The Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, Bishop of Long Island, will ordain Benjamin Brenkert, Jae Wan Chung, Douglas C. Mohrmann, Cameron Michael Walker and Sheng Wang to the sacred order of Priests, Saturday September 14th at 11 AM in the Cathedral of the Incarnation.
The ordination is open to the public, and will be live streamed.
View the Live Stream
Meet the Ordinands
The Rev. Dr. Benjamin Brenkert
The Rev. Dr. Benjamin James Brenkert, EdD, LMSW, SIFI, originally from Valley Stream, Long Island, is married to Willian Hernandez Brenkert (originally from El Salvador), they live in Jackson Heights with their beloved cockatiels and pet fish. The Brenkerts worship in English and Spanish at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Jackson Heights, New York.
Benjamin is a tenured school social worker assigned to four New York City public schools in Brooklyn, an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John's University, and an author. His clinical expertise is in school social work and palliative and end-of-life care. He actively supervises graduate students of social work during their field education, including students from Fordham University and Columbia University.
Brenkert writes about Ignatian Pedagogy and Public Education, Character Formation, Teacher Training, Spirituality for the Classroom and Ethics. Brenkert is a former member of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). He earned graduate degrees in Theology from Boston College and the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church. At Teachers College, Columbia University, Brenkert completed his doctorate under the tutelage of Ernest Morrell, Christopher Emdin, and Pierre Faller.
Brenkert is also a scholar of the Newport Sex Scandal, 1919-1921. He is published by the Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, The Advocate, Out Magazine, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the Huffington Post, the Daily Beast, and other outlets. Brenkert is thankful for the love and support of his husband, Willian, their families, the members of St. Mark's Episcopal Church and his many friends and companions that have accompanied him throughout his discernment. Brenkert knows his parents, Albert and Loretta are looking down on him from above with joy and gratitude, and encourage him onward in his ordination to the priesthood
The Rev. Jae Wan Chung
The Rev. Jae Wan Chung was born and grew up in Seoul, Korea. After receiving his B.S. in Electrical Engineering, he served as an officer of Facility Construction Squad in the Korean Navy for three years. In the Navy, he helped the Korean Naval Academy cadets as a spiritual director. Once released from the Navy, he went to Hanshin Theological Seminary, the oldest Presbyterian seminary in Korea, married Ala, a Christian Educator, and moved together to the United States for further study at Eden Theological Seminary (M.Div. St. Louis, MO) in 2001.
Jae Wan took Anglican Liturgy from the Rt. Rev. Wayne Smith, Bishop of Missouri, at Eden. He was interested in the Episcopal liturgy but was ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA), following his family tradition in 2010 (Presbytery of Florida). He served a Korean American church in Florida for seven years and received a calling for a Korean church in Long Island in 2015. Jae and Ala have three sons living in California: Sehyun (software engineer in San Francisco), Joonha (film studies at UC Santa Barbara), and Gunwoo (economics at UC Los Angeles).
Jae likes walking the trails at Cold Spring Harbor with Ala and playing soccer and basketball with his three boys. They enjoy camping during the summer and snowboarding in the winter. After serving churches predominantly in Korean Christian culture, he questioned and was concerned about the genuine Christian spirituality, especially through the pandemic period. From the Episcopal liturgy and the practice of contemplative prayer, he found a way of true spiritual practice in the Anglican tradition. Now he is serving as curate at St. Margaret’s in Plainview and establishing a Korean Episcopal congregation for the true living community seeking for union with Christ in the Episcopal liturgy and spirituality.
The Rev. Dr. Douglas C. Mohrmann
The Rev. Dr. Douglas C. Mohrmann has been fulfilling his field placement at the Cathedral of the Incarnation, during which time he was ordained to the Deaconate. Previously he was Visiting Scholar at Union Theological Seminary, and he has served as professor of biblical studies at The General Theological Seminary and Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, MI). At Cornerstone, he served as Chair of the Religion and Ministry Division and was Co-Director of the Honors Program. There he also founded the Center for the Study of Antiquity and led several trips to Greece and Israel. In 2023, his commentary on LXX Deuteronomy was published by Brill. He has also published articles in the Anglican Theological Review (2021, 2019). His current writing project is on spirituality in the time of Jesus.
Douglas’s formal education began at Evangel University (Springfield, MO) in Mathematics and Bible. His seminary work was at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (S. Hamilton, MA) with emphases in New Testament and Biblical Languages. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Durham (England) under the supervision of James D. G. Dunn.
Douglas and his wife, Rebecca, live in West Hempstead, NY, while their home parish is Church of the Ascension (Brooklyn). They are proud to be parents of Jessica, Barbara, Joshua, Alyssa, John, and Timothy. Love of the outdoors is motivation for their backpacking and hiking in remote areas of Michigan, Minnesota, and Maine. Gardening, riding bikes, and walking their golden retriever, Winston, are other favored pastimes.
The Rev. Cameron Michael Walker
The Rev. Cameron “Cam” Walker was ordained to the diaconate by the Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano on February 7, 2024 at St. Anskar’s Episcopal Church in Hartland, Wisconsin. In May, he graduated from Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Nashotah, Wisconsin, with his Master of Divinity.
In seminary, Cam served as the senior class representative and as a choral scholar in the seminary chapel. He was called as curate to St. John’s of Lattingtown Church, in Locust Valley, beginning his ministry there in July. Under the rector, the Rev. Mark L. Fitzhugh, Cam’s ministry involves working with and supporting liturgy, music, education, and pastoral care.
Cam earned his Bachelor of Arts in political science and legal studies from Olivet Nazarene University in 2018. While in college, Cam actively participated in student council, student-based law societies, and marching and symphonic band. Originally trained in trumpet and tenor saxophone, Cam now primarily uses his love for music in supporting the growing music program at St. John’s.
In his free time, Cam enjoys reading biographies, traveling, being anywhere near the water, cooking, gardening, collecting, and being with his family. Originally from Fenton, Michigan, Cam is the son of Darrin and Melony Walker. It is their commitment to Jesus Christ and their faithful prayers that Cam credits to planting the seeds of this calling in his heart. It is also to the rest of his family and friends that have encouraged, supported, and discerned this calling that he gives heartfelt thanks and appreciation.
The Rev. Sheng Wang (Samuel)
My name is Sheng Wang (Samuel), and I am from Tianjin, China. Together with my wife and daughter, we have built a warm and happy family in New York. This year, my daughter graduated from college, marking an important milestone in her own journey. I look forward to her career development in the future.
In 2023, I completed my studies at Minghua Theological Seminary in Hong Kong. During internships at St. George's Church in Flushing and St. Francis Church in Bellmore, I deepened my understanding of pastoral care and community outreach. These internships not only enriched my faith life but also strengthened my humility and compassion in serving others.
I’m spending my curacy at St. Francis Church. This experience has deepened my understanding of the values of St. Francis. He inspires my ministry as a protector of nature and a symbol of peace and kindness. I am firmly committed to serving others and sharing faith and service as expressions of love through my work and dedication to God.