St. Luke’s was founded as Manchester Parish on the south bank of the James River across from what is now downtown Richmond in 1772 by Anglican colonists. It was one of the original members of the Episcopal Church when the latter was established in 1789. The church later became known as Meade Memorial and in the late 19th century changed names to St. Luke’s Episcopal, relocating to the corner of Cowardin and Bainbridge Avenues. St. Luke’s grew and flourished under the leadership of the Rev. Walter Hendricks in the 1940′s and 50′s, becoming well known throughout the region for its Music Ministry, Anglo-Catholic worship, and feverent stand for orthodox faith and doctrine as the national Church began to abandon that faith in order to incorporate the changing norms of secular society.

St. Luke’s chose to withdraw from the Episcopal Church over doctrinal issues in 1990 and joined the Episcopal Missionary Church. Because the parish existed before the formation of the Episcopal Church, it was able to retain its building and property rather than relinquish them to the Diocese of Southern Virginia. However, the cost of upkeep for the old building was high and the surrounding neighborhood continued to decline and was not very safe after dark. The property was sold in 1996 and St. Luke’s met in numerous locations after then. The current land in Manakin-Sabot was purchased from St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in 1998 and the present building was constructed and consecrated in 2000.

Because of a shortage of clergy, regular services were discontinued in 2009 and the parishioners began working in partnership with St. Athanasius Anglican Church in Glen Allen. St. Luke’s was reopened in June 2011 and in May 2012 joined the Forward in Faith North America Missionary Diocese of All Saints.

With great joy we welcome into our diocese the Church of the Apostles in Evergreen, Colorado.

Church of the Apostles is a small but scrappy congregation serving several bedroom communities in the foothills and mountain towns just west of Denver, Colorado. Based in Evergreen, the church meets at Beth Evergreen Synagogue, overlooking the expansive and aptly-named Elk Meadow, with pine and snow-capped mountains all around.

We have approximately 25 members, ranging in age from 1 to 95. Most of our parishoners are fixed income seniors who love the Anglican style of worship, and are filled with a desire to serve locally in the name of Jesus. We are very active, individually and corporately, in many ministries in the Evergreen community, especially Evergreen Christian Outreach, Young Life, Mountain Area Pregnancy Center, the special needs programs at Evergreen Park and Recreation District, Mt. Evans Hospice, and Evergreen Animal Protective League.

Our worship is a mixture of the contemporary-language liturgy from the Anglo-Catholic Book of Divine Worship, and we sing a variety of hymns, praise songs and Gospel greats. We read from the New King James version of the Bible, and have a distinctive Celtic flavor.

Fr. Patrick Dorn has been rector of Church of the Apostles for more than two years, has been happily married to his wife Abby for nearly 26 years. They have a son and a daughter (both in college). Fr. Patrick is a published playwright/theater critic, and loves to run miles on end through the forest with his golden retriever Cedric. Please pray for Church of the Apostles, that we may be an effective witness to our community, and may grow in number and resources, to the Lord’s honor and glory.

Check out our web site at www.apostlesevergreen.org.

The Proper Liturgy for Ash Wednesday calls the people of God to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.

Self-examination in preparation for Easter, and indeed for every other celebration of the Holy Eucharist, is a discipline to be embraced by all who profess faith in the One who suffered, died and rose again for our salvation. The Bible regards self-examination as a very serious matter as we prepare ourselves to receive Christ in the Eucharist. In First Corinthians 11:26-29 we read:

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen once wrote: Self-examination must be done in the presence of God—we must compare ourselves not with our neighbor, nor with our own subjective ideals, but with the Perfect.

Certainly, we meet Jesus in many different ways and in many different places, but the Holy Eucharist, properly prepared for, is the way and the place where the presence of God is assured. Until we meet God face to face we will have no idea of the precious gift of the Eucharist that we too often take for granted. The Holy Eucharist is the re-presentation of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We cannot possibly participate in the Eucharist without becoming better people because of it.

As an aid to our self-examination the Book of Common Prayer includes An Exhortation to be read on the First Sunday in Lent. It reads in part: Judge yourselves, therefore, lest you be judged by the Lord. Examine your lives and conduct by the rule of God’s commandments, that you may perceive wherein you have offended in what you have done or left undone, whether in thought, word or deed; and acknowledge your sins before Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life, being ready to make restitution for all injuries and wrongs done by you to others; and also being ready to forgive those who have offended you, in order that you yourselves may be forgiven. And then, being reconciled with one another, come to the banquet of that most heavenly Food.

The church recognizes that there are times when Christians find it difficult to believe that God could possibly forgive their sins and offences. There is a remedy.

The Exhortation continues: And if, in your preparation, you need help and counsel, then go and open your grief to a discreet and understanding priest, and confess your sins, that you may receive the benefit of absolution, and spiritual counsel and advice; to the removal of scruple and doubt, the assurance of pardon, and the strengthening of your faith.

The important spiritual discipline of self-examination in preparation for the Paschal Feast must not be underestimated for it leads us back into a right relationship with God. I am praying for all of us as we are called to the observance of a holy Lent. At the Great Vigil of Easter may we say with confidence that: “This is the night, when all who believe in Christ are delivered from the gloom of sin, and are restored to grace and holiness of life.”

The Right Reverend William H. Ilgenfritz
Bishop Ordinary
Missionary Diocese of All Saints
Anglican Church in North America

I am looking forward to the Second Synod of our Missionary Diocese of All Saints to be held once again in Ocean City, Maryland. The Synod will begin on Wednesday evening, May 9, 2012 with the Holy Eucharist at 6:30 PM and adjournment is scheduled for Thursday, May 10, 2012 at Noon. We may extend into the afternoon, if necessary. All clergy in good standing of the Diocese are entitled to seat, voice and vote. Each congregation of the Diocese is entitled to two lay delegates and two alternates, elected in accordance with the procedures in use in each congregation.

We will elect one lay member and one clergy member to our Bishop’s Council, receive an update on the status of newly formed congregations, learn about the status of our application for full diocesan status and report on the upcoming Provincial Council/Assembly of the Anglican Church in North America. scheduled for June. We will receive financial reports and consider a proposed budget. This year we will be open to receive resolutions in support of the mission and ministry we share. The deadline for resolutions to be submitted is April 1st.

Immediately following the Synod, the MDAS Clergy and Wives Retreat will take place, beginning on Thursday afternoon, May 10, 2012 at 4:00 PM and continuing through Noon on Saturday, May 12th. I am pleased to tell you that The Rt. Rev. Ray Sutton of the Reformed Episcopal Church has accepted our invitation to serve as our teacher. The Synod and the Retreat will provide an excellent opportunity for all of us to unite in worship, teaching and fellowship.

Finally, please know that I fully understand the challenges we face as a non-geographic diocese. Nevertheless, I hope you will make every effort to be present unless for good cause prevented.
 

Faithfully Yours in the Service of Christ and His Church,

The Rt. Rev. William H. Ilgenfritz

Bishop Ordinary

Missionary Diocese of All Saints

Anglican Church in North America

MMA's Mobile Medical Clinic

Anglican Health Ministries (AHM) and the Torrance Outreach for Unified Community Health (TOUCH) Coalition demonstrated  Medical Mission Adventures’ (MMA)  mobile medical clinic for Torrance Memorial Medical Center (TMMC) on Friday, November 11, 2011. In attendance were representatives from the community, including Christ Our Savior Anglican Church and the Salvation Army, Torrance Corps.

Mr. Louie Rosado, President of MMA, and Dr. Finnell, Executive Director of Anglican Health Ministries and founder of TOUCH, made a presentation to the executive staff of TMMC followed by a clinic walkthrough. All of the clinic’s capabilities were on display (i.e. medical, dental, and optical). The presentation focused on the need for primary medical care services among the area’s uninsured and underinsured population and how community organizations can network together to enhance continuity of care and reduce uncompensated emergency department visits.

During the free clinic visits, the Christian staff witnesses to patients and shares the gospel. AHM and MMA both believe that we can best minister to people through words and loving actions. The clinic is also a unique way to bring community assets together to address long-term needs in Torrance.

TOUCH and MMA will work with TMMC and other community organizations in the coming weeks to establish a corps of volunteers to host the free clinic on a regular basis in Torrance. If you would like to be part of this effort and are in the Southern California area, please join the Coalition.

Anglican Health Ministries is an official diocesan ministry of the Missionary Diocese of All Saints.

The brief video below will give you the highlights of the clinic’s capabilities:

The brochure and registration form can be printed and distributed to those who might be interested.

Canon Jack offered a realistic but inspiring review of his experiences in church planting and ministry. He shared with the clergy and lay delegates the keys that he personally had found valuable in navigating the challenges of starting with a church of just nine members and growing it to become a well-established parish in their own worship space and supporting a variety of strong lay-led ministries. Many of the strategies began as his personal involvement with the community beyond the “parish borders,” including ministry on the campus of the University of Michigan in Lansing, and working with other, much larger, churches to supply food for the hungry. Among the achievements he holds dearest is his fellowship with Sudanese refugees and the result that they have established their own growing Christian fellowship. He encouraged MSJ members to maintain a balance between ministry and family, noting that sacrificing family time for the work of the ministry often destroys both, but that keeping the proper borders and boundaries can give new life and energy to both as well, especially as one comes to know, trust and rely on the laypeople who take on the Work of the Kingdom within and without the “normal parish” paradigm. His simple re-telling of the basic principles of church-evangelism and then the imaginative ways he put them into practice, often by what appeared to be “God’s back door,” offered members of the Society refreshment for their souls and inspiration for the work of the coming year.

Although not yet relocated from Lansing to Pittsburgh, speaking to the delegates of the MSJ Synod was Canon Jack’s first function in his new role, and those in attendance felt his sincerity and passion for the missionary vision which is at the Society’s heart and the heart of his new post at the Archbishop’s side. The members present remain deeply grateful to Abp. Robert Duncan for encouraging Canon Jack to spend this time with us, that the bonds of affection between the Society and the Primate may be further developed by our common vision for the salvation of the lost and our commitment to the up-building of the faithful. The Society offers Canon Jack its heartiest congratulations and prayers for God’s rich blessing on his new service within the larger Church.

Thanks to Anglican TV