The Rev. Dr. Woodleigh Volland
(352) 973-5606
Born and raised in the Episcopal Church, "Woody" gave his life to Christ while working on his first master's degree. Following several short career paths in state and federal government, non-profits and corporations, he finally accepted a call to ministry in 1987. Having attended Trinity School for Ministry (where he was the only student to ever receive the Allin Fellowship) and prior to his ordination, Woody was blessed to have worked alongside John Howe, Neil Lebhar, Terry Fullum, Martyn Minns, Peter Moore, John Guest, Mike Henning and Chuck Murphy. His parochial ministry started in the Diocese of South Carolina as Assistant Minister to Rick Belser at St. Michael's. After three years, he was called to Holy Trinity in West Ashley, where he remained for seven years. During his time in this diocese, he was involved in Cursillo/Kairos, a member of the Standing Committee, Diocesan Director the Christian Education Network, a member of the Diocesan Evangelism Commission, and Diocesan Chaplain to the Daughters of the King. In 1999, Woody accepted a call from Bp. Howe to be the Rector of St. Edward's Episcopal Church in Mount Dora, FL. He married Nancy in 2003, who, in a remarkable show of grace, moved her and her two daughters from their home in Mt. Pleasant to live in Florida. During the next seven years, Woody taught classes for the Diocese of Central Florida, was a member of the Diocesan Board, Dean of the Northwest Deanery, and member of the Diocesan Evangelism Commission. In 2008, as TEC continued its departure from orthodoxy, Woody resigned from TEC and became a member of the AMIA/ACNA, under Bishop John Miller and Bishop Neil Lebhar, respectively. He planted the 150-member Epiphany Anglican Church, where he served for 11 years. It was during this time that he acquired his doctorate in Homiletics from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (where he was later hired as an Adjunct Professor for Homiletics) and was chairman of the Standing Committee, Gulf Atlantic Diocese. Woody "retired" in 2019 to pursue a hobby in woodworking and spend more time with Nancy, the five children they share and their five grandchildren. As he promised Nancy back in 2003, they have now moved back to The Holy City and live in Mt Pleasant with their two Golden Retrievers, still doing woodworking, playing pickleball and hoping that he can be of some service to the Bishop and clergy of ADOSC On an important note, Woody's true call to ministry occurred at TESM, when Bp David Pytches laid hands on him, spoke Jeremiah 23:9 into his life and declared him to be a "prophet." Thus, his favorite verse is Jude 25, and his passion is to "share the compelling Truth of Jesus Christ" and to help other preachers improve their ability to do likewise.