Clergy

Clergy at Christ Church of the Ascension

The Very Rev. Daniel P. Richards, Rector

The Rev. Daniel Richards has spent his career teaching about the Rule of God and welcoming the children of God home. He is a passionate preacher and teacher who fell in love with liturgy in college. That love of liturgy led from a Baptist childhood steeped in Scripture to ministry in the Episcopal Church after college.

Daniel has served professionally in the church since 1995. Ordained as a priest in 2003, Daniel earned his Master of Divinity from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific while serving St. James Episcopal Church in San Francisco as a worship leader and intern and at the Diocese of California as Associate Coordinator of Young Adult Ministries and Church Development. He served parishes in both Tucson and Phoenix, as curate and vicar, before heading to Traverse City, Michigan, where he served as rector of Grace Episcopal Church and dean of the Grand Traverse Area Deanery. He has led international trips for both missions and pilgrimage, consulted with both secular and faith groups about culture and leadership, and currently serves as the Chaplain to the Phoenix Fire Department. 

Daniel lives in Phoenix with his wife Amy and three children where he reads voraciously, writes, and enjoys trail running in absurd temperatures. You can find his personal writing at HiddenHabits.org and find him on social media @danieloftheway on everything. He can be reached at 602-840-8210 or daniel.richards@ccaaz.org.