Good Shepherd Gains New Priest - Fr. Kelmereit Retires

Former Doctor Takes Lead At LaBelle And Fort Myers Churches
LABELLE, FL. -- Reverend Dr. David Jackson has replaced Reverend Alan Kelmereit at the joint ministry of Good Shepherd LaBelle and All Souls in North Fort Myers. Father Alan reached the mandatory retirement age for Episcopal Priests and will be retiring from many years of service in LaBelle and Fort Myers.

Rev. Jackson will be officially ordained an Episcopal priest on Sunday March 17th 2013 at 4 PM at All Souls in North Fort Myers. It will be a joint worship service with both All Souls and Good Shepherd parishes participating. Bishop Dabney Smith with officiate.

David Jackson was born in Leicester, England and graduated from the Wyggeston School for Boys in 1964 and then attended the Medical School of the University of Glasgow, Scotland, graduating in 1970.

At medical school Rev. Jackson says, "I met Yvette and we were married in 1968. We have 3 sons, David, Gavin and Craig, now 2 daughters in law, Stacy and Yvonne and 2 grandchildren, Yuna and Yuhan."

The family came to the US in 1981 and have lived in NY, CT, VA, NJ,PA and finally FL since 2003. After a few years in academic medicine he joined the pharmaceutical industry and worked there as a director of clinical research programs until 2010.

He then attended deacon training in the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida and was ordained to the diaconate in June 2009. Seminary education in a hybrid distance program at Nashotah House , WI, was completed in Dec. 2012 and ordination to the priesthood will be March 17.

On Jan 1, 2013 he was appointed as Bishop’s Vicar responsible for All Souls Episcopal Church in N. Fort Myers and Church of the Good Shepherd, La Belle.

Father Jackson says, "Yvette and I live in Cape Coral where we occasionally find time to paddle a kayak, cruise now and again, visit a restaurant or spend time with friends. We visit our dispersed children and grandchildren when we can."