The Rev. Sheldon Hutchison, Ph.D.

Assisting Priest

About Rev. Sheldon
After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1971 Sheldon became what's known as a "spook" at the NSA (with both a technical and linguistic background (He speaks Russian) he enjoyed his work) before deciding to go back and get a Ph.D. in Physical Electronics. (He didn't ultimately enjoy the thought of being a civil servant forever.) Then in 1980 moved to California and worked in the laser industry. Eileen and Sheldon were married in 1997 and live in Sunnyvale. In 2000, he finally gave himself permission to pause that career in order to pursue another vocation, and entered CDSP in Berkeley that year. He was ordained--oddly enough on his birthday--in 2004 and have served in a variety of parishes (including the county jail system as one of their professional chaplains), as well as returning to the laser world, from which he "sort of" retired in 2021.

At CCLA, Sheldon is an Assisting Priest, pretty much as he has been for other parishes over the years. As such, he does everything a priest does, and as many parishioners will attest, that's a rather long list.

Fun Fact about Rev. Sheldon: Okay, so I'm both a Scientist/Engineer and Priest. I was also that kid in Sunday School who persistently asked too many questions. That's a key to who I am: for me, science and religion aren't compatible with one another, yet I feel comfortable with both vocations because I treat them both the same. I keep asking questions and take very little at face value. That has been the basis of my technology as well as my theology. The strength of my convictions in both worlds rests on these ideas.

When I was 15, I wanted to be a Priest, but my Dad said I'd "grow out of it."

If we had an office talent show... Actually, just let me applaud those who have'em.