Why Anglican?

 It’s a fair question. 

Why would a tattooed, flannel shirt wearing, Acts 29, non-denominational pastor want to wear a collar… a robe… and go “traditional” on us? I mean, isn’t that like going backwards? I thought we left all that stuff behind in the church growth movement of the 80’s that spawned the church planting movement of the late 90’s? What the heck are you doing Rob?

Again, these are fair questions I can’t fully address this in one newsletter, but here’s a start.

For me the journey begins with the leading of the Holy Spirit. In the fall of 2018 I started noticing that something was off in my soul. Around this time I was invited by Pat and Jenny Tracy to take advantage of a retreat cottage they had set up for pastors from Kitsap County. This began one of the greatest spiritual shifts of my life. 

The practice of taking 3-5 days away to simply be with Jesus changed me. I began scheduling more retreats and over the years I dove deeper into the contemplative side of our faith. It was during this time that I discovered the Book of Common Prayer also known simply as “the Prayer Book.” 

In the Anglican tradition, the Prayer Book was put together by Thomas Cranmer, the English reformer, to help individuals, families, and churches follow a simple method of praying through scripture. The prayer book also contains a collection of prayers which are prayers of the Church going back to the first few hundred years. It’s called the Book of Common Prayer because it’s meant for everyday people like you and me. It’s a discipleship tool that forms us into Christlikeness. 

At the beginning of the Prayer Book you’ll find a guide for morning and evening prayer (as well as noonday and compline). So I decided to practice morning and evening prayer for the next year. While I’ve always enjoyed praying from the heart throughout the day (and still do), I found having a given set of prayers freeing. Following the Prayer Book allowed me to be led and enter into the rich words given to me by Holy Scripture and the saints of old. I think I needed this as a pastor who was always expected to lead. Now I could just sit with the liturgy of morning and evening prayer and draw near to Jesus. This was my entry point into the Anglican way. 

As I learned more, I came across a new movement of Anglicans called the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA). At the time I had been struggling with being a non-denominational church pastor and didn’t know where I fit. I remember reading a great introductory book by Winfield Bevins called, “Simply Anglican,” and sensing the Spirit calling me to become an Anglican priest. I immediately shut the book and freaked out. How could I leave the church I had been pastoring? How could I change Christian traditions at the age of 45? What will my kids and wife think? The good news is the Lord walked me through all those questions and more. 

There are more reasons I became Anglican, but the Anglican practice of prayer is how the Spirit began my journey into Anglicanism. 

Here are some updates on our planting efforts. 

• I finished my physical therapy a few weeks back (I broke my L2 vertebrae last spring). This was an important moment for me as I now feel more released to begin working harder on the plans for Shalom Anglican. I’m still sore everyday, but things are getting better. Please keep my full recovery in prayer.
• I’ve been able to continue having conversations with folks interested in being a part of the church plant. We’ve been formulating a plan for some meetings in the fall. If I’m honest, I wanted to start meeting two months ago, but the wisdom of going slow is evident all around. Please pray for continued clarity and the right people to jump in early to help us plant Shalom. 
• I’m planning on attending the Always Forward Church planting conference at the end of September. This will give me a chance to connect with other church planters in the ACNA and give more shape to our vision here in Kitsap.
• A few weeks ago Beth and I got to get away to the Southern Oregon Coast and the Redwoods in Northern California to visit some friends. We also got to visit our Oregon kids. We were so grateful for the opportunity to enjoy time together and God’s creation! 

For the Shalom of Kitsap,

Rob and Beth