Rev. Ron McGowin joins Holy Cross Anglican Church in Lake Villa as interim rector/consultant
Holy Cross Anglican Church in Lake Villa recently contracted with the Rev. Ron McGowin to serve as an interim rector/consultant to officiate at services and help the parish fine-tune its plans for growth.
Father McGowin, who began to serve the parish in late 2018, leads the 9:30 a.m. liturgy each Sunday. Prior to joining Holy Cross, he led the planting (formation) of a new parish, Church of the Resurrection, in suburban Denver. Besides strategic planning, leadership development and officiating at worship services, he led volunteer teams responsible for children's education, adult education, community service and community meals. Father McGowin also managed the parish's budget, marketing, fund-raising and also created and managed a weekly podcast.
During his three years in Denver, the bi-vocational priest also worked as an assistant project coordinator for Hunter Development Group, which helps retail and restaurant clients with permit expediting and other logistics of launching new stores.
Father McGowin holds an M.A. in minstry from Criswell College,and his 20 years of ministerial experience includes serving churches in Texas, Ohio, Colorado and Illinois. He and his wife, Emily, have three children.
"Holy Cross has a core of committed parishioners dedicated to witnessing the presence of Christ through Scripture, service and sacrament," said the priest, a native of Princeton, Tex. "It's a friendly, welcoming place, and my role is to help the parish build on its strengths and grow to meet the spiritual needs of the residents of northwestern Lake County. In an age when many are feeling lonely, despite the prevalence of social media, coming to Holy Cross is a great way to meet others face-to-face and grow in your faith."
Holy Cross Anglican Church is affiliated with the Diocese of Pittsburgh in the Anglican Church in North America. The parish church and offices are located in the brown, one-story brick office park in Lake Villa, on the west side of Illinois Rt. 83 and about two blocks south of Illinois Rt. 132 (Grand Ave.). Following the 9:30 a.m. Sunday Eucharist is a coffee and social hour. Visitors are welcome. To learn more, visit www.holycross-anglican.org or www.facebook.com/HolyCrossAnglican/ or call (847) 356-1901. For more information on the Anglican Church in North America, visit www.anglicanchurch.net.