thinks England is the “Holy Lands.”) For a hobby he collects baseball cards. His heroes include Red Skelton, Cal Ripkin and his dad.