Pastor Cuttino (pronounced “CUT-no”) Alexander came to Christus Victor in January 2017, having served as pastor at two parishes in North Carolina. He grew up in a small town in the foothills North Carolina and attended Presbyterian and Episcopal churches. Cuttino studied at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Morehead Scholar. He graduated with degrees in history and Russian language. While at UNC-Chapel Hill, he became active in Lutheran Campus Ministry, where he discovered his call to ministry and met his wife, Jessica.
Before entering seminary, Cuttino served as a US Peace Corps Volunteer. For two years, he worked in the country of Georgia as a consultant to a non-profit organization that served homeless youth and refugees. In 2009, Cuttino returned to the United States and enrolled at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. During his internship year of seminary, Cuttino was assigned again to Tbilisi, Georgia, to work as a vicar in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Georgia. There, he (somewhat) mastered preaching in Russian and (totally) mastered driving Soviet-made jeeps.
Cuttino is especially passionate about preaching, advocacy, and global mission. He was the 2013 recipient of the David H. C. Read Preacher/Scholar Award, given by Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church of New York City. He has been the featured preacher on the Day1 radio program and he is a contributor to Sundays and Seasons: Preaching. In Ocean Springs, he has worked with community partners to speak out against white supremacy and promote racial healing. He also works on the state and regional level with the Southeastern Synod Advocacy Team.
Outside of church, Cuttino enjoys traveling, spending time with his family, and performing with the local theater.