With more than 203 years of providing a spiritual sanctuary to residents of Hopkinton and surrounding towns, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church has long been a stronghold in the community. With longevity, however, comes change.

On Friday, Dec. 1, the Rev. Kevin Nichols, a Bow resident, will officially take over the church as the 25th rector in the church’s long history. Nichols was chosen after an 18-month search that scoured the country searching for the ideal fit.

Dave Young, senior warden at the church, said Nichols’ pastoral and worshiping skills are very strong, and will help him easily adapt, moving from a part-time position to a full-time ministry.

“I think primarily he has a personality and leadership style that really fits the parish perspective of who we are and where we are headed, and he had the experience to back that up,” said Young. “The fact that he came from the next town over was purely coincidental, but the bottom-line was we felt he most matched what we had been asked to look for.”

Nichols, in turn, is very excited about the opportunity to be part of St. Andrew’s continued spiritual growth.

“The community of St. Andrew’s in Hopkinton is just a vibrant, faith-filled community in so many ways and my hope is that I can bring to them a framework of spiritual meaning and wholeness from which the community lives out their life,” he said. “We all search for balance in life – for meaning – and that’s where community comes in. Ultimately, we all want to share our love and be loved.”

Nichols is a Connecticut native with a business degree from St. Bonaventure University.

Although he began his career in the corporate world, Nichols said he felt a higher calling.

“At first, my focus was just on working in the business world and I didn’t sense that ministry was something I would eventually do,” he said. “For me, it just became a sense of greater meaning or purpose. I began to look at my own life and my own values and began to think that ministry was a place where God was calling me.”

Following his heart, Nichols pursued and achieved a master’s in divinity from St. Mary’s Seminary and University. He was ordained in 1994.

Though he has balanced working in both the secular world and in parish ministry for more than a decade, Nichols said he looks forward to dedicating all his time to God’s work.

“It’s been a challenge in the sense that ministry has never been a part-time job. It may be something that you’re paid parttime for, but whether it’s a funeral, a wedding, a crisis or a number of other things, it’s work that can’t really be planned around,” he said. “It was also enriching because there were many moments in the secular world where my priesthood could really live itself up, including baptizing co-workers and their families and presiding at the wedding of customers of mine.

“So there were plenty of times in the so-called secular world when I could still bring my love of God and my own faith to the table.”

Nichols’ prior experience within the church includes serving as assistant rector at Christ Episcopal Church in Exeter and as rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Pittsfield for the past six years.

Now, he said, God has called him to be a full-time pastor, priest and teacher in Hopkinton.

“It’s my absolute joy and excitement to be able to be a part of the Hopkinton community and all that will bring with it,” he said. “I really look forward to being a part of it, as does my family.”

Nichols and his wife, Patti, who oversees Patient and Family Services, including the Spiritual Care Department at Concord Hospital, have four children, Graham, Lindsay, Bryan and Keaton – and a granddaughter, Taylor.

Nichols will celebrate his first Holy Eucharist at St. Andrew’s on Sunday, Dec. 3 – the First Sunday of Advent.

“I want to continue to work with the parish and let the community know that all are welcome, without exception,” said Nichols. “Everyone, whether you’re on the fringes of society, no matter your past, and God only knows your future, you are able to live out your life actively within this community without exception.”