By the Rev’d Canon Tony Baron.

Let’s face it. What we do as servant-leaders and who we are as church planters, ordinands, deacons, priests, and bishops demand a particular prominence regarding our relationship with the presence and power of God in our daily lives and in our ministries.

Measuring spiritual well-being for any clergy can be difficult, but I would argue it is far more complicated for the apostolic traditions like those who serve in the Anglican, Roman, or Orthodox traditions in determining accuracy. Our liturgical, sacramental, and Eucharistic practices, along with the various vestments, have the power for clergy to enhance personal spiritual formational well-being but can also serve as a mask for what is truly going on in the intrapsychic life.

Studies have indicated that a significant amount of clergy are experiencing chronic struggles with meaning, faith, commitment, purpose in life, and relationship to God, peers, and family (See Ellison, Roalson, Guillory, Flannelly, and Marcum (2009) for one such study). Granted those studies do not focus upon the Anglican community or directly upon our Diocese, but you get my point that the life of a bishop, priest, or deacon does not guarantee Kingdom benefits and bolster relational, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional well-being.

So +Todd and I have had several conversations on how we can best serve C4SO, and in this case, how I can best serve the many within our ranks. We recognize, as a member of the Anglican Church of North America, that we are a church planting movement that has been blessed within our Diocese with several significant established Anglican churches in the United States. In comparisons with other Dioceses within ACNA, our clergy are younger, more likely to be church planters, more receptive to female clergy, and are generally bi-vocational to support themselves and their families. They are also, largely speaking, newer to the Anglican tradition and more pronounced in Evangelical Theology and the ways for engagement with society, service, and self. Our future is certainly bright with a pipeline of theologically trained candidates seeking ordination and already ministering as church planters.

With the blessing of Bishop Todd, and as the Canon for Clergy and Congregational Care, I would like the “heart and soul” of C4SO not to be harmed by the stressors and strains often associated with clergy life and congregational concerns. Therefore, I am available to all clergy (including all church planters not ordained yet) and their congregations to serve as a prayerful partner, listening ear, resource provider, and at times, a guiding mentor. Bishop Todd has assured me that all your conversations with me will be confidential unless it is clearly legally abusive to self or others.

I am available by phone and email, and also available for conferences or church retreats. Any realistic expenses will be picked up by the Diocese. Perhaps you can get something free after all!

Let’s do it together. After all, every pastor needs a pastor and every spiritual director needs a spiritual director. Along with King Jesus, Bishop Todd and I believe in you. Your life and your work are so precious to the ONE who has called you before the foundations of this world for this life and this ministry.

IN HIM, for the sake of others, Tony+

The Rev. Tony Baron is the Canon for Clergy and Congregational Care for C4SO.  Contact Tony here.