New Around the Mission

Church Plant Finds New Life in Anglican Tradition

August 29, 2011

At the 2005 Winter Conference, the Rev. Robert Lancaster knew he was called to church planting in the Pacific Northwest.

“Bishop Chuck put up the map of the U.S. and there were no dots [for churches] out here yet. I felt God say, ‘You’re going to put a dot there someday,’” he says.

What Robert didn’t know was that his “dot” would mean transitioning an existing church plant, started by David and Karen Knudtson, into the Anglican Mission. Last January, as Robert approached his seminary graduation and ordination, he met the Knudtsons who had become interested in Anglicanism and wanted to explore what it would look like to transition their struggling church. After many conversations, they welcomed Robert to move to Vancouver, Washington, to become their priest and guide them on the Canterbury Trail as part of the Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO) Network.

So Robert packed his bags in Chicago and headed West. He led his first service at Arnada Abbey on Ash Wednesday.

“Lent provided a good introduction to the Anglican way of life in terms of focusing on Lenten disciplines and the church calendar,” he says.

Since Easter, hard work and persistence have paid off. Arnada has grown from five or six to 20 attendees and offers a welcoming “come and see” approach to Anglicanism.

“We just put together a prayer book service and I do a three-to-four-minute teaching on Sundays about liturgy,” Robert says. “A few weeks ago we did a walk-through guided Eucharist. This Sunday we’re starting an Anglican studies class to explain Anglicanism to people—where we came from, what we believe and why we do what we do.”

That includes an explanation of theAM’s Rwandan roots, which, surprisingly, has a natural connection in Vancouver. A community of Rwandan refugees calls the city home and several local ministries have made Rwanda their focal point. That direct link and a willingness to partner with existing ministries make Arnada that much more appealing to the unchurched people Robert encounters in coffee shops around the city.

“I get the sense the Spirit is moving out here and the people are more open to spiritual discussions than in the Midwest,” he says. “Now we just need more clergy to come out here and see this is where God is working.”

Learn more at ArnadaAbbey.org.

Posted By: Cynthia P. Brust
Categories: Church Planting