A PUBLICATION OF THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF PITTSBURGH • VOL. 38, NO. 1
In This Issue... New Associate Rectors at Church of the Ascension
South Side Anglican
Trinity School for Ministry Appoints Dean/President
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Page 16
Page 20
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Cloaked Blessings By The Rev. James Lafeyette Hobby, Jr., Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh
On Ash Wednesday millions of Anglicans, Lutherans, and Roman Catholics received the sign of the cross on our foreheads and heard these words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”
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n a society obsessed with youth and terrified of death, Ash Wednesday is a counter-cultural act. Is being liturgically reminded of our mortality every year morbid? Only if that is the only time that you receive the sign of the
cross on your forehead; only if death is the ultimate reality. For those of us who are in Christ, however, the cross of ashes is marked where we received the cross of chrism. The reminder of our mortality comes in the context of the promise of eternal life. Though we are destined for death the moment that we are born, we are marked as “Christ’s own forever” at our baptism. Again, on our sickbed, or deathbed, we will also receive a cross on our forehead; this time as a plea for and a token of the in-breaking of God’s kingdom. When we pray for healing, we recognize that true and final healing will come only at the coming of Christ, when all of creation will be restored and death will be vanquished.
After Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the Lord expelled them from the garden. He also stationed an angel with a flaming sword at the entrance of the garden to prevent them from returning to eat from the tree of life. Death, then, is both judgment and mercy. What would it mean to live forever in the brokenness of sin? What would it mean to live forever in the limitations of earthly existence? How many times, for example, can you ski in the Alps before it becomes boring? What would an eternity of ennui be like? Mortality is one of God’s cloaked blessings. The cross of ashes, then, reminds us of our rebellion, brokenness, and sin, while pointing to a day of release and ultimate healing. As each of us faces our physical demise (if you are over 25, by the way, research says that you have reached your physical peak), we can choose how to relate to our mortality. We can fear it, ignore it, or desperately try to put it off as long as possible. Or those of us who have received the cross of chrism can receive it, both as a reminder of our sin and as a gift of God’s mercy, embracing what Bishop Jeremy Taylor called “holy living and holy dying.” Being marked as “Christ’s own forever” allows us to “remember that we are dust” with joy. n Your brother in Christ and partner in the Gospel,
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By The Rev. James Lafeyette Hobby, Jr., Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh
In This Issue... On the Cover: Heather Strong Moore and Michael Thornhill MC the 2017 Jubilee Conference held in Pittsburgh from February 17-19. Read more about Heather’s ministry with the CCO and Diocese in Pittsburgh on page 10 as her work has taken her away from Pittsburgh to Memphis, TN.
9 The Diocese welcomes Jonathan and Tish Warren as new Associate Rectors at Church of the Ascension.
16 Less than one year after taking the reigns as rector of South Side Anglican, the Rev. Charlie Treichler talks about his ministry, community and growth.
20 The Rev. Dr. Henry L. Thompson has been appointed Dean/ President of Trinity School for Ministry. An installation service was held at St. Stephen’s Church in Sewickley, PA on March 16, 2017.
FEATURES 4 • ARDF: Newly Approved Projects for Spring 2017 by Christine Jones 7 • 2017 Diocesan Symposium on Discipleship
Editor Ian Mikrut Design Kostilnik & Associates Graphics, Inc. Columnists Bishop Jim Hobby The Rev. Shari Hobby Contributors Kurt Dudt Fred Carlson Christine Jones Chris Klukas Heather Strong Moore Dan Mulley
8 • Grace Slippery Rock finds New Home in Grove City
CONTACT INFORMATION
9 • Church of the Ascension New Hires: Meet Jonathan and Tish Warren
Communications Director Ian Mikrut
10 • Clarity and Assurance by Heather Strong Moore 13 • Women Alive in Christ Upcoming Women’s Blessings 14 • Are You Hungry? By Dan Mulley 16 • All in Together By Ian Mikrut 20 • The Rev. Dr. Henry L. Thompson appointed Dean/President of TSM by the Rev. Christopher Klukas 21 • BLTF: If You Place Yourself in the Scriptures, the Scriptures Are in You by Kurt Dudt and Fred Carlson 22 • Diocesan Calendar | Clergy Milestones 24 • Provincial Assembly 2017 Registration Information
EDITORIALS
2 • Partners in the Gospel: Cloaked Blessings The Rev. James Lafeyette Hobby, Jr., Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh 23 • Identifying with Gideon by the Rev. Shari Hobby
Phone: (412) 281-6131 Email: communications@pitanglican.org Web site: www.pitanglican.org Fax: (412) 322-4505 SUBMISSION INFORMATION Fax: (412) 322-4505 TRINITY is a quarterly publication of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh. Submissions for the next issue of Trinity must arrive at the diocesan offices by June 30 to be considered for publication. Documents that are not created in MS Word should be sent as text documents. Photos should be minimum 300 dpi and include photo credit when necessary. If physical photos are sent and must be returned they must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope with proprietary information on the back of each photo.
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ARDF: Projects Spring 2017
“This is really the geography of ARDF: South America, Africa, Asia, me and others in the West. Coming together as all the nations of the world in this common gospel cause.� Bishop Richard Condie, Diocese of Tasmania, Australia on attending the ARDF Global Council meeting in Singapore. 4 | TRINITY Lent/Easter 2017
By Christine Jones
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n November 2016, the Global Council of the Anglican Relief and Development Fund—which is comprised of Archbishops from all over the world—approved $640,000 in community development projects. These ten projects include projects on three continents and in nine countries! They include projects for education, agriculture, clean water and church building. Through this diversity of grants, God’s Kingdom is being built one church community at a time. What are some highlights from these projects? One of ARDF’s core values is to empower the local church without creating a sense of dependency. Two projects in Kenya will do just that by investing in capital improvements that will eventually have a return on investment for the grantee. For example, in Kakamega, Kenya, most farmers historically planted only sugar cane. This was depleting the soil and—obviously—not providing a viable food source for the community. Many farmers walked away from their unproductive farming techniques. A new processing plant will incentivize farmers to plant different crops, including amaranth, an ancient grain packed with vitamins and minerals. Farmers will receive agricultural training to encourage them back to their fields, now lying fallow. And by processing these crops, farmers can increase the value of their harvest, as processed foods capture more money in the market. In its second year, the processing plant expects to net an income of $13,000. Beginning in the third year, the processing plant will pay ARDF back for half of the original investment. These types of projects that inject capital into a community as a means (Continued on page 6)
Kids in Recife, Brazil, playing in the gym to be renovated
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Archbishop Tito Zavala (South America) Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje (Rwanda), Archbishop Stephen Than Myint OO (Myanmar) and Bishop Richard Condie (Australia)
for creating self-sufficiency are exactly what is so exciting about the ARDF development model. Another ARDF project empowers Burundians to use the resources they have at hand to better the lives of over 14,000 villagers living in the Diocese of Buye. By protecting natural water springs, and by providing health training to local residents, it is expected that incidences of chronic diarrhea, dysentery, and cholera will plummet. In a developed nation,
Children at school in Asunción, Paraguay
Families at a Buye, Burundi improved water spring
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such diseases would not be a death sentence. But in Burundi, a water borne illness can quickly become grave. In addition to improving and protecting 28 existing water springs, over 50 Burundians will become leaders in their community as they train others on basic health skills. They will also maintain the springs to keep them clean and working. All of the training is done in the context of reconciliation and peacekeeping, desperately needed skills for a nation still in conflict. “The Gospel of salvation proclaimed through that church is applied into a tangible social action by providing clean water that safeguards our health. As I consider that protecting water equals [protecting] people’s lives, I wish the Anglican Church to move ahead in implementing such project[s] in as many areas as possible.” says Ngendakumana Godiose of Mugomera, Burundi Education is a key factor in eradicating poverty. ARDF is supporting two projects that make schools more accessible to populations usually not educated. First, in Paraguay, a preschool outside of Asunción will build a new facility in order to increase capacity. This school already provides much in demand education—and safe place off the streets—for poor families. The moral training taught through Bible verses received praise from parents.
“Silvana was very shy, but when she began attending school she started to be more confident and started sharing with other children. What she most enjoyed were the Bible stories,” says Blanca Susana Bueno, the single mother of 8-year-old Silvana Maibel Morinigo of Zeballos Cue, Asunción, Paraguay. “What I most appreciate was the good treatment that Gloria [de Maldonado, the school’s founder] gave to the children and the teaching on values.” The Diocese of Recife in Brazil has continually provided educational opportunities for children in the poorest communities. Because of this, the church is growing as well. A new ARDF project will renovate and cover an old gymnasium. More than an athletic space, this gym currently serves as a safe haven for children after school as well as a community center. Covering it will increase its functionality. The ARDF model ensures that projects we fund are those designed by the local church. Often they are based on previously successful projects, similar to those in nearby dioceses. And even then, it is not North Americans who are deciding what to fund and what not to fund. After careful research to determine the viability of a project, ARDF’s Global Council of Archbishops votes on whether or not to grant funds. To learn more about the ARDF model, or the specifics of some of these projects, visit ardf.org/projects or contact Christine Jones, Director of Mobilization at christine@ardf.org or 724-251-6045. n
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Grace Anglican Church Moves to Grove City O
n February 19, Grace Anglican Church held its first morning service at Tower Church in Grove City, PA in Tower’s Fithian Chapel after over a decade of time in Slippery Rock. Part of the change in the short term future had to do with space limitations. After starting a second worship service at Sweet Jeanie’s (an ice cream parlor and café in Grove City) that yielded significant growth in attendance, simply having more space was an immediate need. Another reason for the move has to do with the make-up of the congregation itself. “Our first leadership team came from the Grove City area, but Grace Church was planted in Slippery Rock because our (then, Episcopal ) Diocesan boundary reached up to the Butler County line, but no further,” the Rev. Ethan Magness said in a letter to his congregation. “Since our Diocese is now part of the Anglican Church in North America, our boundaries have expanded to include Mercer County (and thus, Grove City). While we planted in Slippery Rock, Grace’s constituency for over ten years has been primarily Grove City residents and students.”
Tower provides the physical structures and spaces for the formal liturgy of Grace while also being centrally located, if not in walking distance, for students and residents in the Grove City area attending. Not to mention the potential ministry work with Grove City College and the opportunity to bring even more people to worship. While Grace’s ministry attempts in Slippery Rock did not directly lead to many residents of that area attending, Magness insists that it was not completely fruitless, counting the founding of the Harbor Ministry at Slippery Rock University (still active, just under the guidance of Gateway EP Church now), leading Allegheny Valley worship services and establishing free community dinners in the area as some of the more significant impacts made in Slippery Rock. “I am grateful for our ministry in Slippery Rock, not least because we’ve had a wonderful relationship with Highland Presbyterian Church [where Grace held worship in Slippery Rock],” Magness said. “One of the last conversations I had with Pastor Doug Turner (the most recent pastor of Highland Church) before he suddenly passed away had to do with Grace’s potential move. Doug assured me of several things: Highland loved having us, they would be financially sound without us, they would miss our encouraging presence, and that they would welcome us back should we wish to return. Doug then prayed that God would cause us to flourish, whatever our physical location.” Grace now holds a 10:15am morning service in Tower’s Fithian Chapel with a 5pm evening service in the main sanctuary. “I trust that if Grace has a single location in the town which best represents our membership, our local missional and ministerial connections will be enriched,” Magness said. “We’ll also have some new and marvelous opportunities to work in mission and outreach with Tower Church.” n
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Ascension New Hires The Diocese welcomes Jonathan and Tish Warren as Co-Associate Rectors at Church of the Ascension.
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onathan Warren is from Atlanta, Ga and serves as Co-Associate Rector at Church of the Ascension with his wife, Tish. After attending seminary at Gordon-Conwell and finishing a Ph.D. in Church History at Vanderbilt University, Jonathan ministered to grad students and faculty with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Texas at Austin. Jonathan loves to introduce others to riches of the Scripture and the ancient church. He maintains a dilettantish interest in urban planning and architecture, and also enjoys hiking and running. Tish Harrison Warren is from Austin, TX and serves as Co-Associate Rector at Church of the Ascension with her husband Jonathan. She spent her early twenties working with churches in ministry among the poor and with teenagers struggling with homelessness and addiction. After receiving an MA in Theology from Gordon-Conwell, she was a campus staff worker at Vanderbilt University with InterVarsity Graduate and Faculty Ministries and then teamed up with her
Jonathan Warren
husband Jonathan to work among scholars at the University of Texas at Austin. Tish is also a writer whose work has appeared in The Well, Her.meneutics, CT Women, Christianity Today, Comment Magazine, Christ and Pop Culture, Art House America, and elsewhere. She serves on the advisory board of CT Women. She is the author of Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life (IVP). Tish looks up to Dorothy Day, Flannery O’Connor, Rich Mullins, Madeleine L’Engle and Lyle Lovett (among others). She loves iced coffee, guacamole, visual art, good writing, going hiking (both through wilderness and cities) with Jonathan, and hanging out with their two young daughters, Raine and Flannery. The Warrens were ordained as priests in the Anglican Church in North America in March of 2014. Jonathan and Tish helped Fr. Shawn McCain and Fr. Perry Koon plant Resurrection South Austin before moving to Pittsburgh to serve at Ascension. n
Tish Harrison Warren
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Clarity and
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Assurance By Heather Strong Moore When I first walked into Grace Anglican Church of Slippery Rock, I was fairly freaked out. I had never attended an Anglican church. So the robes and liturgy were new and bewildering for me. However, the preaching was Gospel-centered, the community was hospitable and warm, communion was served in a way that communicated depth and assurance, and I kept coming back.
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race Anglican became a church family where I experienced personal healing and growth. It also became an entry point to the Anglican tradition. On March 11th I will be moving to Memphis, TN to begin a new chapter in ministry, so before I go I want to reflect on all the ways that the Diocese of Pittsburgh has shaped and supported me to be sent out in mission.
shared their lives with me. They allowed me to experience the inter-generational family of God. I cannot express how much their involvement in my life as a young professional was a gift from the Lord at a crucial time of identity/ career development. One’s 20s can be a confusing, isolating time, and some rough years were weathered with the love of those brothers and sisters.
Grace Anglican was in its infancy when I began attending, but within my first year of regular attendance and involvement I was invited to serve on the vestry. I was only 24 years old at the time, and had never served in that type of church leadership position before. I served two terms and those 6 years were a tremendous time of transformation for me as our vestry team sought to develop a church that was missional and Gospel-driven. I gained so much insight into the ways that ministry overlaps with entrepreneurship. We embraced the beautiful risk of trying new things and innovating along the way. My fellow vestry members were also thoughtful mentors and friends who
The church had become such a core aspect of my life that when it came time to look at graduate programs, I chose a local university and joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) to remain in the community and keep serving with Grace. I became their first church staff person in addition to the Rev. Ethan Magness and served for 3 years with the church reaching out to Slippery Rock University where I was also a grad student. Grace applied for grant funding from the Diocese and put a significant investment into partnering with me and the CCO to reach our local college campus. At the time, I did not intend to remain in fulltime ministry, but that opportunity was life-changing and I
am now in my 9th year with the CCO. After my grad program was completed I moved into a regional leadership role with the CCO, continued to volunteer on campus at SRU, and was highly involved at Grace. We all took a bit of a gamble in that spring of 2008 to explore starting a campus ministry. We had no significant presence on the campus before that. The Lord richly honored our faith and the CCO campus fellowship continues to flourish (under another CCO staff person working with an EPC church in town) and many students came to Christ and grew in their faith over the years. For me, teaching the Bible and developing young leaders to serve their church and college campus became my calling. Connections to the Anglican tradition were not just made in my local parish, but on the Diocesan and global level. I was given the opportunity to serve as a lay delegate at the turning point Diocesan Conventions where we were voting on the future of our Diocese and
(Continued on next page)
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and work that we would be leaving. A few weeks later I was looking through the pictures from the Consecration and saw the exact image that had been in my mind that morning at Hope. Our God is merciful to give us clarity and assurance during bittersweet times of change.
denomination. Being given a presence and vote at those historic gatherings helped solidify my sense of investment in the future of the ACNA. Because others gave me a role to play, I saw myself as part of what would need to come next. In the years that followed, Archbishop Duncan extended an invitation to attend the Global Anglican Fellowship Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. What a tremendous way for me to understand the breadth of my connection to a global community and our shared mission as the Body of Christ! Provincial Assembly followed in the summer of 2014, at which the first idea for the Timothy Collaborative was born. It was there that I realized how many opportunities I had been given which were forming my commitment to the future of our tradition. Now we needed to provide similar opportunities for others. Archbishop Duncan was an enthusiastic supporter of the Collaborative as a ministry of the Diocese, and he was such a gracious encourager of our early efforts. Soon afterwards he invited me to stand for nomination to the Diocesan Standing Committee, and little did I know I would be serving to help find his replacement. That group of leaders was certainly divinely appointed for our Diocesan discernment process. It was an honor to pray together and seek the Lord’s guidance in offering direction to the election process and to see how God
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led the Hobbys to Pittsburgh. Being able to welcome Bishop Jim and Shari and support their transition has been a joy. It is with great reluctance that I step away from our Diocesan community. When my husband and I were interviewing with what is soon to be our new CCO partner church, Hope Church in Memphis, the Lord gave me a particular vision during communion that Sunday morning. As I was returning to my seat after receiving the Lord’s Supper, I was filled with sudden grief as the memory of Bishop Hobby serving me communion at his Consecration came to mind. In that moment I knew that the Lord was calling us away from Pittsburgh and inviting me to grieve over the people
My hope in sharing my testimony with you is to honor and thank Grace Anglican Church and the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh for all the ways that you have invested in me and equipped me for ministry. As my husband, Ivan, and I move to Memphis, we will be helping the CCO pioneer national expansion and develop a structure for how to reach college campuses around the country with the Good News of Jesus Christ. My hope is that this exciting season of exploration will have significance for the ACNA and our ability to continue raising up the next generation of believers and leaders. I would not be pursuing this new call were it not for the many opportunities that the Anglican community and CCO have given me to prepare for this moment. Please keep pouring into other young people and offering this Diocese as a training ground. The work you are doing has eternal significance, may God continue to use you as He does more than we can ask or imagine. n
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You “Excuse me, would you like the chance to win a year’s worth of free burritos?” To the average person, this proposition may sound like a recipe for chronic indigestion, but to a college student, you might as well be offering a Caribbean vacation.
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ach August, nearly 12,000 intelligent, driven and careerfocused freshmen move into the dorms here at Penn State University. Some come for the highly regarded academic programs in engineering or
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agriculture. Others, to continue the family legacy of Penn State alumni. Some come for the football team, and some for the weekend parties. No matter what they came for, about 1,500 of those students respond to the burrito question at a survey table during the first few weeks of classes. As each student enters for a chance to win the mother lode of Mexican food, he or she also completes a short spiritual interest questionnaire, which offers an opportunity to discuss spiritual questions, and to get a taste of what the Bible says.
God work through this process. Students who may never have given a second thought to their spiritual life in college have been exposed to the life changing power of the Gospel, and students who may have been willing to set their faith aside in college have become excited about the idea of making disciples of Jesus on campus. Jared, a freshman this year, has begun reading the bible with two of his friends and constantly invites them to a small group bible study. Another freshman, Matt, has started sharing his faith with his best friend from childhood.
Appealing to the stomach of a young person may seem fairly primitive, or even exploitative, but the simple truth is that it works, and more importantly, I have seen
So, how come all of this is happening on the college campus? I believe it is because college students are hungry, and not just for burritos. A freshman who
HUNGRY? By Dan Mulley
has just graduated from high school desires to experience life on their own for the first time, to accomplish something, and to find real satisfaction. College ministry is exciting because I get to meet students at this point in their life, and offer the only thing that truly satisfies. In John 6, Jesus physically feeds over 5000 people with just a few loaves of bread and a couple fish, but in speaking to the crowd afterward, he offers so much more than food. He says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger.” Jesus is saying that he came not only to satisfy physical hunger, but also spiritual hunger. He knew that those people were created with a deep desire to be in relationship with their creator, and he came to offer Himself as the satisfaction of that desire.
today as it was 2000 years ago, both on and off the college campus. Have you received this offer? If you have, do you know that you can offer it to others? This is an amazing opportunity! There is something more satisfying than a year of burritos, a Caribbean vacation, a great football game, an awesome party, a successful career and even a family legacy, and it is freely offered by Jesus. So, in the words of the communion liturgy, I invite you, wherever you are, to “feed on [Jesus] in your hearts by faith” and to
offer him to others who are so desperately hungry. n Dan Mulley is on staff with The Navigators at Penn State University. He is a member of Incarnation Church which meets on campus, and is pastored by the Rev. Mike Niebauer. Through the membership of Dan and other Navigator staff, the two organizations have been able to partner for the sake of the Gospel at Penn State, as they labor alongside one another on campus.
In a similar way, the offer of large quantities of bean-filled tortillas pales in comparison to the offer of eternal life in Jesus, and it is the very same offer
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All In
TOGETHER By Ian Mikrut
Less than one year after taking the reigns as head rector of South Side Anglican, the Rev. Charlie Treichler reflects on the path that rooted him in Pittsburgh, the challenges of being a young pastor for a young congregation and the growth and potential that God provides.
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ike any student, the Rev. Charlie Treichler’s years at Grove City College were very formative. Particularly in his relationship with God.
“My family is not Christian at all. So doubt was a big part of my story up until then,” he says. “And it was pretty new for me to hear the gospel kind of proclaimed in that way – unconditional grace for sinners.” Charlie became an Anglican through the Rev. Ethan Magness and Grace Anglican in neighboring Slippery Rock, where he says he began feeling a call to ministry work. Though it wasn’t clear at the time as to what capacity that would be. “That was deeply transformative for me and compelling and part of it was the Anglican liturgy and the experience of Anglicanism, but really the preaching. And so my idea leaving Grove City was that, if there’s anything that I want to do, it would be proclaiming this message of grace in the same sort of freeing way that it was proclaimed to me.” After graduating from Grove City in 2010 with a degree in Communications, Charlie started attending Trinity School for Ministry on a scholarship while also working part time with the seminary. Through looking for more communications work, he was connected with the Anglican Relief and Development Fund which gave him an opportunity to see Anglicanism and ministry work on a large, global scale. Working with ARDF saw Charlie traveling around the world regularly. He recalls visiting Kenya early on for a GAFCON meeting, interviewing Archbishops from different parts of the world and gaining a perspective for what Anglicanism and the work within specific communities around the world looked like. During that time Charlie discovered a deep interest in community development work conceived as the gospel overflowing in ministry to the poor. Something that still impacts his current work in Pittsburgh.
Charlie also describes his time with ARDF as a season of figuring out what ministry as a priest would actually look like, and allowed him to weigh the differences between being rooted in a congregation in local, community development or committing full time to traveling and global ministry at the provincial level. “I think I was a little burnt out coming out of seminary so that was a real question for me. [Working with ARDF] was such a cool job, and a lot of me thought I wanted to stay in the developmental world. But ultimately I pretty clearly realized that the development work I wanted to do was on a local, community level,” he says. “I totally value [ARDF] and it’s been really important just for my perspective for sure. But I think I wanted, I needed, to be part of a community. At the end of the day, the actual work I was doing was not what I wanted to do.” South Side Anglican became a big influence for Charlie refocusing on the idea of working in a church context. He had gotten to know Sean and Kate Norris (who started South Side in 2012) at Trinity and they graduated at a similar time. Sean and Kate started South Side while Charlie was still working with ARDF. When he was home, Charlie attended South Side as a parishioner and wasn’t immediately interested in ministry work there because of his busy schedule. Once he was ordained a deacon, Sean approached Charlie about transitioning out of ARDF into a role at South Side as an assistant there doing community outreach on Pittsburgh’s North Side (where Charlie had purchased property and begun investing in the community) and fundraising work. But the transition was not an easy one at first – giving up the security that ARDF provided and heading into the unknown with a young church plant. On top of that, Sean and Kate had an opportunity to move and work in South Carolina while also being closer to family. And while Charlie knew there was potential for the pair to move on, it happened much sooner than any of them expected, having only worked in a leadership role in South Side for a few months. When Sean and Kate were preparing to leave, they asked Charlie if he’d be willing to take over at South Side.
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As an Associate Pastor Charlie was already very involved in the congregation, leading bible studies, heading clubs, gaining experience preaching, but at the same time still very green. He took a month to pray over the decision and met with Archbishop Duncan and the Vestry to ease his worries. “I was really unsure if I wanted to do it or not. So Bishop Duncan suggested that they bring me on as priest in charge for a year to give both me and the church a chance to reevaluate after that. With the hope and assumption that I would just stay full time,” says Charlie. “But mostly I think it was Bishop Duncan being kind to my anxiety.” Agreeing to the year as pastor in charge, Charlie had one month that overlapped with Sean before he was thrown in full time. And though it was an overwhelming experience of self-doubt and fear in stepping into a church that was not fully established or self-sustaining and still figuring out its broader identity, Charlie realized the wisdom of Bishop Duncan, the Norris’ and Vestry in nudging him in the right direction. The ethos of the church as being grace for limited, broken people-in-process and the already established relationships with the people of South Side brought on the feeling that they were all in this together. In a way it was freeing. But in that freedom was also deep sense of responsibility. Responsibility to help the church to grow and become financially sustainable during a time when Charlie was still figuring himself out as a pastor and leader to people close to his age that he had initially been peers with. Charlie cites the support of the Rev. Paul Cooper and Magness as mentors for him, meeting once a week to provide encouragement and insight on finances, budgets, vestry meetings and setting boundaries while still being supportive of the people in a congregation. Many of the things he would have learned had he been an assistant pastor for longer. “Ultimately it’s been really encouraging. My fears coming in were ‘we won’t raise enough money, no one will come to the church.’ But people kept coming after the transition, I don’t think we lost anyone since Sean and Kate left which is very unique,” says Charlie. “And every single week since I’ve been there, there have been visitors. Slowly people have stayed and the church is growing. I mean it’s the difference between an average of 40 people on a Sunday versus an average of 30, but that is still deeply encouraging to me.”
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In the last year South Side has raised enough money to meet the planned budget, something rather unexpected. While a lot of it came from grants and outside donations, much of it came from the congregation. Charlie recalls having a very candid conversation with his church about the giving, and the generous response from the young congregation (many in their first jobs) was just another encouraging aspect for Charlie and South Side’s “all in this together” mindset. That mindset has also helped to cultivate parishioners taking ownership of the church in healthy ways like volunteering, leading the music and preparing the PowerPoints for worship, sending emails, bringing snacks, starting supper clubs and art groups and pitching new ministry ideas. Investing in not only the church and Charlie, but each other. And with that Charlie has noticed his anxieties subsiding significantly. Part of that has been giving up control or giving in to the idea of the “ideal clergy career track” where success and worth are based around attendance numbers. “I’m ok saying ‘this is where I am now,’ I’m going to be as faithful a priest as I can…and I’m going to try to figure out how I can do that in a sustainable way,” he says. “If these performance-based anxieties were real, I’d just stop being a Christian at all, because there would be nothing in Christianity that is freeing and life-giving for anyone or true to the unconditional grace of the cross. But if this gospel is really true at the end of the day, then I am just as free as the people in the pews are to fail. And if our church stops existing, that doesn’t mean God has abandoned us or doesn’t love us. Jesus died. And was forsaken even though he was deeply loved by God. And so I think it was somehow God’s Grace to me to believe in the Gospel a little bit for myself as well.” Being a little bit more free from his anxieties has allowed Charlie to enter a place of genuine excitement for what’s coming next for South Side and the unique opportunities it presents. Most of his congregation is comprised of predominantly young, urban millennials. The demographic often painted as unchurched, misled and difficult to communicate with. As a young person himself, Charlie is able to relate to his younger parishioners in an authentic way and insists that what works is honesty and the ability to engage with doubt and larger questions in an unthreatening way. “At least for this group I think, if you can actually proclaim the unconditional no strings attached love of God for sinners demonstrated in the death of Jesus on the cross, that’s it at the end of the day for me and the church,” he says. “And I think if there’s a hope moving forward it is not some cool strategy. It’s just figuring out a way to be a human who talks about the Gospel honestly.” n
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The Rev. Dr. Henry L. Thompson Appointed Dean/President
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n December 6, 2016, the Board of Trustees of Trinity School for Ministry unanimously appointed The Rev. Dr. Henry L. Thompson (Laurie) as the seventh Dean/President of the Seminary, effective immediately. Last May, Dr. Thompson was appointed as the Interim Dean/ President. This action of the board makes the appointment permanent. An installation service was held at St. Stephen’s Church in Sewickley, PA on March 16, 2017 at 7:00pm with the Most Rev. Robert Duncan presiding. The Dean/President is the senior administrator and chief academic officer of the seminary and is responsible for all of the daily operations and fundraising efforts. “After observing Laurie’s capable leadership as Interim Dean/ President over the past six months, the Board is confident that Laurie is God’s man for Trinity in this season,” remarked Mr. Douglas Wicker, Chairman of Trinity’s Board. “His intimate knowledge of and love for the school are important as we move forward. Many of the faculty and staff have also expressed their confidence in and support of Laurie’s leadership in this role.” Trinity began a search for a new Dean/President when the Very Rev. Dr. Justyn Terry, Trinity’s sixth Dean/President, announced his plan to return to England. An international search identified a number of impressive candidates, but the Board concluded that none of them was the right leader for this season. Dr. Thompson was appointed as an Interim leader to keep the affairs of the school running smoothly while the search for a permanent leader continued. Shortly after this interim appointment was made, many of the board members began to
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ask if the Spirit was guiding them to install Laurie as the next Dean/President. After much prayer, both the Board and Dr. Thompson feel that this is, indeed, the Lord’s will. “Every prayerful moment in the recent months has confirmed in my heart and mind that God is calling me to this ministry and I am thrilled and honored to accept this appointment,” said Laurie Thompson. “The world of theological education is shifting and Trinity is at the forefront of transforming the way Christian leaders are trained for Mission, I am so excited to be a part of it! I would like to give my thanks to my family and the students, faculty, board, and staff of Trinity for their love, support, and prayers.” Laurie Thompson first came to Trinity in 1997 after spending 19 years in parish ministry. He has led the Doctor of Ministry program since 2001 and has also served as the Dean of Administration and most recently as the Dean of Advancement where he played an important role in the “Reach for the Harvest” campaign which raised $15.4 million for various strategic initiatives. He is married to Mary W. Thompson and they have three adult children and 9 grandchildren. Trinity School for Ministry (www.tsm.edu) is an evangelical seminary in the Anglican tradition. Begun in 1976, the seminary has trained more than 1,200 graduates and many others who serve in ministries all over the world. As a global center for Christian formation, Trinity continues to produce outstanding leaders who can plant, renew, and grow churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ. n
BLTF If You Place Yourselves in the Scriptures, the Scriptures Are in You! By Kurt Dudt and Fred Carlson of the BLTF
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urt Dudt of the BLTF is a noted lay Bible teacher and preacher from Harvest Anglican, Homer City. He leads a weekly Wednesday night Bible study that has internet classes around the world. As a result of a recent discussion with Bishop Hobby about building biblical literacy from a standing start to high speed, Kurt suggested that for new Bible readers the Bible is best not read from cover to cover. Why? Kurt responds, “Because the Bible is a compilation of books whose content differs dramatically. Until the reader begins to ‘place themselves in the stories’ and reach a comfort level with that conversation with God, the various books on history, prophecy, poetry, Old Testament Law and New Testament theology; this stylistic dissonance can make the one message of the Bible pointing to the Messiah Jesus confusing. I have been asked ‘What books would I recommend to someone that hasn’t read the Bible very much-to help put themselves into the scripture?“ The following are six recommended books from the Old Testament: Genesis, Judges, 1st and 2nd Samuel, Ruth and Psalms. Genesis, Judges, 1st and 2nd Samuel give the foundational material of mankind’s rebellion, and mankind’s need to worship and look to God for salvation. These books also introduce the concept that there is a promised Messiah that will reign in the future. The book of Ruth is a short book that presents a love story that foreshadows the redemption offered by Christ. Psalms is a book of poetry written primarily by King David that presents prophetic imagery on the birth, life and ministry of Christ. The Psalms overlays this message with the very encouraging message that God loves us, will not forsake us and values our worship and commitment to him. Psalms provides a strong message for those that are oppressed, depressed and struggling with unsolvable problems. The following are six recommended books from the New Testament: Mark, Luke, Acts, Galatians, Ephesians, James. Mark and Luke are New Testament gospels that tell the life of Christ, present his teachings and give us the promises of eternal life through him. The emphasis is on the resurrection and the plan of salvation. Acts gives the story of Paul, the development of the early church and expansion of the faith to other lands besides Israel. Galatians teaches that we are justified by faith into God’s family. Ephesians teaches that Christians are all one and that there is equality among believers regardless of race, gender or economic status. James teaches that faith without works is dead and that Christians are supposed to be active in doing good deeds. These books present the concepts that God is in control of our lives, that he loves us and wants to have a relationship with us. They also are easy and fun to read and provide an overview of scripture. After these books have been read, the reader can easily move to other books of the Bible, placing themselves into the scriptures, further building biblical literacy. n
The 20th Saint Alban’s Anglican Lenten Devotional Shows the Fruit of Laity Placing Themselves into the Scriptures 2017 marks the 20th year that Saint Alban’s Anglican has produced a Lenten Devotional using the lectionary between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday. Each day’s readings offer moving scripture to inspire intimate reflections by the laity of the church, along with clergy and other ‘guest appearances’ by friends and clergy far and wide. The reflections reveal a congregation where the laity is ‘putting themselves into the scriptures.’ This Murrysville church will be hosting a 2017 Thursday night Lenten program entitled “The Simple Truth” using the readings outlined in this devotional. Parishioner Bob Fleming has organized and produced the booklet the past 5 years and illustrator Fred Carlson designs the cover art. Please contact the church if you want copies stalbanchurch.net
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Diocesan Calendar March through June 2017 March 2017 14 Tuesday 14 Tuesday 15 Wednesday 16 Thursday 17-18 19 3 Lent 22-24 26 4 Lent
Clergy Gatherings • Washington • Cranberry Twp. Diocesan Council Ligonier, Epiphany Anglican Standing Committee Ordination: Kate Norris, South Carolina VISITATION: New Brighton, Christ Church AGMP Bloomfield, Seeds of Hope
April 2017 1-2 5 Lent 5 Wednesday 9 Palm Sunday 11 Tuesday 12 Holy Wednesday 15 Easter Vigil 16 Easter Day 17 Monday 20 Thursday 23 2 Easter 25-27 28-29 Saturday 30 3 Easter
VISITATION: St. John the Baptist Deanery • Elburn, Hope Anglican • Evanston, Christ the King • West Chicago, New Jerusalem • Wheaton, Great Shepherd Christian Leaders Breakfast VISITATION: Somerset Anglican Fellowship Renewal of Vows: Monroeville Trinity Seminary VISITATION: Edgeworth, Grace RESERVED Christian Associates Council Standing Committee VISITATION: Greensburg, Christ’s Church Always Forward (Atlanta) Discipleship Symposium VISITATION: Gibsonia, St. Thomas Church in the Fields
May 2017
2 Tuesday 3 Wednesday 3 Wednesday
VISITATION: Patton, Trinity Christian Leaders Breakfast Christian Associates Council
Clergy Milestones n Benjamin Ryan Hughes and Claire Layne Megles were ordained to the transitional diaconate on December 10, 2016. n Suzanne Cheryl Perkins was ordained to the priesthood on December 11, 2016. n The Rev. Benjamin Paul Jefferies transferred out to the Gulf Atlantic Diocese on December 15, 2016. n The Rev. Gamaliel Martin Garcia transferred to the Diocese of Western Anglicans on January 9, 2017. n The Rev. Jonathan and The Rev. Tish Warren began serving as Co-Associate Rectors at Church of the Ascension, Oakland on January 17, 2017. n The Rev. Ardath Louise Smith was ordained to the priesthood on January 21, 2017.
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6 Saturday 7 4 Easter 7 9 Tuesday 9 Tuesday 10 Wednesday 11 Thursday 14 5 Easter 15-18 18 Thursday 19 Friday 21 6 Easter 24-25 27 Saturday 28 7 Easter
Ordination: Bryan Jarrell VISITATION: Sewickley, St. Stephen’s Ordination: Peg Bowman Clergy Day Diocesan Council Commission on Ministry Board of Trustees Standing Committee VISITATION: Johnstown, St. Matthew’s Hershey (Family visit) VISITATION: Harrisburg, Good Shepherd VISITATION: State College, Incarnation VISITATION: Homer City, Harvest Anglican Quarterly Retreat Ordination: Ben Hughes VISITATION: Oakland, Ascension
June 2017 1 4 7 10 11 13 14 15 18 25 26-30
Thursday Pentecost Wednesday Saturday Trinity Sunday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Proper 6 Proper 7
Clergy Gatherings • Greensburg • Fox Chapel VISITATION: Christ Church Fox Chapel Christian Leaders Breakfast Diaconal Ordinations (T.B.D.) VISITATION: Washington, Trinity – AM South Side Anglican – PM Clergy Gatherings • Washington • Cranberry Twp. Commission on Ministry Standing Committee VISITATION: Hopewell Twp., Prince of Peace East End, Jonah’s Call - PM VISITATION: Uniontown, St. Peter’s Provincial Assembly: Wheaton, IL
n The Rev. Jon Ignatius Lumanog transferred out to the Special Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy on January 24, 2017. n The Rev. Seth Jared Zimmerman and The Rev. Paul Brian Hassell were ordained to the priesthood on January 29, 2017. n Deacon Dee Scott began serving at Trinity Church, Washington on January 29, 1017. n The Rev. David William Ketter, III was ordained to the priesthood on February 4, 2017. n The Rev. John Fierro began serving as Interim Rector at Christ Church, Brownsville starting February 5, 2017. n The Rev. Dr. Travis James Bott was ordained to the priesthood on February 10, 2017. n The Rev. Catharine “Kate” Moore Norris was ordained to the priesthood on March 17, 2017.
Identifying with Gideon By the Rev. Shari Hobby
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o, we all likely remember the story of Gideon in Judges 6-8: how he set out fleeces; how the Lord reduced his army to 300 and the Midianites were defeated. But, it is the beginning of the story that particularly grabs my attention during this Lenten season.
Sin/Redemption Cycle Over and over again God’s chosen people of Israel went through the same cycle: they did evil in the sight of the Lord; they suffered the consequences; they cried out to the Lord in their desperation; the Lord, in his love, mercy and grace, raised up an unlikely champion who led them to victory and back to the Lord; they lived in obedience and peace for a time until once again they do evil in the sight of the Lord. And so the cycle goes. In this Lenten season, the Church invites me to reflect on my own cycle of sin and redemption.
The Israelites’ Predicament The Israelites have done evil, the Lord allows them to fall into the hands of Midian. The Israelites are hiding out in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. The Midianites ravage the land: ruin their crops, kill their livestock and camp out in the land, like swarms of locusts. So, they cry out to the Lord because of Midian. The Lord reminds them how he rescued them from slavery in Egypt, set them up in the land, reminded them not to worship other gods. But the people of Israel (once again) have not listened to the Lord.
Gideon’s Story In comes Gideon. Gideon is threshing his wheat in a winepress to keep this
food from the Midianites. He’s hiding out, fearful of the enemy. The angel of the Lord comes to Gideon and a very interesting conversation ensues: Angel: The Lord is with you, Mighty Warrior. Gideon: Pardon me, my lord, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hands of Midian. The Lord: Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you? Gideon: Pardon me, my lord, but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the weakest in my family. The Lord: I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive. Gideon: If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is you talking to me. Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you. The Lord: I will wait until you return.
My Story/Our Stories Oh, how I love this conversation! The Lord Names Gideon “Mighty Warrior” when he is feeling anything but that. The Lord also gives him very clear instructions to go in the strength he has to do the work he is called to do, because the Lord will be with him! The Lord is so gracious and compassionate to allow Gideon the time he needs to process all this.
How many times do I cower in my proverbial winepress, full of questions, focusing on my own fear and lack of ability! The Lord does not allow me to stay there, however. If I’m listening, I can hear him name me something new - like “Overcoming One” – something he sees in me that I can’t yet see for myself. I need to step out in the strength I have and trust that the Lord will, for some unimaginable reason, choose to add his strength to mine and allow me to play some small part in the work he wants to accomplish. The tasks before me are not likely to lead the country in military success and 40 years of peace, like Gideon the Mighty Warrior. But just maybe, the Lord is waiting until I return to him and offer myself to him as an offering, and step out in the strength I have and see his mighty work (even if no one around me is aware of it). I love the image of “going from strength to strength” in Psalm 84:7. My (faltering) strength combined with the strength of the Lord is a winning combination, when we appear before God in Zion. I am so grateful for the Lord’s reassurance to Paul In 2 Corinthians 12: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Like Gideon and Paul, no matter where I find myself in the sin/redemption cycle, the Lord woos me to trust and follow him in the next steps in our relationship. Let’s dare to put fear and doubt aside and move out in the strength we have and see the Lord show us his mighty strength through us. n
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Registration underway for Assembly 2017: Mission on Our Doorstep From anglicanchurch.net Assembly 2017 ((June 27-30, 2017) draws Anglicans from across North America and the world. ACNA Provincial Assembly 2017 Mission on Our Doorstep: Global Family, Local Mission, Shared Gospel The mission of God doesn’t require a plane ticket. Our neighborhood, our city, our country is ready and needy for the lived Good News. Assembly 2017 is open to everyone, and will draw Anglican leaders and members from across North America, and the world. Assembly 2017 will include worship, plenary speakers, and workshops. In addition we are working on unique tracks for Youth, Caminemos Juntos! (Hispanic ministry), Church Planting, Multiethnic Ministries, Worship Arts, Prayer Ministry and much, much more! More information and registration at missiononourdoorstep.com 24 | TRINITY Lent/Easter 2017