Lenten Sermon Series

ECMN will offer a series of sermons for each of the Sundays in Lent 2022. The Thursday before each date, those sermons will be available for download here. Check back here for photos and biographies of the preachers. 

March 6: The Rev. Dr. Howard Anderson, Northwest mission area, retired
The Rev. Howard Anderson is a native of northern Minnesota. He has served as rector and on diocesan staffs across the country, has led non-profits and organizations serving Native American populations in the church, and on Episcopal Church governing bodies. He has retired to a lake in northern Minnesota.
Find a transcript of Rev. Anderson's sermon here. 

March 13: Cherry Say*, Church of the Messiah, St. Paul
Cherry Say is a postulant in formation for the priesthood. She recently completed the Karen Episcopal Ministry Formation training program of the Episcopal Church. Cherry serves as a lay leaders at Messiah Episcopal Church in St. Paul.

*Cherry delivers this sermon first in Ska Karen and then in English. Due to a family emergency, the person scheduled to translate was unavailable, so Cherry bravely delivered her sermon in two languages!

March 20: The Rev. John Mitchell, St. Andrew’s, Minneapolis
Fr. John W. Mitchell was born in Liberia, West Africa, and has been in the ordained ministry for 17 years. He and his and family moved to the United States in 2010 and made Minnesota their home state. He matriculated to the Luther Seminary in St. Paul in 2013 and completed his Master of Divinity (MDiv) in 2016. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies at the St. Mary’s University in Minneapolis, majoring in the field of counseling psychology. Fr. Mitchell served as Curate at Trinity Cathedral between 2008 – 2009 and at St. Augustine Episcopal Church, Gardnersville in 2010. He has been Priest-in-Charge of St. Andrews Episcopal Church, North Minneapolis since 2013. He is married to Mrs. Chuku B. Mitchell and is blessed with two children, Thomas (16) and Ronnel (11).
Find a transcript of Fr. Mitchell's sermon here. 

March 27: The Ven. Rena Turnham, Archdeacon, ECMN
The Venerable Rena Turnham was ordained to the diaconate in 2013. She served as a deacon at St. Stephen’s and Gethsemane, and now serves at Saint Mark’s Cathedral. Rena shepherds the laity in leading outreach efforts and encourages and equips Cathedral members to engage in acts of witness and advocacy in gun violence prevention, climate justice, ending homelessness, racial justice, and immigration reform. She is a certified Daring Way™ facilitator and holds a certificate from the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago’s College for Congregational Development. Rena is trained as a Called to Transformation Asset-Based Community Development facilitator and trainer, and has enjoyed mentoring deacons through the Iona Center’s Thriving in Bi-Vocational Ministry program. Rena currently serves on the board of The Friends of the Episcopal Church in Cuba, as the leader of ECMN’s Cuban Ministry Commission, as a deputy to General Convention, and as a member of ECMN’s team in Luther Seminary’s Faithful Innovation for Judicatories cohort. Rena loves to innovate, collaborate, and reimagine "the questions" in her call to inspire, equip, and connect followers of Jesus as "sent" people. 
Find a transcript of The Ven. Rena Turnham's sermon here. 

April 3rd: The Rev. Canon Blair Pogue, Canon for Vitality & Innovation, ECMN
For sixteen years, Blair served as Rector of St. Matthew's in St. Paul before joining the ECMN staff in January of this year. She previously served congregations in both rural and suburban contexts. She has written extensively in the areas of vitality and innovation during her ministry, has served as a coach in the Missional Leadership Cohort for Episcopal clergy at Luther seminary, and is widely recognized and consulted as a leader in the areas of vitality and innovation all over our church and ecumenically. In her role as Canon for Vitality & Innovation, Blair provides direct support to congregations of all sizes and contexts as they continue to cultivate vitality, discover new expressions of church, and develop new ways of engaging our neighbors with the good news of Jesus. She develops local and regional leaders who can further advance the work of vitality and innovation in every corner of Minnesota. 
Find a transcript of the Rev. Canon Pogue's sermon here.