Evangelical priest says teaching remains his calling

By JOHN FORTMEYER
CNNW publisher

Mark McLeod is a professor of philosophy, not English language. But when it comes to describing the group of churches with which he has aligned himself, he makes use of many adjectives. Such as “charismatic,” “liturgical,” “Anglican.” “evangelical,” and “worldwide.”

However the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches is described, McLeod has found a spiritual home there, and his calling has led to his recent ordination as the first Oregon priest for the Oklahoma-based denomination.

Officially ordained into the priesthood in a March 3 ceremony in Newberg, McLeod says the Communion is part of a broad, evangelical movement toward the “high church” traditions. “I think the main thing that attracted me was the sense of holiness in the services themselves,” says McLeod. “There’s an awareness of the presence of God that I’ve never felt in other settings.” McLeod teaches at George Fox University in Newberg. Although his ministry in the Communion is not a George Fox-sponsored outreach, his inclination for liturgical worship is seen at the evangelical Quaker university. Since shortly after he and his wife, Rebecca, a history professor, joined George Fox’s full-time faculty in 1999, McLeod has conducted 20-minute liturgical services in the university’s Minthorn Hall four afternoons each week for any interested students and staff.

Attendance is voluntary and usually small, with just several people at a time. Students can receive chapel credit for taking part.

While the university has experienced great growth over the years, and its students and staff represent many more evangelical traditions than Quaker alone, most still are not familiar with liturgical worship, McLeod says: “My guess is that not more than 1 or 2 percent are.”

In its historical sense, says McLeod, “liturgical” means “the work of the people.” But it has come to mean a formal and structured praise and worship service, with specific written prayers and responses. He says the style can be traced to ancient Israel and is seen today most often in Episcopal, Anglican, Lutheran, Orthodox, Roman Catholic and some United Methodist churches.

He readily acknowledges that liturgical worship is not for everyone. He says reaction to it on the George Fox campus has been mixed.

“There are a few students, faculty and staff who were raised in liturgical backgrounds and who found themselves uncomfortable with it in the past and did not feel the presence of God there. But there also are Quaker students who are quite open to having other ways of reaching God. And then still other students who feel the formality is off-putting.”

“I do a liturgical prayer in some of my lower-division classes. Response has been mixed. Some have found it interesting, while others have complained that it was rote, and boring.”

McLeod himself marvels at the path that has brought him to his new role as an ordained priest. He grew up in Central Ontario, Canada, as a General Convention Baptist -- akin to Southern Baptists in the U.S.

“Baptists don’t do these kinds of things,” he said.”We don’t have forms (of worship). I wouldn’t have envisioned this, nor would my family. I think God works in mysterious ways.”

While he, his wife and son lived in San Antonio, Texas, McLeod was introduced to “high church” worship at an Episcopal parish that was open to charismatic practices or gifts which many Christians believe are specially imparted by the Holy Spirit.

He also was influenced by the writings of a theology professor at another evangelical college, Wheaton College in Illinois, who advocated liturgical worship. McLeod later learned about the Communion on its Web site and was attracted to its “convergence” of liturgical, evangelical and charismatic traditions.

McLeod’s ordination was performed by the Communion’s presiding bishop, Wayne Boosahda, and other bishops, priests and deacons from the fellowship.

Boosahda, a founder of the Communion in 1995, today heads a fellowship with close to 1,400 parishes and missions in 12 nations worldwide, and about 100,000 members. His last name may be familiar to Christian music fans, as his wife, Stephanie, became well known in the 1970s and 1980s as a national recording artist.

The two-hour ceremony included mention of a special calling for McLeod and his wife — outreach to the Native American community. As part of George Fox’s annual Cultural Celebration Week, Rebecca McLeod recently organized a “Pow Wow” at the university that drew hundreds of people and many representatives of Native groups from throughout the West. Indian author and evangelist Richard Twiss of Vancouver, Wash., said it was the first time he knew of such an event being held on an evangelical Christian campus.

While pursuing his calling as a priest in the Communion, McLeod has no plans at this point to leave his work at George Fox. “My call to the priesthood is also a call to teaching,” he said.