The Reverend Jeunée Cunningham, vicar of Saint Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church after graduating with a Master in Divinity, cum laude, from Virginia Theological Seminary in May 2000. She has served at Saint James’ Episcopal Church since her graduation until being commissioned as a church planter to begin Saint Gabriel’s.
Pastor Jeunée came to the Episcopal Church after growing up as what she describes a “generic Protestant,” having attended a variety of churches including Presbyterian, Church of Christ, Church of God and a Missionary Alliance Church.

Jeunée is a graduate of Georgetown University, a Jesuit college, where she earned her Bachelors of Science in Languages and Linguistics with a major in French. She and her husband, Chris, were married in an Episcopal Church just after college, and they both have come to love the depth of tradition and variety of expression found in this particular denomination. Pastor Jeunée’s first career was language teaching. She has taught both high school and middle school French and English, as well as Adult English as a Second Language courses. Later, Jeunée began a small business selling Inkadinkado® Rubber Stamps at three retail mall locations in the DC metro area. For several years, while her three children were very young, Jeunée ran a home-based family day care. During this time, Jeunée felt an ever-growing call to Christian ministry, which culminated in her being selected to pursue Holy Orders.

Jeunée’s husband, Chris, who until recently was serving full time as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserves, is now attending seminary full-time, with the intention of becoming an ordained Episcopal Priest.
Today, Jeunée, Chris, and their three children, Christopher, Elisabeth and Phillip, live in Leesburg and are excited about the years ahead as they work to help grow Saint Gabriel’s. To read some of Pastor Jeunée’s recent sermons, click here.