I received the outward and visible sign of God’s inward and spiritual grace at the age of 7. I was baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit in that small Baptist church in front of some of the most God-loving people you will ever meet.

God reminded me that He has been with me in every part of my journey—even the painful parts that leave me fearful and vulnerable.

My long and seemingly impossible journey began as a person no one suspected of having a role in ministry.

This morning, our daughter looked out her window to find a white sheet of snow laying on top of the grass. Seeing this, she shouted, “where did it come from!?” In some ways, that’s the question of Psalm 29. If you read the passage, you’ll find that weather is a central theme. As God’s people come…

On the surface, the call to cross-cultural missions that I initially received and the call to pastoral ministry in my own home state sound like they are at odds, but I have come to see that they are very much in harmony. When I lived in Mali, I began learning to pay attention to the world around me in a new way, to notice culture: the hidden rules, stories and assumptions that are invisible to all who hold them but essentially run their world. Coming back home, I was a little more able to see my own culture, things I simply would not have noticed until I had lived somewhere with a different set of rules, stories and assumptions.

By Jeff LeMaster When Windsor Naething was ordained as a deacon at Grace Northridge in San Antonio on January 27, 2024, the occasion marked the conclusion of a journey that began many years ago. But it also represented the beginning of a new chapter of ministry. And in some ways it felt like the natural…

“Everybody is able to minister within the church, but you’re set apart for a specific function within the life of the church.” That’s how Ryland+ Brown describes the role of priest in the AMiA. And though his path to priesthood involved discovering a new global and historical perspective of his faith, he’s quick to emphasize,…

“I love people,” says +Robert Cook. “I love seeing people come alive and be who God’s made them to be in the midst of all the challenges.” And in his role of bishop in the AMiA, he does just that. +Robert grew up as an Episcopalian and was familiar with the liturgy from an early…

I’ll be honest: I’ve never been a big fan of Lent. Before I got sick, Lent often felt superficial. Yes, I sometimes gave up sugar or TV or social media, and since these things distracted me from listening to God and were generally unhealthy, that felt right and good. And yes, I sometimes took up…

I ask each person whom I encounter how I can specifically pray for them, and about 90% are open to receiving prayer. Those interactions springboard into deeper spiritual conversations.