The sound of a gentle, calming guitar opens the “To Be a Christian: The Anglican Catechism in a Year” podcast followed by the slightly, southern-accented voice of Davis Bourne, from Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, Mississippi. The short, 5-10 minute podcasts are drawn from Crossway’s, “To Be a Christian: An Anglican Catechism” released in 2019 by J.I. Packer, Joel Scandrett, and a team of leaders from the Anglican Church in North America. The congregation’s stated purpose of the podcast is to learn what it means to be a Christian and the essentials of the Christian faith in life. Through the podcast, Holy Trinity parishioners provide daily readings of one catechism question and answer, the appointed scripture lesson, and a relevant Collect from the Book of Common Prayer to close. They invite you to join them in hopes that the podcast series provides a helpful, daily tool for catechesis across the ACNA and Gafcon. The podcast can be found on the top podcasting platforms like Apple, Amazon, Audible, Google, Spotify, and more.
Davis, an investment portfolio manager, thought of launching the podcast as he noted how each Catechism question and answer in the book would be a perfect length for someone to listen to on a commute or walking the dog. Since there are over 360 questions and answers, he thought that the podcast would fit neatly into the span of a year. The podcast idea particularly resonated with the Rev. Ryan Streett, Rector of Holy Trinity Anglican Church, because catechesis has been a big focus for their parish; they are two months away from completing the education wing of the church designated for catechesis learning for all ages.
The initiative is a collaborative effort drawing on the gifts and talents of clergy and laity in the parish. For example, Chris Baldwin was tapped for graphic design, guitarist Matthew Clark composed and played the music, and others within the church are assisting throughout the year in reading the entries. Davis has reported that three days into 2023, they already noted listeners from across the globe including Dominican Republic, Kyrgyzstan, The Czech Republic, UK, Japan, Canada, Australia, and Ireland. The parish team is excited about how technology can be used to spread the good news of the Gospel and to equip the Church.
Make catechesis a part of your new year and join Holy Trinity parish through the Catechism by following the podcast here.
