The Reverend Charles L. Culpepper

1950 - 2019

The Reverend Charles L. (Chuck) Culpepper

Jackson - The Reverend Charles L. (Chuck) Culpepper, 69, died Sunday, July 28, 2019 at home. The funeral service will be held Friday, August 2 at 2:00 p.m. in the Chapel of the Duncan M. Gray Camp and Conference Center located at 1530 Way Road, Canton, MS. Visitation will begin at 12 noon in the Main Conference Room at Gray Center.

Chuck was born April 11, 1950 in Meridian, the son of Arlas Leland Culpepper and Virginia Hester Culpepper Dement. He attended Millsaps College and the University of Mississippi School of Law prior to undertaking theological studies at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, TX. Following seminary, Chuck served for three years at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Meridian, and then for seven years in the offices of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi as Canon for Youth and Youth Adult Ministries. At the direction of Bishop Duncan M. Gray, III, St. Alexis Episcopal Church was founded in 2006 in downtown Jackson. Chuck was the founding vicar of St. Alexis, and was serving that congregation and also serving as rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Brandon and as the long-term supply priest at Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Terry at the time of his death.

Chuck served as coordinator and spiritual director for numerous sessions of Happening in Mississippi and also served multiple times as director at Camp Bratton-Green for Junior High and 5th and 6th graders. He served at Camp Bratton-Green for over 30 years, beginning as a cabin parent.

Chuck mentored many young children, youth, and young adults throughout his career, many of whom are Episcopal priests in the Diocese of Mississippi. He was a long-time member of the diocesan Commission on Ministry, serving on both the Presbyter and the Young Adult Discernment Committees, as well as working diligently for justice and peace as a member of the diocesan Racial Reconciliation Task Force.

Chuck is lovingly survived by his wife, Katherine Johnson Culpepper, of Jackson; son, Andy Culpepper, and his wife, Alice, of Seattle, WA; sister, Ellen Culpepper Sprowls, and her husband, Alan, of Tallahassee, FL; nephews, Peter Sprowls of Gainesville, FL, and John Sprowls of Ft. Bragg, NC. He is also survived by his wife's loving family.

Memorials should be made to:

St. Alexis Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 783, Jackson, MS 39205;

St. Luke's Episcopal Church, P. O. Box 1899, Brandon, MS 39043-0301; or

The Church of the Good Shepherd, P. O. Box 325, Terry, MS 39170