The Rev. Brandon Duke

Denomination: The Episcopal Church (TEC)
Organization: St. Julian's Episcopal Church, Douglasville, GA

The Rev. Brandon Duke is a pastor, priest, and teacher serving St. Julian’s Episcopal Church in Douglasville, GA. He holds a B.B.A. from Mercer University that emphasized Management and Marketing, as well as an M.Div. from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. Upon graduating from seminary, Brandon served as a chaplain to homeless men and woman at Central Outreach and Advocacy Center in downtown Atlanta, followed by an assignment to Emory University Hospital and Wesley Woods Geriatric Hospital, also in the role of chaplain. After receiving his D.A.S. (Diploma of Anglican Studies) at The University of the South’s Sewanee Seminary he was called to St. Julian’s where he has served for close to six years. As a parish priest, Fr. Brandon has helped to start ministries that emphasize pastoral care, Christian formation, and mindfulness.

He is also a sought-after spiritual director and retreat leader within the diocese. When wearing the “spiritual director’s hat” Fr. Brandon helps persons set spiritual/religious goals (traditionally called a Rule of Life) based on Anglo-Catholic practices such as daily prayer, weekly Eucharist, and personal prayer/devotion. In addition to the expectations above, spiritual directees must be grounded in a faith community that helps solidify these practices into faithful action. The spirit of Father Brandon’s approach comes from St. Benedict’s “Rule” where prayer, study, and work are balanced and emphasized. He often says, “A life of prayer doesn’t have to be hard. It just has to be essential to one’s walk with Love.”

In 2017, Fr. Brandon was appointed by the Bishop of Atlanta to serve in the role of Dean to the Southwest Convocation of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. In the role of Dean, he works with parishes who find themselves searching for new priests after their former pastor goes onto a new call, or retires. He also works with priests, their staff, and the church’s leadership (called a Vestry) in leadership development and goal setting. Fr. Brandon serves on the board of Starting Over, a non-profit in the Douglasville area. Starting Over is a court-appointed visitation program that works closely with DFACS, judges, attorneys, and foster families. He also serves on the board of “Alas” (“Association Latino Americana Para La Salud”) another non-profit that provides family and therapy services to Spanish-speaking clients in the Douglasville area. He’s a proud father of two boys, and a loving husband to his wife, Ann. He and his family live in Atlanta near Emory University.