Rev. Dexter Sutton Brewer

A diocesan priest, Father Dexter Brewer became the fifth pastor of Christ the King in September 2007 after 13 years as the pastor of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Decherd, Tennessee.

A Chattanooga native, Father Brewer is one of seven children. He grew up in a musical home where the children learned to play piano at a young age. As a teenager, he landed a job playing piano at a Baptist church where he was baptized. He first attended Mass when he was a student at Yale University. He describes it as "one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life. I could feel the presence of the Spirit there."

He began to attend Mass regularly and was confirmed during his freshman year. By the time he earned a bachelor's degree in music history and theory, he was considering the priesthood and law school. He decided to attend law school at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, where he could consider both vocations. He earned his law degree in 1982 and clerked for a Tennessee Supreme Court justice for one year. By then, his call to the priesthood was clear and he returned to Notre Dame to study theology. He completed his studies at St. Meinrad in 1989 and was ordained at Nashville's Cathedral of the Incarnation.

Following ordination, Father Brewer taught at Father Ryan High School and served St. Henry's parish for three years before moving to Washington, D.C., to study canon law at Catholic University. While there, he ran his first marathon. Now an avid runner, he has completed many marathons around the world.

In addition to his service as pastor of Christ the King, he serves as Vicar General for the Diocese of Nashville.