Origins —

The roots of Rez Anglican reach back into early church history, which is why we recite every Sunday foundational statements Christians have for centuries: the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed.

If we fast forward some centuries to the Reformation, it is there we find another chapter in the origins of Rez. Much of our theological and doxological practices come from the era of the English Reformation. Indeed, this is where our Book of Common Prayer finds its origins.

Skipping ahead another five centuries, we find Reformed Anglicanism has found its way all the way to the American west in Denver, Colorado. The route from England to Denver was not a straight one, for the flavor of Anglicanism found there to be vibrant and vital made its way through the Anglican Church in Rwanda. Seeing the need for gospel centered, orthodox churches in America, our Rwandan brothers and sisters blessed and commissioned church plants and planters in the US after Anglicanism lost its theological and biblical way.

Wellspring Englewood is one of those churches planted out of the Anglican Church of Rwanda. With a DNA of church planting, Wellspring has planted four churches, Resurrection Anglican being the most recent and coming soon will be the fifth.

Kempton discerned ordination and was ordained a presbyter at Wellspring. Training and equipping as an intern, church planting apprentice, and church planting resident within the Wellspring Network over several years also prepared Kempton and Carissa for planting. The years of training, learning, and discerning led the Jacksons to Santa Fe, NM, their home state, in September 2019 to plant Resurrection Anglican Church as an affiliate of the Wellspring Network (see videos below for more information on the Wellspring Network). Rez in not a standalone church, we are under the leadership and spiritual protection of our bishop, Ken Ross, and the Diocese of the Rocky Mountains and united with like minded churches in the Wellspring Network.

When the COVID-19 shutdowns began in March 2019, Kempton and Carissa saw an opportunity to begin meeting as a church, even if it was six months before the planned launch. By God’s grace, a group of several families in the Santa Fe area joined the Jacksons for worship over Zoom from the Jacksons’ living room.

The families who joined in those early days on Zoom eventually became the launch team and core of Rez Anglican. Once COVID restrictions lifted enough, Rez moved to the first in person gathering at a parishioner’s backyard in the June 2019. From there the church moved to several different outdoor venues. Meetings for now happen indoors at the Youth Room of Christian Life Santa Fe.

This is only the beginning of an exciting story of a church and God’s people in Santa Fe. We believe God has called Rez to dream big about church planting and raising up indigenous leaders in New Mexico. We pray for God’s moving through the Holy Spirit so that his will be done in New Mexico as it in heaven! Know that you are invited to join us in this quest to see God’s Kingdom come.