St. Philip the Evangelist is best remembered for his witness to the Ethiopian eunuch, a conversion story recorded in Acts 8. But this is only one of the remarkable stories of Philip, who appears in the Book of Acts as a deacon, a preacher, a scholar, and a dad. In this article, I briefly survey…
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?…
Not “Just” a Deacon
I grew up around deacons. In my Southern Baptist upbringing, deacons were most commonly seen at the church doors, offering handshakes and smiles. Otherwise, they were found in their other natural habitat: at the end of a pew, passing or taking a metal plate. Often, this was an offertory plate, but on special occasions, those…
Anglican Pastors vs. Priests? An Introduction to Anglican Holy Orders
I have been a full-time Anglican minister since 2005, when my wife and I moved to the Middle East as cross-cultural workers (i.e., missionaries). However, I was not ordained to the diaconate until 2017 and to the priesthood in 2018. From 2005–2017, I was involved in ministries of evangelism, discipleship, and teaching, first in the…
Are You Called to Ordained Ministry?
My work involves assisting people in what we call the discernment process, which asks, “Am I called to Ordained Ministry?” People often want to know a good way to discern an answer to this question. I’ve adapted some material that I’ve written for use in our diocese. This may be helpful. This article doesn’t deal…
