After more than 16 years of faithful ministry at Church of the Redeemer, our Minister for Congregational Development, Anny Stevens-Gleason, has accepted a new call as Associate for Congregational Development with the Communities for Spiritual Vitality, a collaborative initiative of the Episcopal Dioceses of Massachusetts and Vermont.
Funded through Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative, Communities for Spiritual Vitality seeks to help congregations flourish by deepening their relationships with God, strengthening their connections with one another, and contributing to the vitality of their communities and the world. In her new role, Anny will help support this work by organizing and accompanying cohorts of lay leaders through formation, coaching, spiritual direction, resource development, and shared learning. The position is a remote/work from home position that allows Anny to remain in the Cincinnati area.
Since joining Church of the Redeemer in 2009, Anny has shared her many gifts with our parish, faithfully accompanying people in every stage of faith and helping shape the life of our community in countless ways. We are deeply grateful for her years of ministry and the lasting impact she has had on our congregation.
Anny’s last day in the office is July 31st. While the clergy and staff will miss Anny’s presence on staff greatly, we rejoice in this next chapter of her ministry and know that she will be a blessing to the congregations she serves. Although Anny’s vocational ministry is taking her in a new direction, she and her fiancée, Katie, will continue to call Church of the Redeemer their church home. We look forward to continuing to worship alongside them as members of our Church of the Redeemer community. Please join us in giving thanks for her ministry at Church of the Redeemer and praying for her as she begins this exciting new call
“It is impossible for me to properly describe the impact Anny Stevens-Gleason has had on my professional and spiritual life. In my nearly ten years at Church of the Redeemer, she has been one of my most trusted partners in ministry, she has challenged me to grow in my faith, in my understanding of what church is supposed to be – and she has done the same for countless people during her time on staff here. Anny has also consistently taught me how to see the best in others, how to hold space for people of all kinds, and how to be willing to learn from everyone. I am so excited for her to be taking this step to share her talents on a larger scale and to make a similar impact for Episcopalians across multiple dioceses. She will do wondrous things! “- The Rev. Philip DeVaul
