Jon Stratton
Priest. Pastor. Preacher
Ministry Commitments
Jon has served Christ's one, holy, apostolic church as diocesan youth missioner, parish youth pastor, curate, executive director of a new monastic community, and parish rector. In each of his calls, he has brought with him several ministry commitments. Below are a few.
A Commitment to Lead were Jesus Leads
Jon believes that Christian leadership is saying yes to following Jesus and then leading the faithful where Jesus leads. Jon has found that this style of Christ-centered leadership results in both personal and communal transformation, and he looks forward to discerning where Jesus is leading the faithful in central and southern Illinois.
A Commitment to Embrace the Anglo-Catholic Tradition
Jon currently serves as Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, an historically Anglo-Catholic parish in St. Louis. He loves the rich tapestry of the traditional Anglo-Catholic liturgy and believes that one should smell like incense for at least three hours after Mass (incense is a great evangelism technique). For Jon, however, Anglo-Catholicism is more than smells and bells. It is devotion to the Real Presence of Christ on the Altar that leads to service to the Real Presence of Christ in our neighbor.
A Commitment to Support Clergy and their Families
Jon has a heart for pastoral care for clergy and their families. As a PK (preacher's kid), Jon understands the special joys and challenges of being part of a clergy family, and as a father, husband, and full-time rector, Jon knows that a strong network of love and support are essential for the health and well-being of clergy and the eucharistic communities that they serve.
Jon is energized by organizing collaborative ministries and fellowship opportunities with colleagues that help fight against clergy isolation and burnout.
Jon with his wife Susie and their three children Alice, Frank, and Harry .
A Commitment to Organize Infrastructure for Discipleship and Evangelism
Jon believes that equipping disciples to follow Jesus involves organizing infrastructure that supports the baptized in their life in Christ. This infrastructure includes things like church summer camps, robust Sunday schools, college ministries, chaplaincy programs, clergy collaboratives, rural ministry consortiums, youth clubs, Episcopal Service Corps communities, and diocesan schools for discipleship and lay ministry.
Jon also believes that evangelism is aided by infrastructure, particularly digital infrastructure. Web presence can be an effective tool for proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, sharing the wonderful things that God is doing in the church, and inviting others to participate in God's Beloved Community.
Jon with members of The Deaconess Anne House, an important part of young adult infrastructure that Jon built and organized in the Diocese of Missouri
Jon with Trinity's softball team. Jon organized the Episcopal Church softball league because he believes that Beloved Community includes having fun, even if you aren't any good at softball!
Jon with the Fight for $15. Jon has a history of organizing for social justice because in God's Beloved Community, workers earn a fair wage, Black Lives Matter, and folks receive the healthcare that they and their families need regardless of income.
A Commitment to Build and Grow the Beloved Community
As an Anglo-Catholic, Jon believes that the Beloved Community is formed when folks gather in love around Christ's Body on the Altar and stand in solidarity and justice with Christ's Body in our neighbors, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized. People are hungry to be part of this Beloved Community, and they long for spaces where they are loved, known, and cherished. While an undergrad at Eastern Illinois University, Jon found such a community at Trinity Episcopal Church in Mattoon Illinois. This Beloved Community renewed Jon's faith in Jesus Christ and changed his life forever.
Jon's faith is grounded in the Gospel message that God's Beloved Community is deep and wide. It includes folks of all races, nationalities, and colors. It includes Republicans and Democrats. It includes conservatives and liberals. It includes folks of all genders and sexual orientations. And it includes you.
Jon finds it a joy to help build and grow God's Beloved Community both inside and outside the four walls of the church, and he is passionate about encouraging parishes, regardless of size or budget, to create spaces of love and inclusion where all God's children have a seat at the table of grace, like the one he and his wife discovered at Trinity Mattoon.
A Commitment to the People He is Called to Serve and the Place Where He is Called to Be
Jon is committed to loving, serving, and standing in solidarity with the folks entrusted to his pastoral care. He is honest about his sincerely held convictions. He is open minded and collaborative. He spends time building relationships and building community. He encourages folks to love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly with God. He might disagree with you, but he will love and respect you all the same.
