The Rev. Tony Welty (Fr. Tony) began his duties as the 7th Rector of The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in July, 2010. Prior to joining the Good Shepherd community, Fr. Tony spent four years as an Associate Rector at St. George's Episcopal Church in Nashville, Tennessee. During his tenure at St. George's, Fr. Tony spent most of his time building community amongst young adults, ministering to young families and serving as the church's Kindergarten Chaplain. He has also served churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois. Fr. Tony and his wife, Cherie, have taught numerous classes on marriage enrichment and parenting, drawing heavily upon their experience as parents of four growing children. After graduating from Ole Miss in 1992, with a degree in finance, Fr. Tony spent several years in the corporate world before experiencing a dramatic conversion to the Christian faith. A few years later, he attended seminary at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. While not in and around his office on the Good Shepherd campus, Fr. Tony enjoys listening to and playing music, writing, most kinds of sports, hearing and telling stories, and hanging out with his family. He is the author of Ricardo the Fierce, his first children's book, which was published in 2006.