Years ago, before I began ordained ministry, I was in my church’s foyer when the first service ended, and people started filing out. To my surprise, a coworker of mine walked out of the sanctuary (Nave). I said, “What are you doing here?” To which she replied, “I go to church here!” We had been coworkers for several years, yet we didn’t know we went to the same church. Admittedly, that church was considerably larger than Apostles, but it is still possible for us not to know others who go to a different service very well, and that’s too bad. So, from time to time, we will be sharing a little about different people from our Apostles’ Family.
To kick this off, I interviewed our new Sr. Warden, Felon Wilson. Felon was elected as a vestry member in 2022 and was named Sr. Warden at the February (2025) vestry meeting. He and his wife, Donna, found Apostles in 2012 while searching for a midsized, friendly church firmly rooted in the Gospel. Since then, he has served faithfully in many Apostles ministries.
I hope this interview helps you get a better picture of Felon. Of course, you can always catch him after the first service and ask some follow-up questions. Here’s the interview.
Q: Where are you from originally?
A: Monticello, Mississippi, a small town about 100 miles north of New Orleans.
Q: How did you meet your wife?
A: We met on a blind date while we were both at Mississippi State. We moved to Knoxville 3 months after we got married and have been married for 46 years.
Q: Do you have children and/or grandchildren?
A: We have a daughter and a son. Our daughter lives in Denver with her husband, our only grandchild, and our son lives in New York.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: I enjoy running and hiking. Donna and I love to travel, too.
Q: What is your favorite place you’ve visited, traveled to, or hiked?
A: It’s hard to pick just one. I’ve been to London on business many times, which I have always enjoyed. Paris is very nice. We have been to Cape Cod and Nantucket a couple of times recently, which has been very scenic and laid-back. The 4 corners area of Colorado is quite unique. We also travel to see our kids in New York and Denver.
Q: Other than serving on the Vestry, what are some different ways you serve at Apostles?
A: I serve on the Usher and Sound teams and volunteer at our Madison Place ministries.
Q: What is something people might not know about the Vestry that they should know?
A: It is not an extensive commitment of time. Serving on the Vestry is an opportunity to understand and influence the business and spiritual direction of the church.
Q: What will your focus for the Vestry be over the next year?
A: I hope we can make the work of the Vestry more visible to the church. 2025 will be a year where we are putting an emphasis on serving on volunteer teams so that everyone has a chance to participate and share the joy of serving.
Thank you to Felon for being willing to serve in the vital role of Sr. Warden and for being interviewed for this article.
