The Standing Committee is elected by the Synod, and includes the Bishop plus three clergy and three laity. It assumed functions of the Bishop’s Council, and other powers and duties as described in the Canons. The Standing Committee oversees the work of the Diocese, standing in place of the Synod throughout the year.
Dan Easley of Christ Church Madison (WI) serves as Chair of the Standing Committee, and Alyssa Tennyson of Church of the Cross (MN) serves as Vice-Chair.
You may contact the Standing Committee by email at umdstandingcommittee@midwestanglican.org
Ann and I are members of Christ Church Madison which we began attending in 2019, and where I currently serve as a non-stipendiary Assistant Priest. I grew up in Venezuela–my parents were missionaries with the Evangelical Free Church. I was attracted to Anglicanism during my college years. After graduate school, Ann and I moved to Dubuque, Iowa, where I have taught for the last 30 years in the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department at Clarke University. I occasionally teach a course in moral theology at Nashotah House Theological Seminary. I was ordained to the priesthood in 2008 in the Diocese of Iowa, and I became canonically resident in the Diocese of the Upper Midwest in 2022.
I bring experiences serving on a vestry as treasurer, junior warden, and senior warden; experience serving on several diocesan boards and committees; and experience in college and hospital chaplaincy. However, “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God”( 2 Cor. 3:5).
I grew up as a missionary kid in Krakow, Poland, and first encountered Anglicanism as a freshman at Wheaton College when a friend brought me to Church of the Resurrection. I attended there through college, and served on staff for four years after graduating. The Lord called me to Madison right as Christ Church was being planted in 2018, and I have loved being a part of this beautiful community. I was ordained to the diaconate in December 2022, and I’m in the midst of completing a Certificate of Diaconal Studies at Trinity School for Ministry.
I have had a profound experience of coming home to Jesus and his Church through the ministry of our diocese. I long to see a revival movement across the Upper Midwest, reaching those who don’t yet have a relationship with Christ and his Bride. Through churchplanting I’ve learned how to build systems to support and bring order to the organic growth of ministry. Our Diocese is in a trellis-building stage, so I’m eager to use my gifts and skills to see our Diocese thrive. I also have a heart for intercession, and cross-cultural perspective from growing up overseas and diving into the Latino community in the Madison area, thanks to my husband, Angel, who is originally from Mexico.
I have served as the Rector of St. Michael’s Anglican Church in Delafield, Wisconsin, since 2018, when I joined the ACNA and the Diocese of the Upper Midwest. My heart for ministry coalesces around my devotion to the core Tradition of Christ’s one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church and courageous venture into the mission field that is ripe for harvest. I am passionate about vibrant, healthy Christians and congregations finding increasing joy in service to God and his mission in the world. My decision to accept the nomination for the Standing Committee is rooted in my interest and investment in our diocese’s ongoing mission to cultivate a revival of Word and Sacrament, infused by the Holy Spirit. My ministry experience and strengths have been in helping the parishes I’ve served develop and maintain organizational excellence, biblical integrity, process improvement, fiscal responsibility, and missional focus. I especially enjoy and function well in developing healthy theological integration, where biblical, historical, and theological competencies inform the Church’s functioning. I enjoy empowering leaders to lead and helping organizational design and function flourish, providing the necessary boundaries for godly leadership while staying out of the way of leaders leading. My personal story is rooted in my devotion to my wife, Dennyse, of 32 years, my five adult children, and the Detroit Tigers. I tolerate our bishop being a Cubs fan; you can pray for me.
I was raised in the Christian Faith by devout parents in the Baptist tradition. My wife Lois and I began attending Church of the Resurrection in 1990, and moved to the Madison area to be part of the launch of Christ Church Madison in 2018. At Church of the Resurrection I served in many lay leadership roles, including many years as Vestry member and Warden. I served on staff there as Generosity Pastor overseeing facility, finances, and personnel policy for three years.
I lead a Spiritual Discussion Group (also known as an evangelistic Bible study), served on the Advisory Council of Christ Church Madison in 2021, and have served on Parish Council as Treasurer and Secretary since 2022. I serve in the nursery, as a prayer minister, and as a leader of a home group. I love to greet newcomers and to see others come to faith in Christ and grow in their faith in Christ. My son Chris grew up at Church of the Resurrection (from birth through adulthood), met his wife Katie at the Rez youth group, and is now active at City of Light Anglican Church. My son Ben and his wife Robyn live in Memphis.
Church leadership is my wheelhouse: God has gifted me with the ability to see the details, the big picture, and to concisely summarize an issue. I love to serve the church and diocese through wise consensus.
For over 19 years, my husband and I have called Church of the Cross in Hopkins our home. It’s difficult to fully express the gift it has been that the Lord led us to this community. We found a church home deeply rooted in Word and Sacrament—one that continues to sustain us through all of life’s challenges and joys while giving us great hope for the future.
My leadership style is influenced by growing up as a farmer’s daughter, watching my father navigate the uncertainties and challenges of his vocation while serving on numerous religious and civic boards. As Psalm 100 reminds us, “The Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” This deep conviction motivates me to live a life of obedience to Him, no matter the cost.
Over the past six years, I’ve had the privilege of serving on the vestry at Church of the Cross. This experience has deepened my awareness of—and love for—the work of our diocese. I have witnessed firsthand its humility, its willingness to submit to the Lord’s authority, and its steadfast desire to stay on mission despite challenges. I am convinced that God is doing a great work in and through our diocese. My hope is that we will continue to nurture and equip people in their walk with the Lord and raise up a generation of the most spiritually mature and passionately committed Christ followers. While the nomination was a surprise, I have prayerfully discerned my calling and have an open heart to boldly serve in whatever capacity the Lord calls me to within our diocese.
Outside of my primary calling as a wife and mother, I work as an HR Manager for a non-profit. My professional background has been instrumental in developing the skill of balancing the needs and interests of individuals and organizations to pursue the common good. My top five strengths in StrengthFinders are Relator, Individualization, Belief, Strategic, and Maximizer. These giftings lend toward a leadership style that is compassionate, thoughtful, and steady as I seek to serve the body of Christ.
My husband and I have been attending Church of the Cross in Hopkins, MN, for 16 years and were confirmed a few years later. Receiving the sacraments, worshiping, serving and raising our four children in this special community has been one of our life’s greatest blessings. My passion and personal love for Anglicanism exploded within months of attending Church of the Cross, and they have continued to grow with time in ways we are still experiencing anew.
About 18 months ago, I went through a prayer and discernment process when I was asked to join the Bishop’s Council. The Lord confirmed in a remarkably clear way that my response was to be: “Here I am, send me.” Serving this last year and half on the Bishop’s Council has given me a comprehensive understanding of what has transpired in our diocese as well as the good work that is already underway.
Additionally, I have a business background with professional experience in human resources and sales/marketing. Over the years, I have also participated in prayer ministry, children’s ministry, community outreach and church leadership. The Lord has created me with gifts of discernment and leadership. According to Strengthsfinder, I possess strengths of input, harmony, achievement and learning. Most importantly, I seek to serve from a place of absolute reliance upon the wisdom of the Spirit and the refining power of the Word.
Bishop Stewart and his wife, Katherine, have six children, and their first love and passion is developing their family as a “domestic church.” As bishop, Stewart has another deep-seated passion: to plant a revival of Word and Sacrament infused by the power of the Holy Spirit across the Upper Midwest. The diocese does this through modeling the 5 S Church in relationship and mission, raising up leaders and artists, and following the Spirit to new things.
Brenda has been a member of Church of the Resurrection (the cathedral church of the Upper Midwest) since 1984. She joined the Resurrection staff team in 2009, and became Bishop (then Father) Stewart’s assistant in 2011. Brenda continued to work for Bishop Stewart and transitioned to diocesan staff when the Upper Midwest Diocese was consecrated in 2013.
Brenda’s love for the cathedral and the Diocese of the Upper Midwest is deep: she was baptized, confirmed, and married husband Don at Resurrection. Brenda and Don have four children: Donny, Allison, Annalisa and James. Other than serving the Diocese and Resurrection, some of Brenda’s favorite things are: being out in nature, camping, kayaking, bird watching and reading. She is a lover of coffee, dark chocolate (ok, any chocolate really), spring flowers and midwestern fall colors.
Dorie Moore is part-time Safeguarding Coordinator for the diocese. She, her husband Nathaniel, and their two sons attend St. Aidan’s Anglican Church in Kansas City where Dorie also works part-time in Children’s Ministry. She holds a double major in Bible and Education, and has worked in a variety of public and private schools, and in Ukraine.
Dorie works with our diocesan churches to help them utilize best practices and policies as they seek to protect their people from any form of misconduct. She chairs an ongoing Safeguarding Sub-Committee composed of licensed therapists and counselors and other professionals with expertise in trauma response, risk management knowledge, and legal issues.
Canon Rev. Dr. Stephen Gauthier is a priest and Canon Theologian of the Diocese of the Upper Midwest. He assists the bishop on matters of theology and liturgy and is essential in helping to prepare candidates for ordination. Cn. Stephen also serves as Director of Formation for the Greenhouse Movement as the primary teacher in Saint Paul’s House of Formation, and the co-host of the Word and Table podcast.
Deacon Dr. John Clark is a deacon and Canon Theologian of the Diocese of the Upper Midwest. He assists the bishop on matters of theology and is overseeing the relaunch of Gregory House Ministry School, our diocesan theological training center. Read our interview with Canon John here.
Canon Molly serves our diocese as the Lay Canon of Church Planting and broader province through her work as the Director of the Always Forward Institute for Church Planting, an initiative of the Anglican Church in North America.
Sixteen years ago, Fr. Christian and Molly planted the first daughter church of the Church of the Resurrection (now the diocesan cathedral) when when they moved to Minneapolis to start Church of the Cross. Together, they serve as the leaders of Gregory House North in Minnesota. Molly and Christian have four children: two in college and two at home.
Originally hailing from Tennessee, Scott was introduced to Anglicanism when he came to study music, theology, and literature at Wheaton College. Upon graduation, he moved to Sheffield, England where he served as a youth and college pastor at an evangelical Anglican Church plant in the Church of England. After this, Scott moved back to Wheaton to marry his wife, Marissa, and they joined Church of the Resurrection, where he eventually entered into a pastoral residency. They planted Christ Church Madison in 2018, and God has since knitted their hearts to the Badger State in ways they never would have dreamed. They have four boys, James, Aaron, Beau, and Vaughn.
Deans are elected to three-year renewable terms. Their primary focus is within their respective deaners to catalyze church plants, oversee individuals for ordination, and lead deanery retreats. They also help plan the annual Revive conference.
Trevor McMaken is the pastor of City of Light in Aurora, IL. Previously, he and his wife, Bonnie, led worship at Church of the Resurrection (Wheaton, IL), where he joined the staff in 2007. They were sent by Resurrection to Aurora, where they engaged in multi-cultural ministry and planted City of Light in 2015. Trevor graduated from Wheaton College in 2007 with a music composition degree and from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2011 with a Masters of Divinity degree. They have four children: Nora, Finn, Gus, and Wells, and live in downtown Aurora in a cozy blue bungalow built in 1914. They enjoy writing and performing music, large Sabbath breakfasts, and exploring the banks of the Fox River.
Deans are elected to three-year renewable terms. Their primary focus is within their respective deaners to catalyze church plants, oversee individuals for ordination, and lead deanery retreats. They also help plan the annual Revive conference.
The Chancellor is the chief legal officer of the Diocese, providing legal counsel to the Bishop and the Standing Committee. Steve brings more than 30 years of legal experience to the role, the last ten-plus as a member of ACNA churches.
Steve grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Michigan Law School. He and his wife Julie began attending Church of the Resurrection (Wheaton) in 2014, and immediately sensed a presence of the Holy Spirit neither had experienced before. In 2018, Steve, Julie and their children, Evan (’02) and Jen (’05), felt called to be a part of planting Christ Church Madison. Julie is now Christ Church Madison’s sacristan (leading the altar guild), while Steve is co-leader of the usher team (as well as lead shofar player).
