By the Rev. Aaron Buttery and the Rev. Dr. Jin Cho

Of any city or place that might serve as a historical example of holy unity in diverse community, Antioch is possibly the best. In this generative location for the expansion of the gospel, early Christians actively welcomed and unified people of every tribe and nation with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. The diversity of their racial, cultural and ethnic stories displayed the reality of the Kingdom of God in its full array of beauty and light.

Seeking to bring the Antioch expression into the modern-day Church, C4SO has partnered with the Antioch Clergy Initiative to increase the ethnic diversity of clergy in the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) for the sake of authentic gospel witness. Led by the Next Generation Leadership Initiative (NGLI), in partnership with the Anglican Multi-Ethnic Network (AMEN), the Antioch Clergy Initiative establishes a meaningful and accessible pathway to increase diversity in Anglican leadership by raising up young leaders of color. While NGLI’s overall goal is to recruit all young potential clergy, the Antioch Clergy Initiative’s focus within NGLI is on equipping minority leaders and introducing them to partner dioceses and churches.

In relationship with their seven partner dioceses, the Antioch Clergy Initiative seeks to:

  • Create a point of entry for people of color who may or may not be new to Anglicanism.
  • Invite any diocese in the ACNA to include their ethnic minorities in the program.
  • Establish 8- to 10-person cohorts of people of color across the ACNA to offer a community for formation, training for multi-ethnic ministry, and advocacy.
  • Provide ongoing multi-ethnic training for the local church, specifically on how to journey from the current reality into a more complete expression of diverse leadership.

For C4SO, the Antioch Clergy Initiative will serve as a companion and complement to the existing ordination process. The Initiative is a catalyst for recruiting, supporting, and mentoring both individuals and churches to make more diverse leadership in C4SO a reality. C4SO has committed to receive qualified ethnic minority Aspirants into the ordination process, pending proper vetting and discernment. During Aspirants’ ordination process, C4SO will help pay for them to receive training and attend retreats. Later in the ordination process, C4SO will seek to provide 2- to 3-year funded curacies and mentorship for these ethnic minority leaders.

One of C4SO’s Canon Theologians, the Rev. Dr. Esau McCaulley, started the Antioch Clergy Initiative last year in an effort to increase ethnic diversity among ordained leadership of the ACNA. As he writes in the founding documents, “Luke tells us that the leadership was comprised of Black Africans, North Africans, and Jewish converts to Christianity” (Acts 13:1). Just as the diversity in the early church’s leadership reflected the diversity of their city and the Roman empire, the Antioch Clergy Initiative calls for a diverse gathering of clergy and lay leaders that reflects the demographic makeup of North America and shares the transforming love of Christ.

C4SO invites men and women of color who are discerning a call to ordained ministry to participate in the Antioch Clergy Initiative. In addition, any C4SO church seeking to expand the diversity of their leadership can serve as a partner church where a young leader of color can gain experience.

“God’s church is not ‘going to be’ global and diverse, it already is–and the promise of Revelation 7:9 will surely come to pass,” Bishop Todd says. “But this diversity is not automatic for most local churches. We have to want it, plan for it and work toward it. Thus, I joyfully endorse the Antioch Clergy Initiative with the hope that soon we will be partners in ministry with ever-increasing numbers of men and women of color.”

To set up a conversation regarding how this may look for you or your church, contact C4SO’s liaisons for the Antioch Clergy Initiative: the Rev. Aaron Buttery, and the Rev. Dr. Jin Cho.

Learn more.

The Rev. Aaron Buttery leads and facilitates C4SO’s NextGen Leadership team and serves as Director of Student Ministry, Next Generation Leadership, ACNA. As a 20+ year NextGen ministry leader, a two-time church planter, and leadership coach with Spiritual Leadership, Inc., he is the primary contact in C4SO for questions, ideas, and excitement about young people and growing young leaders. Contact him at aaron@c4so.org.

 

 

The Rev. Dr. Jin Cho is C4SO’s Leader of the Revelation 7:9 Task Force for Racial Diversity and Inclusion. He serves at Holy Trinity Church in Costa Mesa, California as a priest. Jin received his doctorate of ministry from Fuller Seminary, writing on “Race, Evangelicalism, and the Local Church.” He has 20-plus years experience as a pastor and a church planter, but in recent years consults with churches and non-profits to have courageous conversations around various justice issues. Jin and his far more interesting wife Esther will celebrate their 25th anniversary next year, and they have two extremely extroverted middle-schoolers.