Reverend Steven Clark Wilson
Pastor, Scholar, and Community Leader
Reverend Steven Wilson was born July 2, 1965, in Lebanon, Missouri, to Clark Lee and W. Marie (Barr) Wilson. Steven graduated from Lebanon R-III schools before earning degrees from Drury University (B.A.), Missouri State University (M.A.), and Yale Divinity School (M.Div.). He also studied abroad as a Rotary International Peace Fellow at Ruprecht-Karls-Universität in Heidelberg, Germany, and at the Goethe Institute, St. George’s College in Jerusalem, Hartford Seminary, and other institutions. He often joked that he received “the most expensive education money could buy.”
Ordained in 1994, Steven first served as assistant rector of Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia, then in 1999 became rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Carthage, Missouri—a role he called “the best job in The Episcopal Church.” Under his leadership, Grace grew in size and vitality, restored its historic building, launched a Hispanic ministry, planted a Bible Garden featured in The Wall Street Journal, and installed a custom-built 1,100-pipe organ.
Beyond parish ministry, Steven was active in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. He served on the boards of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Boone and Violet Porter Charitable Foundation, focusing on health and education in the Middle East. In the Diocese of West Missouri, he held roles including vice-president of Diocesan Council, secretary of the Standing Committee, dean of the Southern Deanery, and chair of the Commission on Ministry.
Locally, Steven contributed to the boards of St. Luke’s Nursing Center, the McCune-Brooks Health Care Foundation, and Mercy Hospital Carthage, where he helped establish the infusion unit and supported construction of a tornado shelter. His fundraising efforts extended worldwide, aiding hospitals, schools, and churches in the Philippines, Haiti, Gaza, Jordan, and beyond.
Steven’s ministry also included chaplaincy work at Connecticut’s Long Lane School for Boys and at the Pentagon, where he received a citation from the Secretary of the Navy. He often brought humor and creativity into his work—whether officiating unusual historical reenactments, donning the Ozarks’ first Krampus costume, or recalling his cameo in a 1980 after-school special with Marlo Thomas.
At the heart of his life was his family. He married Melinda A. Dunaway in 2001, and together they raised two children, Ashleigh and Gabriel. Balancing the demands of ministry with devotion to home, Steven found his greatest joy in time spent with them.
Having received the Sacrament, the Rev. Steven Clark Wilson entered eternal life on Monday, February 14, 2022, following a lengthy battle with cancer. He was interred in the Grace Church columbarium.
