The American Anglican Council (AAC) received a grant of $50,000 from LeaderWorks to support and expand its Anglican Revitalization Ministries (ARM), a provincial-wide, parish-focused renewal ministry of the AAC that provides comprehensive assessment, training, and coaching for churches and church leaders. The grant will underwrite a significant expansion in the scope of this work and the required staff leadership and is renewable for the following two years. The Rev. Canon Phil Ashey commented, “This gift further empowers the work we are doing. The ministry of ARM, under the direction of The Rev. Canon Mark Eldredge, has been very successful, and we want to expand it to more dioceses and congregations. The LeaderWorks Trust is helping in a major way.”
Beginning in 2023, the AAC will expand this parish renewal ministry, scaling it to provide more weekend training events and strengthen its ongoing support and coaching to congregational leaders through one-on-one sessions and longer-term groups. The Rev. Brian Pape has agreed to serve with Canon Mark Eldredge to expand this vital ministry to many more churches in the ACNA. Canon Mark Eldredge said, “God has been steadily growing the work of Anglican Revitalization Ministries in our province over the last few years. To continue meeting the needs of the leaders we serve, we needed both the right leader to add to our ARM team and the money to fund it. I’m so thankful to the Lord for providing both! The Rev. Brian Pape, with experience in congregational revitalization and a history of training in coaching and consulting, is the right leader, and the LeaderWorks Trust grant is significantly funding the position. God is good!” When reached for comment, Rev. Pape said, “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to join Canon Mark and the important work the AAC is doing to develop faithful, courageous, and resilient leaders for our mission field in North America.”
Since 2016, LeaderWorks has supported the teaching, writing, and coaching ministry of The Rev. David Roseberry, one-time Rector of Christ Church in Plano, Texas. In early 2022, the ministry received a very generous pledge of $1,000,000. The organization established The LeaderWorks Trust and, over the past nine months has given grants to more than a dozen Anglican churches to kickstart capital campaigns. Providing a combined total of $130,000 to 14 different congregations, the Trust is helping these churches raise a potential $10,000,000 in total funds for their capital projects. “The LeaderWorks Trust originated from a million-dollar grant from one donor,” Canon Roseberry explained. “He is like an ‘angel investor’ in Anglican congregations that need help. If a donation like this can further the progress of revitalizing our current congregations, it is a great opportunity.”
The AAC and LeaderWorks partnered on projects over the past six years. The joint effort in sponsoring five regional rector-training events (called RSVP) was a great example of how the two para-church ministries serve the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). The strength of both organizations provided fresh teaching and needed fellowship for rectors.
To learn more about how Anglican Revitalization Ministries can support your diocese or congregation, visit www.churchrevive.org for podcasts, books, and articles to help bring your congregation towards new health and growth. For information on the American Anglican Council and its continuing mission of developing faithful leaders, equipping local congregations, and always reforming the Church, visit www.americananglican.org. And to connect with the Rev. Cn. David Roseberry’s work in books, blogs, and other resources for Anglican leadership development, visit www.leaderworks.org for more on his ministry and the LeaderWorks Trust.
