Ministry

It’s been brought to my attention that the description of how I resigned from ordained ministry in the Anglican Church in North America in November 2023 might not be canonically accurate. ❗ Important UDPATE: As of 2026-01-09, I’ve asked that we clarify my November 2023 resignation from ministry in the ACNA by just sticking to the exact wording of the ACNA Canons. No extra “this is/isn’t different from renouncing Holy Orders” qualifications needed. The Problem: Resigning is Renouncing? In November 2023, here’s how I put it (emphasis added to highlight the parts now in question): ...

#ACNAtoo is a movement of survivors of ACNA-related abuse & their supporters seeking justice, repentance, healing & a healthier ACNA. This is an overview of the movement including what you can do to hear, to support, and to respond. By Whitney Evans Harrison and Conor Hanson. Why we are here In May 2019, Cherin’s 9-year-old daughter confided in her that she had been repeatedly sexually abused by Mark Rivera, a lay catechist at Christ Our Light Anglican (COLA), the church they attended in Big Rock, Illinois. ...

Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd who cares for his flock: We ask you to bestow upon your Church the gifts of the Holy Spirit in abundance, and to raise up from among us faithful and able persons called to the ministries of Deacon, Priest, and Bishop. Inspire them to spend and be spent for the sake of the Gospel, and make them holy and loving servants and shepherds of the flock for whom you shed your most precious blood. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen**.** ...

I’m getting ordained to the priesthood this Saturday, November 02. For public/posterity’s sake, I wanted to post some of the main parts of the ordination liturgy (from the ACNA’s 2019 Book of Common Prayer). The Presentation The Bishop and People sit. The Presenters, standing before the Bishop, present the Ordinand, saying Reverend Father in God, we present N.N. to be admitted to the Order of Priests. Bishop: Has he been selected in accordance with the Canons of this Church? And do you believe his manner of life to be suitable to the exercise of this ministry? ...

Readings: Psalm 34; Jeremiah 16:14-21; Mark 1:14-20 Like so many other feast days – scheduled, as they are, on the days of the namesakes’ deaths – the feast day of St. James the Apostle is a strong rebuke to our aspirations. To our aspirations as human beings, and especially to our aspirations as ministers of Christ’s Church. James & John: Fishermen No More? You see, James started off as a mere fisherman. An admirable one, to be sure, because he and his brother John answered Jesus’ call in Mark 1. They left behind their father, their family, and – they grew to hope! – their family’s fishing profession. ...

I’m happy to announce that Rachel and I will be completing my required Cross Cultural Ministry Practicum for Beeson Divinity School along with our good friends Kyle, Rebekah, and baby Luke DeBoer in Lima, Peru this summer! Our goal is to assist the Stone families (Dave & Evelyn; Jonathan & Angela) in their various local ministries, including: Seminario Teológico Bautista (Seminary) Luz del Camino Iglesia (old, broken link) (Church) Vida Nueva Centro Prenatal (Pregnancy Center) The goal of Beeson’s required Cross Cultural Ministry Practicum is to “expose students to issues related to cross-cultural ministry through first-hand experience in a cross-cultural ministry setting.” In addition to fulfilling this goal, we believe that this trip to Peru will be influential in determining the future involvement of both our families in global missions. God’s given each of us unique gifts — ranging from medicine to math, theology to linguistics. But He’s blessed us all with a heart for His global Gospel and his global Church. ...