On a crisp, bright Alabama day in December of 1994, I received my commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. I proudly stood before my friends and family in my dress greens (an abominable polyester creation) as each of us new officers received the gold bars of our new rank. One of…
Book Review: Tim Keller on the Christian Life by Matt Smethurst
Matt Smethurst, Tim Keller on the Christian Life: The Transforming Power of the Gospel. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2025. 240 pp. $27.99 (hardcover). ISBN 978-1-4335-9619-3. As a best-selling author and pastor in the heart of New York City, Tim Keller modeled a faith not threatened by intellectual inquiry but enriched by it. In this short, approachable…
Homeward Bound: The Ministry of Visitation
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27 The shepherd’s work is to visit the flock. A good shepherd tends to the sheep not only within eyesight but also goes and finds the…
Is there a Recipe for Church Growth? (Suddenly Surging Part 4)
(Part four of five in David Roseberry’s Suddenly Surging series on church growth.) A Pivotal Moment In the early days of Christ Church, the congregation I started in 1985, I was moved by a random encounter in a suburban parking lot. My heart was broken after I met one man and learned what had just happened…
What Do People Look For in a New Church? (Suddenly Surging Part 3)
(Part three of five in David Roseberry’s Suddenly Surging series on church growth.) A friend once shared a valuable lesson she learned from a performance review at her previous job. Although her position was secure, her boss wanted to address a specific personality trait that he found bothersome. When given a task, she tended to…
Burial at Sea on the Galilee
Ashes, Ashes Tears filled Jessie’s eyes when she took my hand one evening and said, “I brought Derrick’s ashes. Could we have a service tomorrow in one of these beautiful places around the Sea of Galilee?” I knew her well. She was with her son on our trip to the Holy Land, which her husband…
The Bishop as Grandfather
Anglican Compass is proud to publish the Rev. Canon David Roseberry’s new book, The Rector, the Vestry, and the Bishop. It is already getting widespread acclaim from rectors, vestry members, and bishops throughout the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Below is an excerpt from the book’s chapter “The Bishop as Grandfather.” Bishops are chiefly pastors…
The Rector, the Vestry, and the Bishop: A Foreword by Bob Duncan
Anglican Compass is proud to publish the Rev. Canon David Roseberry’s new book, The Rector, the Vestry, and the Bishop. It is already getting widespread acclaim from rectors, vestry members, and bishops throughout the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Below is the forward to the book by none other than the founding Archbishop and…
Praise for The Rector, the Vestry, and the Bishop
Anglican Compass is excited to announce our publication of The Rector, the Vestry, and the Bishop by the Rev. Canon David Roseberry, now available in paperback and on Kindle. It is a second, significantly expanded edition of his book The Rector and the Vestry. The first edition has been used for teaching, training, and orientation…
Cultivating a Robust Ministry of Deacons
As Anglicans, we have inherited a rich and robust theology of the diaconal office. We believe that deacons are essential and necessary for a healthy Church. Despite this, our stewardship of the office has not always yielded an equally rich and robust diaconal ministry. Why do we have such a disconnect between theology and practice?…
Aramaic for Kids: Teaching the Gospel from Hosanna to Lema Sabachthani
Kids love the Aramaic sayings of Jesus. At first, I was a bit nervous about teaching the topic. Though the Aramaic phrases from the gospel of Mark have always fascinated me, I did not know if kids would share my interest. But my task was to prepare five lessons for a week-long camp called “Camp…
To Be a Window Through Thy Grace: A Reading of George Herbert’s “The Windows”
During my time in seminary, I decided to take a class in preaching to practice the craft in preparation for my future ministry. While the course taught me a suitable method for preparing my sermons, I never received a theological explanation regarding the how, why, or what of preaching, especially as it pertained to Anglican…
