Greetings Res Family!
 
We are just finishing the final eucharist service and I wanted to give you a quick update before I pack and head to the airport. Today has been an especially meaningful day for me and the Lord has been very gracious to us at the conference and to me personally.
 
The day started with breakfast with Bishop John and Meg Guernsey. Not only did we have an inspired conversation, and not only is John celebrating his 70th birthday today, I was able to thank him personally for inviting me to Gafcon and give testimony to what God has taught me and what I have learned. I was grateful for the unplanned breakfast.
 
After a brief quiet time on my porch from Psalm 13, I walked to the morning session only to find myself walking in with Archbishop Foley and his wife Allison. We had a very special moment of conversation which I am not at liberty to share but it touched me deeply. What a privilege to serve behind the scenes and bless those who are up front in our movement. It very may well be one of the greatest encouragements I have ever received. It certainly motivated me to be more faithful and fulfill my calling. I praise God for our godly Archbishop.
 
The morning plenary was worship and a most amazing and inspiring sermon by the Primate of Uganda from Colossians 3 and 4. His call to pray was unbelievable. He told us 100 members of his church back home SPENT ALL NIGHT IN PRAYER for him and the conference. ALL. NIGHT. And truly there was an anointing on Him and the conference this morning that we have not felt since we have been there. I was so humbled and convicted. It’s no wonder Uganda sees so many come to Christ, get healed, and plant churches. I can barely pray for 5 minutes. They prayed ALL NIGHT! It is the prayers of the church that pave the way for the Work of the Lord. I praise God our church was founded on prayer. I pray that a hunger for God and for prayer might grow in our church. If you get a chance, please watch his sermon (CLICK HERE).
 
After a break, the Archbishop of Nigeria read of the “Kigali Statement”. CLICK HERE to read it. It is clear, gracious, and pastoral. For some reason there was much weightiness and heaviness in the room as it was read. For me there was great sadness that there has been such division and heresy and unfaithfulness in the Anglican Communion. There was a mood of sober mindedness as we have all been called to repentance. I was struck not by any air of triumphalism or superiority in the room, but of humility and solemnity and even grief.  We spent time in prayer after it was read.
 
My prayer group has been amazing. I love the men and was honored to have four very distinguished leaders in it. I am committing to pray for them as they had back to their ministries in the UK, Mexico, New Zealand and the US.
 
The final worship service was marked by an absolutely clear and inspiring sermon from Archbishop Kwashi of Northern Nigeria. What a man who has sacrificed so much. He talked about the battle and counting the cost. As one who has been personally attacked, whose wife has been brutally assaulted, had his entire house and church burned to the ground, and whose life is in constant danger because of the gospel, it was truly humbling.  “To whom shall we go?” from John 6 was his text and the theme of the conference. I got choked up twice during the sermon and was inspired to continue to pray and proclaim the gospel with greater clarity and conviction.
 
As I head home, I am praying I won’t lose the courage and encouragement we have received from such great teaching and worship this week. I am praying that all of us from the ACNA will return with a renewed commitment and steadfast courage to proclaim Jesus as the Way the Truth and the Life.
 
Look forward to seeing you Sunday, Lord willing!
 
In Christ,
David 

Greetings Res Family!
 
It’s hard to believe today was our last full day in Kigali. The week has flown by and I am so grateful to have been here but also ready to be home! I awoke after a good 5 hours of sleep. I had a long breakfast with a founding member of Holy Trinity in Raleigh (my first pastorate). It was a great testimony and encouragement of the Lord’s faithfulness from my pre – Resurrection Days that has yielded much fruit in the 13 years since. Praise God!
 
This morning’s worship was a real treat. It is amazing to worship with 1,300 people from 53 countries. After Bible teaching from Colossians 3 led by a Sri Lankan national who is now Archbishop of Australia, both a Rwandan woman leader and then the Very Rev’d Dr Peter Jenson, the founder of Gafcon, led us in a time of prayer and repentance. I was overwhelmed and humbled. My prayer group that followed was quite amazing. The Archbishop of the ACNA equivalent in New Zealand, the only acting Church of England Bishop and suffragan to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and a Congo pastor who is going to be ordained a bishop next week were in my group. Great conversation and prayer!
 
The morning session also included a financial update on Gafcon and a wonderful teaching on the love of God from Thomas Cranmer Scholar Dr. Ashley Noll. I needed the reminder that it is not guilt, fear, or a desire for anything from God that draws us to God in repentance. Its Love - specifically His love for us! I was convicted about all the wrong reasons why I approach God before and after I sin (guilt or fear of reprisal) or for ministry (Lord bless my plans so I can do good work for others). I am praying the love of God will more and more be my motivation and strength to grow in my relationship with Christ, to preach the gospel, and to serve people. What a great reminder from a gifted speaker, the Lord really does love us! The teaching this week has been so Bible centered and anointed. I have been richly blessed.
 
I had lunch with the leader of the ALI Spouses Network and her husband, my good friends Molly and Christian Ruch. (Molly led the church planting training at Res last spring). We had a great time catching up, praying together and planning for the future. Truly one of the highlights for me has been the great conversations with amazing believers who have inspired me to love and serve God more.
 
After a quiet time and a brief nap, the whole conference met for pictures and then there was a Trinity Seminary gathering. I was so blessed to see the impact of Trinity has had on so many who are leaders in our movement.
 
The Diocese of the Mid Atlantic contingent (about 16 of us) gathered for dinner at a local restaurant with Bishop Chris and his wife Catherine. We had a time of sharing and discussion over a great meal. I am so impressed with Bishop Chris and there was real unity and joy as we broke bread together. I am excited for Bishop Chris to visit Res in two weeks.
 
After dinner we had truly African worship (which I had been waiting for – no more American music – this was the real thing with dancing!) We even sang “To God be the Glory” in the local Rwanda dialect. It was so moving and the Holy Spirit was very present in the room. After a time of sharing what God is doing around the world, which included Res’s founding Archbishop Tito from Chile giving a great report from his province, I was invited to join the Bishop and 5 members of the Diocese of South Carolina to have a discussion with Gafcon founder and worldwide Anglican leader Dr Peter Jenson. (Who led us in prayer this morning) It was an incredible hour discussion. The 79 year old Anglican icon was witty, fun, inspirational, and very encouraging to us younger leaders. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me as we heard his vision for global Anglicanism, Gafcon and the ACNA moving forward. I only wish I had gotten His perspective and wisdom sooner in the conference. Meeting and speaking with him in a small group was truly a fitting way to end an amazing week.
 
Tomorrow we will spend the morning in prayer and worship and finalizing the Kigali statement.  The conference ends at lunch. I will pack and leave the hotel around 4pm to catch my 8:10pm flight out of Kigali. With layovers in Entebbe, Uganda and Brussels, Belgium, it should be just about a 20 hour trip home, Lord willing.
 
Please continue to pray for us as a conference and for me personally. I am encouraged and have had such a spiritually hard but very encouraging time. The 20 year investment in our movement and in relationships seems to be paying off. I hope I was as much of an encouragement to the many I caught up with this week as they were to me.
 
I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday and giving you an update.
 
With Love in Christ,
David 

Greetings Res Family!
 
It’s been a very long day and it's almost 12:30am as I start to write my update for today. After a really tough night in which I only got about 1 ½ hours sleep, and having sensed some real spiritual oppression, I got up and sent a request for prayer to the staff and to our prayer chain. Over breakfast almost all at our table said they had a tough night sleep and have felt under spiritual attack. One bishop’s wife even had to be rushed to the hospital. Yet, I had a wonderful conversation with a man who is a missionary to Ukraine and has been there 6 times since the war started. He told amazing stories of what God is doing there, but also shared that there is lots of heartache and suffering. He invited me to bring a team from Res to see and help. I'm not sure if that is our calling at the moment but it gives you a sense of the depth of conversation and the broad range of committed Christians who are here. Very inspiring!
 
During the morning plenary meeting we had great worship, teaching from Colossians 2, and a wonderful talk on how to equip churches for mission using the “Word 1-2-1” method (I had never heard of it). Basically, it is a way to help people connect over coffee, read scripture, and encourage one another to grow in Christ through reading God’s Word together. Apparently, it has had much success in English churches. I am excited to try it myself before making any conclusions as to whether it could be a good fit for Res.  
 
After lunch I started to feel better. I had a quiet time, took a short rest, read my book, and then went out to a breakout session on personal evangelism and living in compassionate relationship with the sinner and sufferer. I agree with the presenters that the American church may do a good job of pastoral care to the physically sick, but we are strongly lacking in staying in relationships with sinners and those who suffer from mental, emotional, and sexual brokenness. It was a wakeup call for me to see people differently and to pray and walk more humbly with Christians and non-Christians in all our messiness. Very inspiring and again much to pray for.
 
The big reveal of the first draft of the “Kigali Statement” was made to the entire conference at 4pm. We then gathered together by province for two hours of feedback and comments. It was tedious yet important work. Overall, there is a good statement which still needs some final editing to make the Gafcon position clearer while offering repentance and pastoral care to those both in the Anglican Communion and around the world. While the final revision won’t please everyone, we agreed it was a good first step. Comments from all the provinces will go back to the drafting committee for further revisions.
 
Tonight, the oppression lifted and the evening was just plain fun! Thank you, Lord! And thank you for praying. I had dinner out with an ALI Bishop and his wife as well as Capers Barr and his wife. Capers came as a guest speaker with Allen Hughes to our men’s retreat in 2017. He had given a very pastoral testimony there and now 6 years later has quit his law practice and is now the executive pastor (similar to Martha Borg’s role) at a big church in South Carolina. It was such an encouraging two-hour conversation. After dinner my evening finished with some great conversations with the Gulf Atlantic Diocese team covering topics from discipleship in churches, leadership, role of bishops, the importance of ministries like ALI, and testimonies of how we all have grown in the last season. It was a very edifying and encouraging evening.
 
Thank you for your prayers. Over the course of the day the oppression has lifted very much. Please do keep Kristin and the kids in prayer as they have had a tougher than usual time the last few days. Please know I am praying for you and again I am so grateful to be here. It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is our last full day!
 
Blessings it you all in Christ,
David 

Greetings Res Family!
 
Thank you so much to all who are reading the blog, sending texts of encouragement, and/or praying for me and the Gafcon meetings. I am so grateful! I personally had a wonderful day today but could sense that things were a bit “off” around mid-day. As one delegate told me, things are feeling heavy today. We soon found out why.
 
At the beginning of our afternoon meetings, Archbishop Foley addressed the whole conference and announced he had some very sad news. In a “I can’t believe this is happening” moment, he told us that the Archbishop of Rwanda, who is the host of the conference, a leader in Gafcon, who had addressed us last night, and whose daughter has been a wonderful conference coordinator, lost his son this morning. All we were told is that his son didn’t wake up and died in his sleep over night. This was a shock to the whole conference and we spent time in prayer for the Archbishop and his family. Needless to say it highlighted that we are in a very big spiritual battle in this ministry.
 
After breakfast with the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic delegation, we were treated to the most anointed Bible teaching on Colossians 1 from the Gafcon Bishop of New Zealand. It was truly inspiring as he laid out the Supremacy of Christ, the Sufficiency of Christ, and the Sovereignty of Christ in ALL THINGS from vs 15-23. Rarely have I heard such great bible teaching. I literally got choked up twice during his talk, overwhelmed with the love and power and greatness of Christ.  As it turns out the speaker was in my small prayer group afterwards which was really fun. If you get a chance to listen on the website, it is well worth it!
 
Then during the morning session we heard a history of the Anglican realignment since 1970, a theological history and overview of the Anglican communion, and an inspiring call to unity and to move forward in mission. After lunch we heard amazing testimonies from African brothers and sisters. They asked us not to re-share because of the sensitive nature of the places they live. But I was so struck after hearing these stories of how little I pray, how little I expect God to work, how little I know how to persevere through hardship, and how robust the faith and experience of Christ is in our brothers and sisters around the world. Just wow! Listening was worth the price of flying all the way over here in spades! I pray we at Res might live more boldly, pray more boldly, suffer more boldly, and proclaim the good news of Christ more boldly!
 
After meeting up with my two of my covenant group brothers before dinner to catch up, I had dinner with Bishop Chris and Catherine and others from our diocese. Tonight’s meeting we heard reports from around the world focusing on the UK and parts of Europe. The evening ended with a 1 ½ hour fellowship time with the Diocese of Pittsburgh delegation (my ordaining diocese) including their new bishop. It was a wonderful evening of conversation, fellowship and much encouragement. Both Res and ALI got lots of kudos and again I am amazed that our church has so much recognition beyond Baltimore. I pray we steward it well.
 
Please continue to pray for Gafcon, for me, and for the Archbishop of Rwanda who grieves the sudden death of his son. Thank you again for letting me come and I pray that this trip will yield much fruit in our mission and church in the days to come.
 
Humbly in Christ,
David

Greetings Res Family!
 
Wow! What a day here in Kigali. After being up most of the night not yet having adjusted to the time change, I got up (tired!) for an early breakfast and to head out with about 100 others to the Kigali Genocide Memorial.  There is real comradery among the delegates and an openness for conversation which is refreshing and encouraging.  
 
For those who have been to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Israel, you can imagine how hard it was to walk through the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Not only are there 250,000 people buried inside the memorial compound in mass graves, but the building is designed to walk you from the Rwanda of 1897 to today. The goal is to show how the groundwork was set in place for genocide decades before 1994, to depict the 100 day genocide and then report on the post 1994 aftermath and road to recovery. It was overwhelming, tragic, and hard to take all in. The sheer gruesome reality of this genocide – neighbors butchering neighbors with machetes - was on full display. Humbled and sobered, I was moved to prayer and much reflection.  
 
What was even more scary was how, starting in 1957 there began a systematic plan to dehumanize and demonize political opponents that led to the long downhill slide into what became mass genocide on the ground level. There was lots of conversation on the bus ride home about how we are seeing the same signs from Rwanda in the 1950’s and 60’s in our current political dialogue in America today. (The dehumanizing of political opponents). Could we be 30 years away from what now seems like an absurd possibility of one political party slaughtering the other with guns and violence en masse throughout the country? They never could have imagined it in 1964 Rwanda. And yet it happened full scale 30 years later. Again, lots to pray and reflect on.
 
Back at the hotel I had a wonderful lunch with Mike McDonald. Canon for Ordination Jim Beavers (who took over the position from Jack Grubbs) and Bishop Chris and Catherine Warner sat at the table next to us. We had a great conversation and strategized over how to best identify, equip, and serve leaders and churches. I love being around strategic thinkers who are also great pastors!
 
I came back to my room for a quiet time before getting ready for the conference to start. In God’s sovereign grace, Psalm 10 was my psalm of the day and couldn’t have been more helpful in processing my visit to the Memorial. Vs 1 is the lament I was feeling: ”Lord, why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” the psalmist asks . . . and then goes on to describe the “wicked man” who in arrogance and pride “does not seek the Lord” (vs 4) and who “lies in wait in villages and from ambush murders the innocent” (vs 8). Vs 10 goes on to say “His victims are crushed; they collapse they fall under his strength.” But then the Psalmists finds his footing amidst the suffering and questions. First, he prays: vs 12 - “Arise O God, and lift up your hand and do not forget the helpless.”  Second, he remembers what is true: vs 14 - “But You, O God, do see trouble.” Third, he commits his way to the Lord : vs 14 - “The victim commits himself to the Lord; You are the helper of the fatherless.” And finally he trusts God will judge with eternal judgment:  vs 16 - “The Lord is King for ever and ever and the nations will perish from the land.” This was a tremendous encouragement as I reflected on the testimonies we heard of God’s faithfulness and care before, during, and after the genocide. I am so grateful the Lord meets us in our times with Him each day and speaks through His Word. I was reminded again why reading Scripture is a great way to process our pain and questions!
 
And then the fireworks began! At 6pm local time, 1,300 of us gathered to begin the conference.   With opening greetings from the Archbishop of Rwanda, we then received a “Rwandan Welcome”. A choir kicked off the conference with a local hymn and then burst forth with Handel’s “Alleluia Chorus” in the local Rwandan dialect! I can’t tell you how moving it was. What followed was more Rwandan dance, music and worship. So powerful!
 
Archbishop Foley, not only a good friend to me and to Res, but the chairman of Gafcon (he is the only American who will speak during the whole conference) gave the opening address.  He rose to the occasion in a powerful way. “Clear. Anointed. Timely.” Is what I texted him later. He called the worldwide Anglican Church to repentance, calling out Archbishop Justin Welby of England and those who have left the historic Christian faith to repent and return to the gospel and the authority of scripture.  He couldn’t have been more clear when he said it was “well past time to no longer have a secular government (England’s Prime Minister) appoint the head of a church (the Archbishop of Canterbury)”. He called for new mechanism for choosing the leadership of the worldwide Anglican Church that is faithful to the gospel and appointed by new instruments of unity. It was a shot across the bow from the opening of the Conference.
 
His speech then called Gafcon participants and the churches we represent, some 80 million Anglicans, to recommit to four priorities:

1. To Be a Repenting Church – continually live a life of ”changing our minds to the mind of Christ”
   
2. To Be a Reconciling Church – to be bridge builders and seek unity with one another.
   
3. To Be a Reproducing Church – to make disciples and plant churches
   
4. To Be a Relentlessly Compassionate Church – to flip the script on accusations against Christians in the west of being judgmental and arrogant with radical compassion and engagement in relationship with the sinner and sufferer.

It was a very powerful speech. The best I have ever heard him give. It was a historic moment that was not lost on any of us who are there. You can imagine there was quite a buzz afterwards. If you can get a chance, you can listen to it on the Gafcon website: https://gafcon23.org/resources/.
 
Archbishop Ben Kwashi of Laos, Nigeria, whom I know from Trinity Seminary, then spoke as General Secretary of Gafcon. He challenged us and the churches we lead to commit to the three foundational principles of the Gafcon movement:

1. Preeminence of Scripture
   
2. Power of the Gospel to change people
   
3. Priority of mission to the community and the world.

 
His message was as clear and anointed as Archbishop Foley’s. It was a powerful evening as we closed in prayer.
 
Tonight I had the privilege of having dinner with David Hanke, Rector of Restoration Anglican church. He is a good friend, an anointed leader and a treasure trove of wisdom, ministry experience, and pastoring. The evening ended with a few of us processing the day and talking through the implications of Foley and Ben’s opening statements on the worldwide Anglican Church. Overall it was a full, exciting, and very exhausting day.
 
Please do continue to keep us in prayer. I felt under spiritual attack and oppression in the night and at times throughout the day. I know my family is feeling a bit of oppression as well. Please pray for them.  This very well may be a historic gathering and the enemy will do everything to divide and discourage as we pray, lead, deliberate and plan. May the Lord Jesus Himself lead His church and give us wisdom and boldness in how to live into the vision which our leaders laid out for us tonight.
 
Please know I think of Res often. We are known throughout the ACNA and many come up to me to ask how things are going. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to be here on your behalf. I also love learning what I can about how to be a better pastor and leader and I’ve already picked up some gems of wisdom and best practices to bring back with me to Res. 
 
Praying and serving with great gratitude and anticipation,
David

​Greetings Res Family!
 
Bishop John Guernsey strongly recommended we come to Rwanda a day early to get acclimated to the time difference and prepare for the conference which starts on Monday afternoon. I am so glad I did! After a great night’s sleep, I had breakfast with my friend, ALI Team member and rector of Grace Anglican Church in Jacksonville, Florida, Mike McDonald. We were joined by the new Bishop of the Gulf Atlantic Diocese Alex Farmer (another ALI alum) and the delegation from their diocese. Like in Israel, the hotel provides a wonderful full breakfast. We had great conversation and what a joy to be with believers from across the ACNA. 
 
After breakfast I went back to my room and had a quite time with the Lord on my small porch (Picture). It was a wonderful place to meet the Lord and pray for Res, the Conference, and Storie who turns 15 today! Psalm 9 was my psalm of the day and vs 10 and 11 really encouraged me: “Those who know your Name will trust in You; for You, O Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Sing praises to the Lord, enthroned in Zion, proclaim among the nations what He has done.” I was struck that, in this country so far from Baltimore, there are many who seek the Lord and He is indeed enthroned over every nation. So far this trip has been a great reminder of how small we are, how big the world is, and how even bigger the Lord is who “rules the world with truth and grace” as the great Christmas hymn says.
 
For lunch I went with Pittsburgh friends to a roof top restaurant overlooking the city about 2.5 miles from the hotel. I was struck in the cab ride how over how clean and new everything is. Later I learned why. Literally, everything is new in the last 29 years. Over lunch, I got a history about the 1994 Rwandan genocide from a woman who has traveled here many times. The country just completed a week long “unity, reconciliation and memorial” to honor the 29th anniversary of the genocide where about 1 million Rwandans were murdered in their homes, on the streets, in churches, and workplaces over a 40 day period. Can you imagine? The stories are horrific and evil. The tragedy is still very much a part of the collective consciousness and lives of those who live here.  I was told that a majority of Rwandans under 30 do not have parents or just one parent. So many children lost parents and grandparents during this horrific and satanic massacre that saw neighbors murdering neighbors. It was a humbling and eye-opening discussion. While there has been much healing, much work remains. To hear that the Christian community has led the way in the healing and reconciliation process was so encouraging. More to come on this as I will be going to the Rwanda Genocide Memorial tomorrow before the conference starts.
 
After lunch we walked through Kigali back to the hotel. As we walked through the city, I understood why Rwanda is called the country of a thousand hills – we got a great workout! The city is clean and everyone is very polite. This evening, I decided to walk around the conference center listening to worship music, praying for the country, and enjoy the beautiful breeze and sunset as the sky cleared. After a brief dinner and seeing a few friends, I am writing this update and going to bed early. 


Tomorrow will be busy with an early morning visit to the Genocide Memorial and then the conference starts in the afternoon. Thank you for your prayers for good health. So far so good! Please know that I am praying for you all and know I am so grateful to be here. Thank you for allowing me to come and be a part of what could be a very historic conference.
 
I look forward to giving you an update tomorrow. Until then, know I am thinking of you all and praying for you from 7,177 miles away.
 
Grateful to be in Christ,
David 

Greetings Res Family!
 
I have just arrived safely in Kigali, Rwanda after an uneventful and even enjoyable 20 hour trip.  The highlight of the first leg to Brussels was not only getting a window seat which facilitated about 3 hours of sleep, but friends from my old church in Raleigh as well as bishops and clergy from North and South Carolina were on the flight. It was a great reunion and a foretaste of things to come this week.
 
When we arrived in Brussels, I was greeted by my good friend and ALI teammate Bishop Trevor Walters who was flying in from Montreal. After a fun breakfast together, we boarded our flight for the 9 hour flight to Rwanda. There were more than 7 bishops and 30 clergy and spouses on our flight and there were a great many reunions and good conversations. Who knows why we had to fly around Sudan airspace and got great views of the Red Sea en route.
 
My seat mate for this second flight was a 26 year old from Colorado who is working for a Christian micro financing organization which serves the poorest of the poor around the world. What an amazing ministry! Not only did he guide for Noah’s Ark Outfitters in Colorado a few years ago (the same outfitters ALI uses for our pastors trips) but he was a great source of information about Rwanda. He told me (and it has since been confirmed) that Kigali is the most beautiful, clean, and safe city in all of Africa! After seeing little bit of it tonight, I am very impressed.
 
Getting through customs was easy, and the GAFCON welcoming team was out in full force to bus us to our hotel. The hotel conference center is brand new and modern, and they are expecting over 1,000 delegates to arrive in the next 36 hours. After getting settled, I had dinner with Pittsburgh’s Church of the Ascension’s Rector, the Rev Jonathan Millard and his wife Andrea. 
 
Tomorrow I am going to sleep in, explore the city in the early afternoon, and join you all for worship online at 3:00pm. (We are 6 hours ahead.) This should be an amazing conference, and there is a lot of buzz about what the Lord may be doing in establishing new instruments of unity throughout the Anglican communion. I am so grateful to be here.
 
Please join me in praising God for safe travel, great conversations, and good health. I am praying for you all as you gather for worship and I look forward to what God has in store tomorrow.
 
Gratefully in Christ,
David