Leadership at Advent
Fr. Aaron serves Advent Anglican as Rector (priest in charge). Originally from Seattle, Aaron moved to Chicago to attend Wheaton College. He and his wife Marissa married there before moving to South Carolina in 2003 to attend seminary at Columbia International University and was ordained a priest in 2007. He and his family returned to the Seattle area in 2010 to further the work of planting Anglican churches in the Northwest, including the founding of this parish.
Fr. Aaron Burt
RECTOR
Dcn. Jeremiah Webster
ASSOCIATE RECTOR
Dcn. Jeremiah serves Advent Anglican as our Associate Rector and Director of Discipleship & Mission. Jeremiah earned a PhD in English from the University of Wisconsin, an MFA from Eastern Washington University, and studied English, Philosophy, and Religion at Whitworth University. He has written two books of poetry, a novel, and several works of literary criticism. He brings over twenty years of teaching and rumination to his role here at Advent. Contact Dcn. Jeremiah if you need pastoral care or if you have questions about mission partnerships, adult education classes, Analog (a spiritual haven for ages 18-28), or Dungeons and Deacons (an all-ages community gaming guild).
Robin Lemke
DIRECTOR OF CARE AND CONNECTION
Robin’s role is all about helping people feel seen, supported, and at home in our parish. She guides the ways our community cares for one another in practical moments of need and walks with people as they grow in connection, from visiting for the first time to finding lifelong friends. Robin believes that church is at its best when every person knows they matter, belong, and are drawn closer to God through loving relationships. Reach out to her if you have questions about how to give or receive care at Advent or about small groups, bible studies, or parish nights.
Dcn. Ben
DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Dcn. Ben serves Advent Anglican as our Director of Families and Children. He has led middle school and high school students in the church ever since 10th grade. While Ben grew up and started ministering in non-denominational church contexts, Advent’s rich liturgy, vibrant community, and connection to the Anglican tradition compelled him to make Advent home.
Contact Dcn. Ben with any questions about Children’s Ministry (birth - 5th grade) or Student Ministries (6th - 12th grade).
Josh Hoover
DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
Allison Geeslin
DIRECTOR OF PARISH OPERATIONS
Leslie Anndeherz
COORDINATOR FOR OPERATIONS: FINANCE & FACILITY
Kacy Henley
COORDINATOR FOR WORSHIP & LITURGY
Natalie Higashiyama
COORDINATOR FOR CARE & CONNECTION
Judith Low
COORDINATOR FOR OPERATIONS: ADMINISTRATION
Steve Lunstrum
COORDINATOR FOR CARE & FAMILIES
A Collaborative Effort
Advent Anglican doesn't rest on the shoulders of any one individual. We all have a place of belonging and service here.
Bishop Ken Ross serves the parish of Advent Anglican by providing episcopal oversight, wise direction, and gentle care for the clergy. We count ourselves fortunate to receive from him according to the good gifts God has given him.
In addition to the clergy and staff listed above, Advent is graced with four deacons and three priests. Prominent among them is Rev. Dr. Bruce Waltke, a renowned Old Testament scholar with a PhD from Harvard University. He has held professorships at Dallas Theological Seminary, Regent College in Vancouver, Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, and Knox Theological Seminary in Ft. Lauderdale. He has served as president of the Evangelical Theological Society, was on the translation committee of the New American Standard Bible and New International Version, and is an honorary member of the committee responsible for Today’s New International Version. The list of his published works is too lengthy to include here; an abbreviated list can be found on his Wikipedia page. Beyond his academic acuity, Fr. Bruce is known at Advent for his gentle care for the people of the parish, whom he actively seeks to love and pastor.
A group of elected lay leaders, called a vestry, also works with the rector to tend to the financial and tangible needs of the parish while also providing the rector with wise counsel.
The Role of the Clergy
The role of the clergy is to lead by serving. Jesus set the tone when he washed his disciples' feet and then gave up his life. The job of the clergy is not to direct attention to themselves, but to point the people continually toward Christ. He is our true leader and, graciously, our greatest servant.