The Anglican Church in North America is pleased to announce that the Rev. Canon Alan Hawkins has been appointed as the Chief Operating Officer for the Province. The Chief Operating Officer oversees the staff who handle the day-to-day operations of the province, from finance and communications to helping coordinate ministry initiatives and task forces.
Canon Hawkins comes to the position after serving for the last four years as both the Provincial Canon for Development and a member of the Finance Team. Prior to these appointments, he served as the Provincial Director for Church Planting. Alan is based in Greensboro, North Carolina where he and his family have helped to plant and lead the Church of the Redeemer over the last twelve years. Church of the Redeemer is a thriving congregation in the center of the town, and has just moved into a new building. Canon Hawkins will remain in Greensboro, traveling as necessary to oversee the staff and operations in the Provincial Office outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the Archbishop’s office outside Atlanta, Georgia.
“I am excited to serve the province in this new role,” said Canon Hawkins. “As a Church, we continue to grow, and I am honored to continue helping to build up our capacity to support our dioceses and congregations in their local ministries. We are an international church with amazing staff and volunteer leaders spread across multiple time zones. Thankfully, for a province of our size, modern communications tools have revolutionized how we can work and collaborate together for the spread of the Gospel.”
Archbishop Beach commented, “Alan has been serving the province, often behind the scenes, for many years now, and I am delighted that he is willing to lead our operations. His familiarity with our provincial structures and staff, his vision for the future, and the respect he carries amongst our leaders has made him an excellent fit for this role.”
Likewise, the Province welcomes the Rev. Lawrence McElrath to the staff as chaplain and Canon to the Archbishop. In this role, Rev. McElrath will support the Archbishop’s office with logistics, travel, correspondence, and communications.
Rev. McElrath is a U.S. Army Chaplain who has most recently served as Assistant to the Bishop’s Chaplain for the Special Jurisdiction for the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy and Curate at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Hudson, Ohio. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Youth Educational Ministries from Malone University and a Master of Divinity from Nashotah House Theological Seminary. With over 10 years of experience, Fr. McElrath will be a great addition to the staff in service to the Lord.
“The Lord is doing amazing things through the ministry of the Anglican Church in North America and I am honored to have been asked to serve Christ and His Church in this unique way,” expressed McElrath. “I look forward to working alongside Archbishop Beach, serving as his Canon. In my role, I serve as personal aide to the Primate. My prayer is that, through my ministry, Archbishop Beach will continue to be able to devote himself to prayer, his family and his call to serve the Global Anglican Communion. I am grateful to have the support of my Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Derek Jones, my brothers and sisters in the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy, and most importantly, my wife, Megan. May the Lord give strength to my hands as I endeavor to serve Christ and His Church.”
Canon Hawkins and Rev. McElrath move into positions that have expanded in scope, as the ministries of the province and the Archbishop have expanded. The Rev. Canon Jack Lumanog has served as the COO since 2014, and the Canon to the Archbishop since 2011. Canon Lumanog left the Provincial staff in October, and Archbishop Beach expressed his appreciation for his service, “Over the years, Canon Lumanog has made valuable contributions to the life of the province, and I wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”
