The Reverend Kenneth Stuart Bradstreet Campbell

 June 19, 1941 – October 2, 2025
The Reverend Kenneth Stuart Bradstreet Campbell passed away peacefully on October 2, 2025 at the age of 84. He died at the place of his birth, Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Massachusetts with his wife Ruth and family at his side. Beloved husband, father, grandfather, priest, teacher, and tireless advocate for justice and peace, Ken led his life as a testament to faithful service, compassion, and commitment to community.
   Ken was a lifelong learner and seeker of wisdom. He earned a B.S. from Boston State College (now UMass Boston), an M.A. in History from Brigham Young University, and a Master of Divinity from Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, MA. He was ordained to the diaconate in 1969 and to the priesthood in 1970 in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts in which he served for over five decades.
Ken began his vocation as a high school history teacher in Boston before being called to ministry. He served as curate at Church of the Holy Spirit in Orleans, priest-in-charge of the summer chapel of St. James the Fisherman in Wellfleet (1969–1972), rector of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in North Billerica (1972–1981), and rector of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Wilbraham (1981–2004). After his retirement in 2005 he served as interim rector at Christ Church Harwichport (2017-2018). He was proud to have served as a supply priest at every Episcopal Church on Cape Cod, including his personal favorite, Trinity Episcopal Church on Ocean Park, Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard. He was an active parish member and collaborator at Church of the Holy Spirit until his passing.
Ken was a passionate and active leader in church governance and social justice initiatives. He served in numerous leadership roles in both the Diocese of Massachusetts and the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, including President of the Standing Committee, Vice-President of the Diocesan Council, and Chair of multiple commissions focused on justice and peace. He was a mentor in the Education for Ministry program for a decade, a spiritual director for Cursillo, and a vocal advocate for ecumenical and interfaith dialogue.
Ken worked in his retirement with fellow clergy to form the Nauset Interfaith Association (NIA), a volunteer association of clergy and lay leaders of 24 member congregations on lower and outer Cape Cod. Their mission is to deepen understanding between faith traditions; to provide mutual support and encouragement to each other; and to work together for the common good of our wider community, especially standing with the poor, oppressed, and marginalized. NIA and its faith communities gather on the ancestral and often unceded homeland of the Nauset and Monomoy people of the Wampanoag Nation.
Ken’s love for learning and teaching took him across the world, from courses at Canterbury Cathedral in England and St. George’s College in Jerusalem to study programs at Oxford University, England and the Isle of Iona, Scotland. He brought these experiences home with humility and joy, weaving them into his preaching, ministry, and conversations with friends and parishioners alike.
At the heart of his life was his family. Ken married Ruth Williams of Brookline on August 26, 1967, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Boston. Together they built a life rooted in love, faith, and service. He was a devoted father to Matthew (married to Kim Chapin), Joshua, and Katharine (married to Bill Simons), and a proud and involved grandfather to Abigail, Liam, Zachary, Joseph, and Samuel. In recent years, Ken found great joy in helping to care for his grandchildren and supporting Ruth in her summer food ministry, “Food4Kids.”
Ken loved history, classical music, English mysteries, gardening, the Boston Red Sox and walking by the sea, especially in the quieter months. He was deeply inspired by writers like Marcus Borg and the poet Mary Oliver, and found beauty in both the church’s liturgy and our natural world. He believed that the Christian call to justice, peace, and inclusion of all, is not optional… It is essential.
Ken’s life touched countless people through his wisdom, humor, humility, and unwavering dedication to the Gospel’s call to love and serve. He will be profoundly missed.
A service of Resurrection will be held October 18, 2025 at 11:00am, Church of the Holy Spirit, Orleans, MA. Reception to follow and all are invited. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ken’s memory to Nauset Interfaith Association. Please be sure to note: Attention: Youth Outreach and Hospitality Program, P.O. Box 315, Wellfleet, MA 02667.