Resurrection Church in Pak Sha Wan has appointed a new pastor to replace Chris Ponniah who unexpectedly resigned at the end of last year. The new minister is Rev Lucas Durant. Lucas is originally from central Pennsylvania, USA, and Catherine, his wife, is originally from Wales.
He attended Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL) as an undergraduate and completed a BA in philosophy in 2006. Lucas then went to graduate school at K.U. Leuven (Leuven, Belgium), where he completed a MA in philosophy (focusing on ‘phenomenology and contemporary continental thought’) in 2008.
While studying in Leuven he met his wife, Catherine, who was studying EU Law on a year abroad during her undergraduate degree at the University of Bristol. They met in church. When Lucas and Catherine married in 2010, they moved to the UK, and settled in London where he spent two years as a children’s minister in a central London parish church, and Catherine qualified as a solicitor. During this time he was selected for ordination training by the Church of England.
In 2012 the couple moved to Oxford, where Lucas attended theological college at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University, and completed a BTh (theology) in 2015. In 2015 he began serving in full time ordained Christian ministry as the Curate of St Mary’s Church, Wootton (Bedfordshire), where he has been up to the present day.
Lucas enjoy trail running, mountain biking, trying new foods, reading, and experiencing the arts. Catherine is a solicitor who specialises in Charities Law. She has worked in various firms, but most recently she has been working in the in-house legal team of the RSPB, which is the largest wildlife conservation charity in Europe, and at Edward Connors Solicitors, a law firm which specialises in advising Christian churches and charities.
Both are thrilled that the people of Resurrection Church have called Lucas as their new minister. They are very much looking forward to sharing the Gospel and their lives with the people of Sai Kung and Clearwater Bay. They plan to arrive in early June, but are still working out the specifics of the move. They will also be bringing their dog, Cromwell – a lurcher.
Meanwhile, Chris Ponniah has been appointed as Vicar of Burnside-Harewood Parish, Christchurch, New Zealand and will be inducted in May. From 1 April he is providing a hand in leading services in the parish of South Christchurch.
In other Resurrection Church news, starting Sunday 28 April 2019 at 6:00 pm, they will be running a 9-week series of interactive sessions to discuss life’s toughest questions. These are designed to engage young people in conversations about faith, life and God, and address questions such as “What is the meaning of life?”, “Am I on the right track?’, “What’s next?”
According to the church, Alpha is for all teenagers, regardless of faith, belief or upbringing and there is no charge to attend. Experienced adult leaders run the course in an easy-going and friendly manner. The recommended age of attendees is 12–18 years old, but they are happy to consider those who fall outside this age group. They see it as a great opportunity to enjoy a meal, make new friends and have challenging conversations about the meaning of life.
To sign up please email: admin@resurrection.org.hk or call Yvette on 2358 0202.
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