About
Our Church
Our Leadership
Bishop Clark Lowenfield
Oak Forest Anglican Church rests under the care and guidance of Bishop Clark Lowenfield of the Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast. Serving under the oversight of Bishop Clark, our local clergy members are listed below.
Local Clergy
Parish Council (Vestry)
Fr. Drew Knowles (Rector)
Eric Schwartz (Senior Warden)
Greg Houston (Treasurer)
Elise O'Toole (Secretary)
Lauren Blake
David Fort
Susan McJilton
James Yerby
What is Anglicanism?
Oak Forest Anglican Church is a member of the Anglican Communion, which encompasses 85+ million people worldwide. Anglicanism originated during the English Reformation, but its roots extend back to the early Church, creating a unique blend of multiple Christian traditions.
First and foremost, to be Anglican is to be Christian. We want to love Jesus with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and we want to love our neighbors as ourselves. Even so, the Christian faith is rooted in real history and tradition, and so Anglicanism is the particular way we live out and embody the Christian faith.
Anglicanism is sometimes called the “via media” (middle way) between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Anglicans have retained the best of Roman Catholicism (liturgy, tradition, bishops, priests, and deacons) and Protestantism (the authority of Scripture and doctrine of justification).
Anglicans are Apostolic
We recognize that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, and we consciously maintain our association with the Church throughout all ages. We affirm the Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds; the 39 Articles of Religion; and the 2008 Jerusalem Declaration.
Anglicans are Biblical
The Scriptures are God’s authoritative words to the human race, containing all things necessary for life and faith. The Bible is foundational to Anglican worship, teaching, prayer, and personal devotion.
Anglicans are Sacramental
"The Anglican Way" is centered on the Sacraments: Baptism and the Eucharist (or Holy Communion). Through the sacraments, we come to know God and commune with Him, and we are shaped by the Sacraments such that the whole of life becomes an act of communion with God.
Our Values
ROOTEDNESS
We want to be rooted individuals – prayerful, Bible-saturated, and stable, like trees planted by streams of water (Psalm 1). We also want to be rooted in history and Christian tradition. Finally, we want to be rooted in the neighborhood for long-term ministry impact.
GENEROSITY
We are the stewards, managers, and trustees of God's resources (1 Chron. 29:14); we get to dispense His blessing to a world in need. In addition to the local church tithe, we want to build margin into our budgets for opportunities to bless others through hospitality and benevolence.
GRATITUDE
As those who have received the grace of God, gratitude is the foundational posture of the Christian life. Thus, we want to cultivate a moment-by-moment awareness of God’s grace toward us –– not just for the big things, but also for the tiny things we tend to take for granted.
HOSPITALITY
Every single Sunday, we experience the hospitality and generosity of God; He welcomes us into His House, forgives us, instructs us, hears from us, and nourishes us at His Table. In response, we extend that same hospitality to our neighbors. This is the essence of Christian mission.
What to Expect on a Sunday
Sunday School (9am)
Worship Service (10am)
Every Sunday, we gather together to sing, pray, confess our sins, receive forgiveness, hear the Scriptures read and taught, offer ourselves to God, feast with Him in Holy Communion (the Eucharist), and be recommissioned back into the world. The service usually lasts about 75 minutes.
We sing various types of songs – from ancient chants to hymns to contemporary music. Some songs are sung weekly; others are selected in accordance with the Christian Year and the Scripture readings.
Children are always welcome in the service. Although we do offer a cry room in the foyer, we highly value the presence of children in the sanctuary, and we welcome them as full participants in the life of our community. All baptized persons (even young children), are welcome to partake of the Eucharist.
