On the morning of Saturday, April 20, 2013 members of HopePointe Anglican Church in The Woodlands, TX joined with leaders from the Anglican Church in North America, the Anglican Church of Rwanda and local ecumenical partners to participate in the consecration of their senior pastor, The Very Rev. Clark WP Lowenfield.
Bishop Lowenfield will oversee the Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast (DWGC), a diocese in formation of the Anglican Church in North America, currently comprised of congregations throughout Louisiana and Texas.
The Most Rev. Robert Duncan, Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church in North America was the chief consecrator. The Rt. Rev. Nathan Gasatura, under whom Lowenfield previously served, was also in attendance as a representative of the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, The Most Rev. Dr. Onesphore Rwaje. The Rt. Rev. Terrell Glenn preached the ordination sermon.
Archbishop Duncan was assisted in the consecration by Bishops Jack Iker (Diocese of Fort Worth), Royal Grote (REC Diocese of Mid-America), John Guernsey (Anglican Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic), Bill Murdoch (Anglican Diocese in New England), Neil Lebhar (Gulf Atlantic Diocese), Steve Wood (Diocese of the Carolinas), Bill Thompson (Diocese of Western Anglicans) and Quigg Lawrence (PEARUSA).
The service included a time for “One Mission Pastors” to pray over the newly consecrated bishop. Comprised of local senior pastors from various Christian denominations throughout The Woodlands, One Mission Pastors began meeting together in 2010 in Gospel partnership to reach their community with the love of Jesus Christ. As one of the founding members, Lowenfield said he will continue to be part of the group.
“What God has done in The Woodlands is that he has caused a number of churches to realize that we’re not supposed to be divided,” Lowenfield said. “We might worship differently on some things, but we’re called to be the church together.”
For more information on the Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast (DIF), visit their website at www.dwgc.org. For information on One Mission Pastors, visit www.one-mission.net.
