Although he clearly got his game pieces mixed up, it's no surprise the 4-year old budding chess player would assign his grandfather a position just behind the rank and file of the game: it's where Hobby has faithfully served the last 30 years as an ordained member of the Anglican priesthood. But how does the rector of a relatively new congregation from a small town in south Georgia become the bishop-elect of one of the country's biggest -- some would say its flagship -- diocese?

It's not difficult to connect the dots. A graduate of Trinity School for Ministry, Hobby was ordained in 1986 in the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh and his first two churches were located in Pennsylvania. He served those two "yoked" congregations for four years before a three-year term in Darien, Connecticut. In 1993, he was called to Tallahassee, Florida, where he would spend the next 23 years in parish ministry and missions, and become a key leader in the emergence of a new Anglican diocese in Florida, one that would ultimately find its home within the ACNA.

Hobby's influence within Florida began when he was asked to serve on the strategic planning committee for the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, then later on as a member of their Global Missions Catalyst Committee. As his influence among regional church leaders grew, leadership among the larger Episcopal church would prove to have a profound effect on the landscape of the denomination he was serving: when the sands began to shift in the late 1990s, Hobby became an integral voice in the desire for a more orthodox faith.

Starting around 2005, he helped to solidify what would later be called the Gulf Atlantic Diocese (GAD). This "Anglican Alliance of North Florida" umbrella group became a safe haven for churches that made the hard decision to leave their Episcopal dioceses. GAD quickly grew to include the southern portions of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, including a group of Episcopalians from Thomasville who wanted to plant a new church in the Anglican tradition.

Hobby came to Thomasville in January 2007 from his home church at St. Peter's in Tallahassee to serve as the interim rector with the newly-formed Trinity congregation. At the time, he was director of St. Peter's Ethne Mission Networking and Equipping, a position he took on after having served in executive leadership for Global Teams as its U.S. mobilization director. At Global Teams, his responsibilities included encouraging mission involvement in congregations and overseeing training of missionaries; at Ethne, those efforts were focused more locally on mobilizing and equipping ministry efforts for congregations in Tallahassee and surrounding areas. His experience as a priest and gifting in the area of leadership mobilization made him the perfect person to be tasked with leading the fledgling parish in their quest to find a priest.

Hobby initially commuted back and forth from Tallahassee to Thomasville for the better part of 2007 until the congregation realized that the man they had been searching for was right in front of them. Hobby was joyfully installed as Trinity's first rector in November 2007, only to experience his first major crisis one month later when the church suddenly and tragically lost Alan George, one of its most dedicated visionaries.

With George having worn the hats of administrator, youth leader, and contemporary worship leader, Hobby found himself again looking for the perfect leader to step into the work of the newly formed church and help minister to its hurting members: a role that was soon filled by his wife and fellow Anglican priest, Shari. His wife's experience as a hospital chaplain and ordained priest, coupled with her gifting in the areas of administrative and pastoral leadership development, was the perfect complement to his own gifts and the parish's needs, and the congregation flourished under their joint leadership.

As his congregation began to grow under the umbrella of the newly formed Anglican Church in North America, so did Hobby's involvement in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese. He was named a member of its Ordination Preparation Team and, one year later, was appointed canon for Congregational Development by Bishop Neil Lebhar, overseeing multi-state church planting efforts and encouraging congregational health. He received a coveted invitation to attend the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in 2008, a seven-day conference of conservative Anglican bishops and leaders held in Jerusalem to address the growing controversy of the divisions in the Anglican Communion. He also continued to teach on such varied courses as the Old and New Testaments, Church History, Global Missions, Christian Apologetics, and World Religions -- not surprising given the breadth and depth of his reading interests.

As his own sphere of influence began to widen, so did his wife Shari's, who shares a similar resume of accomplishments and experience: member of Bishop's staff; Global Teams director; Ethne missionary; parish priest; even GAFCON attendee (Nairobi, 2013).

The Hobby partnership that started 36 years ago is going strong and made even stronger by a mutual love for the church and their shared calling.

"We have seen our ministry here as a partnership and look forward to continuing that partnership in the Diocese of Pittsburgh," stated Jim.

Added Shari, "We look forward to seeing what God has in store both for us and the Trinity Parish. And, with children and grandchildren living in both Thomasville and Tallahassee, we will be back on a regular basis. Trinity and Thomasville have a piece of our hearts that will go with us to Pittsburgh."

Soon to celebrate its 10th anniversary this October, Trinity has thrived under the Hobbys' leadership. Since their arrival, Jim has served Thomasville's Board of Community Transformation and fostered local relationship with Goal Line Ministries, Project Backyard, Young Life and the Pregnancy Center of Southwest Georgia. Local chapters of Alcoholics Anonymous and the Boys and Girls Club regularly use the church's West Jackson building, which has also hosted events as varied as a film festival for children during FLAUNT, the Wiregrass Camellia Society's Annual Camellia Show and regular "Sundays at 4" concerts for Thomas University.

Additionally, Hobby has nurtured and expanded his love for outreach among his mission-minded congregants. Under his leadership, the church has continued to support the Ugandan diocese of South Rwenzori that was a key part of its formation and has established a relatively new partnership with Global Teams to bring the gospel to the Kotia people of India. They also have established a secondary "campus" at Rose City Estates, a local trailer park where Trinity operates tutoring services for resident children as well as weekly Bible studies and Vacation Bible School.

"I have had the privilege of working with Father Jim Hobby for the past three years on vestry," said Jonathan Groover, Trinity's senior warden. "Father Jim has been an invaluable part of Trinity's life. In a time where many doubt the integrity of Christian ministers, Father Jim has lived and demonstrated uncompromising integrity and a true, humble character in his life and in his leadership of this congregation. His quiet, humble leadership is rare in today's climate. In his new position as bishop of Pittsburgh, he will be able to utilize his gifts as a vision-caster, exhorter, and preacher, to constantly call God's people to follow Jesus intensely and join with God in His mission to reclaim the world. Trinity's loss is Pittsburgh's great gain."

How does Hobby feel about this sudden turn of events in his life and ministry?

"Early on in the process, one morning the Lord seemed to say to me, 'Embrace the adventure,'" Hobby remarked.

Not one to ignore such a call, he willingly submitted to the discernment process and allowed his name to move forward as a candidate for possible bishop in the diocese where he had gotten his start as a parish priest nearly three decades earlier. When, on April 23, he received the majority of votes from both clergy and laity, he humbly acknowledged "God's call, not my capacity; God's grace, not my gifting; Christ's cross, not my competence; the Spirit's power, not my personality."

It was a typical response of a man whose ministry has been marked by obedience and a willingness to serve in any capacity.

He is excited as he looks to the future in Pittsburgh, where he sees significant mission opportunities among the churches entrusted to his care as well as the people who live and work in the city, many of whom are students at one of the area's 40 colleges, including the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon and Duquesne University. Unquestioningly, he will be building on a solid foundation of godly leadership passed on from Archbishop Duncan.

"When I talk to people in the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh, they express high regard and warm affection for Archbishop Duncan. I deeply desire to continue the legacy of godly leadership established by 'Bishop Bob' and his predecessor, Bishop Alden Hathaway, who ordained me as a deacon and a priest."

Hobby will continue to have significant roots in the community that he's called home for the past nine years.

"Shari and I have both connected with Trinity very deeply and it will be hard to leave. We have loved our time in this community, both Trinity and Thomasville. When we leave, we'll be leaving lots of close friends, not to mention three daughters and a passel of grandkids."

"But Trinity is in a great place. It's very stable with excellent leaders. I'm looking forward to seeing who God calls to lead Trinity to the next level."

If all goes as expected, Hobby's election will be confirmed by the ACNA's College of Bishops during one of their biannual meetings in Charleston, South Carolina, in June and his consecration will be held on Sept. 10 at St. Paul Cathedral in downtown Pittsburgh.

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