MC Park System’s eco-elephant family flea market coming soon
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Pride flag flies in Long Branch
June 11, 2021
Long Branch – Father William C. Noble, Priest- in-Charge at St. James’ Episcopal Church has recently celebrated 51 consecutive years as an ordained Episcopal priest. Father Noble’s long and varied career as a priest has taken him from Georgia where he was ordained in l970 at Saint Paul’s Church, Albany, Georgia to Maryland, West Germany, New Jersey, Virginia, Kansas, Belgium, New York and back to New Jersey where he has served for 5 years at St. James’ in Long Branch.
At the age of 17, Father Noble had a family crisis during which he sought out a church where despite inner fragmentation, he could find unity and hope. He found such a place in the Episcopal church and although he always believed in God, Father Noble was now drawn to serving the church. Armed with a BA in English from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee in l962, he taught high school English for a couple of years before entering General Semi- nary in New York City in l965.
Over his 51-year tenure Bill has used, and continues to use, his gifts to work toward the good of the church, no matter where in the world he was serving or in what capacity. Bill has a vision for the church in today’s world and along with his incredibly high energy level, he works tirelessly to invite those with whom he comes in contact to walk with him on the journey. “The church must be al- ways on mission, never a museum,” said Bill.
In l975 Father Noble became a chaplain in the US Army serving first in Fort Polk, Louisiana where he met and married Lilliane Guyon. They were soon transferred to West Germany and over the next 20 years they and their two young children crisscrossed the Atlantic Ocean serving in both Europe and the United States moving 13 times.
Father Noble said, “I learned that Jesus knows how we suffer, and that He is with us,” by following a shepherd in West Germany who took his flock safely through the hills and through the motor pools of artillery units.”
One of the most challenging posts in which Father Noble served was that of Chaplain at Arlington National Cemetery in the mid l970’s. During that time he often performed seven funerals a day. Because he only had about 15 minutes with the family before the ceremony, Father Noble said, “I learned to listen and how to honor the other person.” In this setting Father Noble said, “I saw first hand how the church puts the best against the worst that life offers. The church, he said, reassures us that “out of death there is a possibility of hope.”
In 2006 Father Noble returned to the world of academia and received a certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy and Psychoanalysis from the Blanton Peale Institute in New York City. In addition to his work as a priest, Father Noble also has a private practice in psychoanalysis.
When asked about his own faith journey, he said, “I look forward to every Sunday. To me the Eucharist is the most important part the week. There are three special moments: To take bread, to break, and to give in feeding to others.”
He said, “To me the best sermon is delivered of a prepared heart. I try to accomplish this.” Accomplish this he does. Father Noble’s sermons do come from his heart. They come from passion and from faith. They come from love for every single person sitting in the pews in front of him.
