Welcome Father Jonathan W. Galles+

Following the unanimous recommendation of the Search Committee, the Vestry has called Father Jonathan W. Galles+ to serve as the 5th Rector of the Church of the Resurrection. Bishop Diane Jardine Bruce has approved the call.

After a delay due to the pandemic, Fr. Jonathan was formally ordained to the priesthood in January 2021 in Toronto, Canada and is currently the Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in The Dalles, Oregon. He was previously the Assistant Priest at St. Bride's Anglican Church in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. He and his wife Jessica, and 6-yr old daughter Leona will relocate to the Blue Springs area in September. Fr. Jonathan's first Sunday is anticipated to be September 17.

Fr. Jonathan is finishing a second Masters from the Toronto School of Theology - Trinity College in Toronto, Canada. His focus is Anglican Studies. He currently holds a Master of Arts in Theology and Ministry, specializing in Military Chaplaincy, from Fuller Theological Seminary in California and also a B.A. Philosophy cum laude from Pepperdine University.

Before his ordination he worked for ten years in community outreach, including directing support services in missions located in both the Los Angeles and Toronto areas. He is experienced in providing one-on-one pastoral care and crisis support.

We will communicate more information about Father Galles in the weeks ahead,

In the meantime, he shared with us the following message:

Dear Community of the Church of the Resurrection,

I am so excited to introduce myself to you, and to be your next rector. As I looked for my next call, I looked all over the country. I looked at many churches with many different ways of being church together. I picked you, and I am excited. Though I have only met a small number of you, I think Resurrection is something special. I am looking forward to getting to know each of you. We'll laugh, cry, and worship. We'll have cups of coffee, and hopefully BBQ. We'll do all kinds of things together. Who knows, perhaps we could do a liturgical float trip!

Jokes and playfulness aside, we will share in and experience many things together. I am excited for that chance, and honored we will partner in seeking after God together.

I love being a priest. It is a joy, and I am never happier than when I am serving at the Lord's Table. I love the eucharist, because in it through the sacrament we are connecting in a real way to the pivotal act of history. We get to connect to the core meaning and purpose of existence.

It is a singular joy each week to look at people's faces as I say the words and facilitate the eucharist. I get to share in this joy with you. As many writers have said, we are tapping into something timeless in the eucharist. We do this alongside all Christians across time, space, and culture.

Thank you for inviting me into that space with you in worship and love. I can't wait for our journey together to begin.

Fr. Jonathan Galles+