Our Priests & Deacons

I relate to king David in the Old Testament.  Deep within me, I want to be known as David was, “A man after God’s own heart.”  I look up to him for his faith and faithfulness before giants and an insanely jealous king, for the way he inspired friendship and courage in others, and especially for the day he danced before the Lord with all his might—his passion and love for God.  I also relate to him because he was always a sinner—imperfect father, husband, and leader.  Yet, when faced with his sins, he confessed them to the Lord, and did all in his power to right his wrongs.

I grew up in the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal denomination, and went to college at Oral Robert’s University.  There, I discovered the ancient worship of the church, the liturgy.  After a few years in the Episcopal Church, I was sent to Virginia Theological Seminary.  Since then, I have served congregations in Oklahoma and Colorado.  In 2010, I joined the Anglican Church in North America, as the founding rector of Emmaus.

My wife, Denise, and I met in college, and have been married since 1989.  We have a son, Cullen, born in 1998.  Outside of Emmaus, you might find me on of the wonderful trails we have in Castle Rock and the Front Range with my dog, Lincoln, or maybe in the workshop. 

Charles comes from two small towns just West of Chicago. FDR was President when he was born. His first love was science, especially biology. He remembers crying when Einstein died. Although he considered himself an atheist at the time, he enrolled in the ministerial education system for the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod in 1958 as a high school freshman because Concordia offered high academic standards to prepare for college science. In 1961 the exposure to the Word of God and the example of his fellow students brought him back to his baptismal faith. He graduated from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in 1970 and was ordained as a pastor in the LCMS. He served parishes in Indiana and Illinois until the Synod split. From then until now Charles has earned his living as an engineer and computer hardware entrepreneur. But for the last twelve years he has been an associate at the Castle Rock Home Depot, using his experience in greenhouse and factory maintenance. Determined to serve as a priest again, in 2002 he was confirmed by the Episcopal bishop of Colorado and soon began his association with Fr. Theron Walker and many of the people that came to form Emmaus. He is a founding member of this parish. He was ordained a deacon at Emmaus in September 2013 and as a priest a year later.

Janice Marie Roeder consented to be his wife in 1971 and has not given up on him yet.

Charles has dedicated the rest of his life to apology, the defense of the Christian faith to the secular society, especially scientific and technical professionals. His web site for this reason is named biblefreedomscience.net. 

Fr. Adam was recently ordained a priest in the Special Jurisdiction for the Chaplaincy and Armed Forces. He serves in the Air Force reserves as a chaplain. Fr. Adam serves with us in a kind of "residency" two Sundays a month, leading worship and preaches occasionally. 

Erin Cook grew up in a military family, living in many parts of the world and the United States. Her family includes husband, Tom, since 1980; two married daughters and sons-in-law; and two grandchildren. She spent over thirty years in healthcare as an Occupational Therapist and Nursing Home Administrator. Ordained a Deacon in the International Diocese of Anglican Church in North America Aug. 3, 2014. She earned a Master of Arts Degree in Christian Studies and a Certificate of Chaplaincy from Denver Seminary in 2016.

Deacon Erin is a founding member of Emmaus Anglican Church in Castle Rock, Colorado serving in lay leadership on Council, Children’s Ministry, Altar Guild, and the Choir. She retains involvement in these ministries along with Worship, Pastoral Care, Preaching and Teaching as a Deacon. Deacon Erin is an On-Call Chaplain at Castle Rock Adventist Hospital.

"I look to Phoebe, Deaconess, serving the church in Cenchreae, patron to the Apostle Paul and many others, as a Biblical example of faithful, energetic service within the Body of Christ (Romans 16: 1-2). I strive to serve the saints at Emmaus Anglican Church in a manner worthy of those wonderful, faithful people. Being a Deacon and Chaplain at this time of my life, places me on a God-directed path that I could not have imagined many years ago. So, I live rejoicing in Psalm 92:12-14 “The righteous flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in him.” Amen and Amen!"

Jim grew up in the coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico in southern Alabama and Louisiana. Raised in a largely non-Christian home, he was baptized as an infant and confirmed in his teen years in the Episcopal Church.  He came to saving faith in Christ in his late teens through the ministries of evangelists Billy Graham and David Wilkerson.  His formative years as a young believer featured teaching and preaching in old style Southern Pentecostal churches, and prayer meetings and retreats in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the 1970s.  The product of a poor Southern education, he is a 1977 Physics and Astronomy graduate of the “Olde War Skule” at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, after which he spent over 26 years on active duty as a commissioned officer in the US Air Force.  He holds graduate degrees in both Physics (University of California – Davis) and Theology (Oxford University), and has a keen interest in the intersection of science, theology, and philosophy.  He was  ordained to the Diaconate in October 2015, and as a priest in March of 2023.
Jim's wife Susanne is a fourth generation Californian from Sacramento, and a retired elementary school teacher.  Raised in a devout Roman Catholic family, she attended Catholic parochial schools (K – 12), later completing her BA degree in Social Studies at the California State University, Chico.  She holds a California life credential in elementary education, completing post-graduate studies in Reading education, and English for Second Language Learners.  Susanne came to saving faith in her early 20s through the street ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, and was later discipled in both independent charismatic ministries, and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.  Jim & Susanne met at a Catholic Charismatic prayer group in Sacramento, CA in 1978, and have spent most of their adult / child rearing years as charismatic – Pentecostal – evangelical Christians.  Now married for over 42 years, they are the parents of three children, and the proud grandparents of seven eminently bright, talented, and good-looking grandchildren.  Over the years, Jim & Susanne have been involved in nearly every aspect of church ministry, ranging from children’s church and puppet ministry to adult Christian education, marriage ministry, prison ministry, small groups, prayer ministry, pastoral care, deliverance ministry, and ministry to Senior citizens.  Since 2009 they have responded to the Lord’s call to become Anglican Christians, living out the Christian life on the Canterbury Trail.  They are big fans of both the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer, using both to equip the people of God for the work of ministry.  Their ministry goals include helping to create a vibrant, joy-filled community life, while advancing a counter-cultural Christianity that emphasizes the new birth in Christ, empowerment by the indwelling Holy Spirit, and long-term growth and maturity as disciples of Christ.

The fun part of my testimony is that, indeed, something good did come out of Las Vegas, Nevada. This is where I came to meet my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in 1973. It is where the journey began
But, on the whole, my life story is, well, ordinary. It is not a story filled with larger-than-life heroics but a story of desperation and redemption. It is a story of one who bears her own share of weaknesses yet is called to be about the care of souls until the Lord calls her home.
As I entered my 50s, I realized that God was leading me away from my work in employee work force development and into counseling. It wasn’t until I began course work toward becoming a licensed professional counselor that I finally understood that my heart’s real longing was to serve as a pastoral counselor in a Biblical counseling ministry that centers itself on the changeless message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to transform lives.
I am constantly and prayerfully seeking to understand where God is working in a person’s life and how he may want me to proceed. It is a servant’s calling, and it is my calling to serve within that sacred space; where the Lord works, inspires, and heals.
After graduating with a Master of Arts degree in pastoral counseling from Liberty University, I was later ordained a vocational deacon in the Anglican Church in North America in 2011.
I served as a parish deacon in the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic until 2020. I also served as a grief, trauma, and loss counselor for a non-denominational ministry called Spiritual Care Support Ministries (SCSM).
In early 2021 my husband, Mark, and I relocated to Colorado. This move was a coming home for us as we have a history of family, school, and ministry within these borders.
I am blessed to serve at Emmaus Anglican Church with a wonderful clergy team and a loving church family. I am also continuing to counsel remotely with SCSM as well as locally in the community.
Married for over 50 years, Mark and I have two children, each married, and 6 grandchildren. We love to be with family, have a dream to see all the National Parks, and to hike as far as our aging legs will take us.