My Anglican Journey

Beginning at 10am on April 26 in a service at the Church of the Redeemer (Highland Park) I will be ordained into the Sacred Order of Deacons.

I grew up among America’s Baptists (CBofA), attended Cornerstone University (GARB sponsored at the time), went to TEDS (EvFree) and then did my doctorate at Nottingham, began my teaching career at TEDS and then moved to North Park (EvCovenant) and am now teaching at Northern, which is an American Baptist Church sponsored seminary. For almost a decade Kris and I attended Willow Creek but it became increasingly too far for us to travel and, when one Wednesday night it took me nearly two hours to get to Willow, it became clear we’d have to think of a church closer to home.

Which gave us the opportunity to find an evangelical Anglican fellowship. Nearly two years ago we visited Church of the Redeemer the first time and have been part of that fellowship since that day. We are grateful to the Rev Canon Jay Greener, a master liturgist and pastor, and Rev Amanda Holm Rosengren, pastor and worship leader, for their encouragement and to Bishop Todd Hunter, of the Anglican Church of North America, for this opportunity.

You are welcome to attend the ordination should you care (directions at link above).

Where did this all begin? September, 1981, at St Peter’s Toton outside Nottingham Kris and I and kids wandered into the neighborhood Anglican church, loved both Curate John and Elisabeth Corrie, and we began our lifetime appreciation and formative influence of The Book of Common Prayer, and you may have detected my own interest in prayer books through my small book Praying with the Church. So there’s nothing at all close to any kind of major shift in our life to become Anglicans — we have sustained an Anglican connection for three decades.

Ever since I began teaching I have continued to use the BCP, occasionally we wandered into an Anglican communion church, but it was not until two years ago that we more officially entered into such a fellowship. We are looking forward to April 26 and would appreciate your prayers.