Lessons from Bishop Martyn

Greetings, Trinitarians!

Last Sunday we had the pleasure of welcoming Bishop Martyn Minns and his family to worship with us at Trinity. After church, over lunch on the deck, Martyn told fun stories from his ministry in Lafayette in the 1980. I've included a photo here of Carla and me with Martyn, his wife Angela, and daughter Rachel.

In this Rector's Report, I want to share a bit more about Bishop Martyn, for three reasons. First, he had a powerful ministry here in Lafayette, which is instructive to us. Second, he is a retired Anglican Bishop whose ministry played an important role in the global Anglican realignment and also for us in the All Nations Diocese. And third, Bishop Martyn left a legacy of personal generosity that is still benefiting us, especially through Bob and Cheryl Ogle.

Martyn came to Lafayette from Connecticut in 1983, to plant a new Episcopal Church called Church of the Holy Spirit. Meeting at Saint Thomas More high school, the church quickly grew amidst countless small miracles of the Lord. Many received the gospel of Christ and experienced conversion of life in the power of the Holy Spirit. After Martyn's departure to the East Coast in 1988, the church gradually declined and eventually closed. But many individuals around Lafayette still point to that time, including our own Ed Abell, Virginia Reinhardt, and Bob & Cheryl Ogle (more on the Ogles below).

As a fellow church planter (who also moved to Lafayette from Connecticut!), I take at least two lessons from Martyn's work with the Church of the Holy Spirit. The first is that there is a real hunger and need for faithful gospel ministry here in Lafayette. As Anglicans, we have the unique opportunity to proclaim the good news of Christ in a way that will resonate with the local culture. And the second, is that it is important to do this within a Biblically orthodox ecclesial structure. Every Episcopal church in the region has either declined or closed, even if the local congregation has remained orthodox, as the broader denomination has departed from the Bible.

Martyn himself played an important role in the response to the progressive turn in the Episcopal Church. In 2006, he was consecrated as a missionary Bishop from Nigeria to the United States, and became the first Bishop of CANA. He participated in the founding of GAFCON and the ACNA. CANA grew, and subsequently split into two Dioceses, CANA East which was renamed Diocese of the Living Word under Bishop Julian Dobbs, and CANA West which was renamed Diocese of All Nations under Bishop Felix Orji (our diocese!).

Finally, I want to reflect on the legacy of Martyn's personal generosity. It was in the 1980s that Bob's YWAM bus broke down on I-10 at Lafayette. He'd never been to the town before, but Martyn received him and his group of youth for multiple days during the repairs. This providential connection lay a foundation that eventually resulted in the Ogles moving to Lafayette, where they continued in ministry for 30 years.

Thus, when Bob and I met for the first time in 2016, and he found out I knew Martyn, Bob was amazed and inspired. Everything was coming full circle. "Martyn gave me my start in this town," Bob said, "And I'm going to give you yours." And that's how Trinity Anglican began here at 3001 Verot School Road. An amazing story of God's providential care through the personal generosity of his people!

In fact, God orchestrates stories like this all the time. The generous deeds you do today, in thanksgiving for the grace of God in Christ, God can and will use in incredible ways for generations to come. Don't hesitate to plant those seeds! As Jesus told Mary before the raising of Lazarus, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40).

Living Stones Update #3
Thanks to all for your patience as we figure out how to do our meals after church without the use of the family center. This Sunday we will try setting up tables in front of the playground, and then you can find a seat on the deck. The forecast is for rain on Saturday, but it should be clear on Sunday.

In Christ -
Peter