Reverend Winnie Varghese made history as the first woman dean of the Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York City, United States. She is the 12th dean of the historic church. Born in Kerala’s Kaviyoor, in Pathanamthitta, she moved to the US with her parents when she was a child. Before her recent appointment, she served as rector of St Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

Varghese went to Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, and earned her bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She then graduated from Union Theological Seminary with her Master of Divinity degree in 1999. She was ordained to the diaconate in Los Angeles in 1999 and to the priesthood six months later in 2000.

Varghese has served as the Priest and Director of Community Outreach at historic Trinity Episcopal Church-Wall Street in New York. She is also a podcaster and blogger on Huffington Post. She also served as the chair of the board of The Episcopal Service Corps and leads social action efforts at the national and local levels. 

Varghese has also published several books, including A Journey of Faith: Church and Homosexuality(2014), published by the Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society (CISRS). The book explores the stance of Indian churches on homosexuality. She narrates her personal faith journey as a lesbian Christian and ordained minister.