Rev. Marta Conway: New Priest at St. David's, Caldwell

Welcome to Rev. Marta Conway: Priest at St. David's, Caldwell

I am pleased to announce the appointment of The Rev. Marta Conway as the priest for the Episcopal Church, St. David's, in Caldwell. She has quite a journey and an amazing preacher. Please read more about her below.

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Reverend Mother Marta attended the University of Texas at El Paso, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Upon graduating, she secured a job on the pediatric hemo/oncology floor, where she specialized in end-of-life issues for many years, and then transferred to the NICU.  This lead her to Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary answering God’s call further toward Chaplaincy, where she completed a class on clinical pastoral care of those suffering with drug and alcohol issues at Shoal Creek Drug rehabilitation center.

Upon graduating from seminary with an MDIV in 2006, she entered a one-year residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, and served as a part-time Associate Pastor at Alamo Heights Christian Church (Marta was licensed in the Christian Church (DOC) in March 2006). Mother Marta served as a part-time solo Pastor at Holy Ground Christian Church for 2 years while continuing her chaplaincy career.  Upon graduating from her Clinical Pastoral residency, she continued as a PRN Chaplain at Methodist Transplant & Specialty Hospital as well as serving as an area sexual assault response team chaplain.  She was ordained in June 2007 at Central Christian Church in Austin, Texas, and in September 2007, she took a position at Morningside Ministry as a staff chaplain, where she specialized in the spiritual care of those with dementia for 2 years.

On September 13, 2009, Mother Marta entered the Army. She spent almost 15 years as an active-duty U.S. Army Chaplain including 2 combat tours in Afghanistan. She also completed a 2-year tour with the Old Guard as a Chaplain at Arlington National Cemetery, where she began the process of becoming an Episcopal Priest. Marta then served for 2 years at the altar of Grace Episcopal church in Alexandria, Va. where she was ordained as a priest on Pentecost, June 9, 2019.  In August 2019, she was transferred to Ft Bliss in El Paso, Tx. and became the Deputy Chief of Pastoral Care at William Beaumont Army Medical Center.

Six months later, she became the Chief of the Pastoral Care Department for the next 18 months during the COVID Pandemic.  She retired from the Army in April 2023 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, where she oversaw all religious resources and led a new initiative to launch a Chapel Service aimed at reaching young military families, using the liturgy of the Episcopal Church. The service grew to 68 by the end of the first year.  Mother Marta has been on a sabbatical for the last 3 years in prayer and Spiritual Direction, seeking where God was calling her next. Mother Marta has felt a strong call in prayer to come to parish ministry and looks forward to serving God, and the community at St David’s in Caldwell.