Good Shepherd Anglican Church | Longview, TX
LEADERSHIP
Britt Norvell
Priest in Charge
Anna Purdum
Deacon and Worship Leader
"The task of leadership in the Church is not to direct people but to enable them to respond to the direction in which God is leading them."
- Rowan Williams
Former archbishop of Canterbury
Britt Norvell
Priest in Charge
A native East Texan, Britt was ordained a priest in May of 2021. Britt often describes himself as a mutt in terms of church background— a Baptist preacher’s kid who attended a Church of Christ graduate school where he studied Anabaptist theology and now an Anglican priest. Britt and his wife, Jen, became Anglican during an almost decade-long sojournin Nashville, TN and moved back to Texas with their two kids in early 2019 to work at Good Shepherd. In addition to his work at Good Shepherd, Britt works part-time for Longview Community Ministries. Britt’s hobbies are reading, pipe-smoking, and various outdoor activities.
Anna Purdum
Deacon and Worship Leader
Anna Purdum is an ordained vocational deacon in the Anglican Church in North America. She has a degree in music education from Stephen F. Austin State University and a certificate of deaconal studies from Trinity School for Ministry. She spent the bulk of her adult life teaching music in various settings – everything from high school band to preschool music. Anna has a strong relationship with many of our local homeless shelters and outreach programs where she has led worship since 2010. Her calling as a deacon grew from her work with these local ministries and was part of the impetus in founding Good Shepherd Anglican, Longview in 2015. Anna and her husband, Rami, have been married for twenty five years and have three (almost) grown children.
MISSION/VISION
Nurture Each Other in Faith Through a Distinctly Anglican Style
At Good Shepherd Anglican Church of Longview, TX, we pursue the Glory of God through worship, ministry, giving and education through a distinctly Anglican style of worship. We strive to connect with Jesus Christ and to each other, in order to magnify His name, by using the rich history of the Anglican liturgical tradition. At the heart of everything we do is the understanding that we must love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our body, and to then likewise love our neighbors as ourselves.
OUR VALUES
The Soul of Good Shepherd Anglican Church of Longview, TX
Good Shepherd Anglican Church of Longview, TX is seeking to be fully devoted followers of Christ and citizens of God's kingdom. To that end, we seek to live life based on the teachings of the Bible, the historic Christian creeds, and the Anglican book of Common Prayer. Because of this, we are passionate about prayer and are grounded in Anglican spiritual practices. If you are interested in joining our Church, please reach out. We would love for you to visit.
About the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) & the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO)
The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a vibrant and growing body of believers committed to upholding the historic Christian faith within the Anglican tradition. Formed in 2009, ACNA seeks to provide a spiritual home for Anglicans in North America who are dedicated to the authority of Scripture, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the mission of the Church within the broader Anglican tradition. Among its various dioceses, The Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO) stands out for its focus on church planting, evangelism, and discipleship. C4SO emphasizes the importance of missional communities that reach out beyond church walls to serve and engage with the wider world. With a vision to equip and empower clergy and laity alike, C4SO fosters an environment where churches are encouraged to innovate and respond to the unique needs of their local contexts, all while remaining rooted in the rich liturgical and sacramental heritage of Anglicanism.
Links
Anglicanism is a worldwide body of Christians responding to God’s revelation through Jesus Christ. Anglicanism brings together the authority of the Bible, the historic faith, and the beauty of structured prayer. It is rooted in tradition, yet contemporary in practice. It is united in substance, yet diverse in expression. In all these things, the Anglican Church in North America is determined by the help of God to hold and maintain as the Anglican Way has received them the doctrine, discipline and worship of Christ. We are a global family living out our faith in local communities.
The Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO) is an Anglican diocese built on five key values: Kingdom, Spirit, Formation, Mission, Sacrament. C4SO began as a church planting movement in 2009 in the Anglican Mission in the Americas. The Anglican Church in North America’s Provincial Council approved our formation as a diocese in June 2013, and our common life is ordered by our C4SO Canons. Now, we unite churches and leaders located primarily in California, Texas, the Midwest, the South, and the East, organized by Regional Deaneries. In these diverse contexts, C4SO seeks to develop ministry from the mission field back—contextualizing the wider Anglican tradition for a given ministry setting, and global church planting collaborative efforts.