The following overview of the duties of the rector comes from my years of experience as a rector and my observations from working with congregations.
The Annual Meeting: A Rookie Anglican Guide
If the Super Bowl is within sight, it is usually time for congregations to have their Annual Meeting. It is often mandated by order of the church’s bylaws or parish or diocesan tradition. Still, it does make sense to gather the faithful members of the flock once a year to review the year past, assess…
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…
What Your Rector Wants For Christmas (UPDATED 2020)
I have a unique position in the church today. I used to be a Rector of a large church in North Dallas. (Christ Church in Plano, TX). But I am no longer a Rector. Instead, I have the good fortune to hang out, teach, coach, and encourage a lot of Rectors. During this challenging year,…
What NOT to Get Your Rector (Or Their Spouse) for Christmas!
I have been having fun writing about some gift ideas for Rectors and their Spouses. I served as a Rector for over 30 years and spend a lot of time now with Rectors and their families. I know that many laypeople want to get the Rector and their Spouse a gift for Christmas to show…
What Your Rector’s Spouse Wants For Christmas
Earlier, I wrote a post about What Your Rector Wants For Christmas. I love Rectors and have the good fortune to spend time with, teach, coach, and encourage lots of Rectors around the Anglican Church in North America. But I don’t just love Rectors. I also love their families! The role of a Rector is…
Five Reasons Why You Should Focus on Your Pulpit
Anglicans love liturgy. This has always been true, but in the past couple of decades, I’ve seen more and more young clergy who are especially enamored with the formational impact of rightly ordered worship. I would imagine this phenomenon is due mostly to a generation of young priests drawn to the Anglican way from a…
My Cement Taco
At the advanced age of 62, I bought my first truck. I didn’t really need a truck, I tried to tell myself, but having a truck is something no one really needs until you need it. And then you need it. So, to ward off any future problems like that, I bought one. I really…
Interview: Kevin Miller
Kevin Miller has served as a writer, editor, and director at Christianity Today for nearly three decades. After being ordained and working as an associate at a larger Anglican church, he now serves as the rector of Church of the Savior in Wheaton, Illinois. The church had been planted a little over a decade before Kevin arrived, and…
Five Awkward Questions Your Church Needs to Answer (Part Four)
So far, we’ve talked about awkward questions that boil down to money. And surely, money can be an uncomfortable topic to tackle. Who should have access to the giving records? How much should we pay the pastor? Does the pastor need a retirement fund? Toss those questions out in your next board or Vestry meeting…
House Calls: A Pastor’s Guide to Talking to Donors
It’s the time of year when church leaders start to see lots of red—and it isn’t always early Christmas decorations! Many churches have deficits they need to close by year’s end. I have been there many (MANY) times. Sometimes, these gaps are relatively small. All you need is to remember to ‘double December’ and take…
