Teen has long-term plan to open Anglican Church in Batesville

(BATESVILLE, Ind.) – A Batesville native has a dream of someday opening his own church in his hometown. 

18-year-old Jack Lawson is a member of The Anglican Church which is one of the largest branches of Christianity in the world. 

Lawson will soon attend the Cranmer Theological House in Dallas which is a seminary. He plans to become licensed as a lay reader.

“I have felt a call to ministry since childhood. The Anglican Church—like many churches in America—has a great need for faithful ministers. I came to love the Anglican tradition for its reverence, theology, and liturgy, and I hope to lead others to Christ through it,” Lawson said. 

His long-term goal is to open a church under the name of St. Brigid of Kildare Anglican Mission in Batesville.

“I have already received encouragement and support from my home parish in Florence, Kentucky, as well as from Trinity Anglican Church in Connersville and the REC Diocese of the Central States,” Lawson said. 

He added that studying at Cranmer will not only provide academic knowledge, but also shape his pastoral and liturgical life so that he can faithfully minister to others.

Outside of church, Lawson has competed in Judo for several years, worked as an apprentice blacksmith in Versailles and also builds computers on a part-time basis.