The Anglican Mission of Lake Erie

05/24/2026

To the Faithful Clergy, Chaplains, Religious, and Laity of the Church,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Click the link to read the full letter...

Recent news, notices and pastoral reflections.

11/25/2025

A Pastoral Endorsement of Father Castello’s Ministry of Spiritual Direction

As I reflect on the work of the Church—its call to guide, to steady, and to draw people deeper into the heart of Christ—I am grateful for the faithful clergy who embody this ministry with sincerity and grace.

Today, I want to commend to you the spiritual direction ministry of Father Castello.

In every season of life, there are moments when we need a companion for the journey—someone who listens without judgment, prays without hesitation, and helps us discern the quiet movements of the Holy Spirit. Father Castello offers precisely this kind of presence.

His approach to spiritual direction is rooted in prayer, shaped by Scripture, and marked by a deep pastoral compassion. He creates a safe, sacred space where the soul can breathe—where questions can be explored, burdens shared, and faith renewed.

Whether you are seeking clarity, navigating a time of transition, or simply longing to grow closer to Christ, I wholeheartedly encourage you to consider meeting with him. His ministry is a gift to our community and to all who desire a more intentional and grace-filled spiritual life.

If you feel drawn to begin this journey, I invite you to reach out and learn more about how spiritual direction with Father Castello can support you.

May God continue to guide all who seek Him with honest hearts and open hands.

In Christ,
+Brent E. Whetstone
Bishop, Anglican Mission of Lake Erie

11/10/2025

Sermon: When the Waves Turn the Minutes to Hours

Preached on the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
✠ Bishop Brent Edward Whetstone
Anglican Diocese of Saint George

There’s a line in Gordon Lightfoot’s The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald that has haunted the Great Lakes for fifty years:

“Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?”

It’s not just poetry—it’s a question every mariner, every chaplain, every mother standing by a silent phone has asked in the dark. It’s the same question whispered at hospital bedsides, in waiting rooms, in sanctuaries half-lit by grief: Where is the love of God when the storm will not stop?

Fifty years ago, the Edmund Fitzgerald vanished beneath the furious gray of Lake Superior. No mayday. No survivors. Just silence, and the slow ache of minutes that turned into hours, and hours into half a century of wondering.

Those of us who serve along these inland seas—Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan—feel that story in our bones. Because the Great Lakes are not only deep in water; they are deep in memory. Every storm carries the echo of those 29 names. Every ship’s whistle sounds a little like a prayer.

And yet—beneath all that loss, there is a truth the Church dares to proclaim: the love of God does not vanish in the storm. It is not capsized by tragedy. It does not drown in the depths.

When Lightfoot asked, “Does anyone know where the love of God goes?”—the answer, I think, is yes.

The love of God goes down with the ship.
It is there in the final prayers of frightened men.
It rides on the wind that carried their last breath home.
It sits with the families who never got the call they prayed for.
It weeps beside them, unseen but not absent.

The love of God goes to the bottom of the lake, to the bedside of the dying, to the lonely who wait for answers that will never come.
It is the presence that abides even when there are no words left to speak.

Because the miracle of faith is not that God prevents every storm—it’s that He joins us in the storm, and refuses to let the dark have the final word.

The same Christ who stilled the Sea of Galilee walks these waters still.
He does not silence every wave, but He meets us amid them.
And sometimes, faith means rowing on through the tempest, trusting that even when the compass spins, even when the radar fails, even when the shoreline disappears—God is not gone.

In the hours that feel like days, when grief stretches time beyond measure, the love of God does not go anywhere. It remains. It endures. It descends to the depths and rises again with the dawn.

So tonight, we toll the bells not only for the Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew, but for every life that has been swallowed by silence, every family left waiting for the wind to break.

We remember that to live by these lakes—to serve by them—is to stand where the sacred meets the unpredictable. It is to preach resurrection in a place that remembers wreckage.

And we proclaim this truth:
Even here, even now—
when the waves turn the minutes to hours,
when the night will not end,
when the lake keeps her secrets—
the love of God goes nowhere.
It remains, steady as the shoreline of eternity.

✠ “Christus in Omnibus Locis, Per Viam Anglicanam.”
Christ in all places—yes, even on the waters that never give up their dead.

10/20/2025

From today's Gospel:

Reflection: The Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1–8)

Faith, our Lord reminds us, is not passive. The widow’s persistence isn’t nagging, it’s trust that God hears.
For those who serve as chaplains, in hospitals, prisons, schools, and the forces, this parable speaks deeply. We often stand in places where justice seems delayed and prayers seem unanswered. Yet, like the widow, we keep showing up.

Persistence in prayer shapes us to see God’s faithfulness even when outcomes are uncertain. Our task is not to twist God’s arm, but to keep our hearts turned toward His mercy.

In the end, Christ asks, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”
May He find in us, His servants a steady and patient faith that does not lose heart.

✠ The Anglican Vicariate of Saint George
Serving where the Church meets the world.

10/20/2025

Feast of Saint Paul of the Cross – October 20

Today the Church remembers Saint Paul of the Cross, a man whose life was marked by deep prayer, compassion for the suffering, and a profound love for the Cross of Christ. He founded the Roman Catholic order of the Passionists to keep alive the memory of the Lord’s Passion, not as an abstract idea, but as a living reality that transforms hearts and restores hope to the broken.

For those of us who serve as chaplains, in hospitals, schools, the military, and prisons, the Cross is not distant. We see it every day in the faces of those who carry heavy burdens: the sick and the fearful, the forgotten and the grieving, the soldier and the inmate alike. Saint Paul of the Cross reminds us that it is precisely in these places of pain that Christ’s love is most near, and that our calling is not to fix every wound, but to bear witness to the redeeming presence of God within them.

In the Anglican spirit of the via media, we stand between extremes, holding fast to the truth of the Gospel while extending the gentleness of Christ. Saint Paul of the Cross calls us to that sacred balance: to speak truth with tenderness, and to serve with hearts anchored in prayer and the Passion.

May we, too, find strength in the Cross, courage in compassion, and holiness in the quiet acts of care that reveal the love of God to the world.

“May the Passion of Jesus Christ be ever in our hearts.”

10/17/2025

A Pastoral Letter to the Faithful

On the Eve of the Meeting of the North American Bishops
Anglican Free Communion International

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace be with you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tomorrow, the bishops of the Anglican Free Communion International in North America will gather in prayer and discernment to consider the future leadership of our Province.

This meeting is an important moment in our shared life, as we seek to elect a new Provincial Archbishop who will shepherd our mission with wisdom, unity, and faithfulness to the Gospel.

As members of the Anglican Mission of Lake Erie and the Anglican Vicariate of Saint George, we are part of a living communion that stretches across nations yet remains united in purpose: to proclaim Christ in all places, through the Anglican Way. I ask each of you to join me in prayer for this gathering
for humility in our deliberations, for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our decision-making, and for the strengthening of our common witness in the world.

Pray that those entrusted with leadership may act not out of ambition or preference, but out of love for Christ and His Church. Pray that our communion may continue to be a sign of hope, reconciliation, and steadfast faith.

Once the bishops have met and the election has been concluded, we will share an update with all clergy and laity regarding the outcome and the path forward for our Province.

Until then, may we be steadfast in prayer, confident in God’s providence, and united in our shared calling.

With every blessing,

✠ Brent Edward Whetstone
Bishop, Anglican Vicariate of Saint George
Anglican Mission of Lake Erie
“Christus in Omnibus Locis, Per Viam Anglicanam”
Christ in All Places, Through the Anglican Way

06/06/2025

Join us for Synod 2025!

05/18/2025

The Anglican Mission of Lake Erie
Office of the Bishop
The Rt. Rev. Brent Whetstone
May 18, 2025

To the Faithful of the Anglican Mission of Lake Erie,

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

It is with deep joy and solemn gratitude that I write to you today to announce that, as of this day, the Anglican Mission of Lake Erie has been received into full communion with the Anglican Free Communion International.

This is not merely a structural change—it is a recognition of who we are and who we have always aspired to be: a community of faithful Anglican Christians rooted in Scripture, nourished by the Sacraments, and alive with the Spirit’s call to justice, mercy, and mission. In joining this broader fellowship, we affirm our place within the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, while maintaining our local identity, charism, and mission.

The Anglican Free Communion International is a global family of churches that shares our love of Anglican liturgy, our respect for conscience, and our call to serve the margins. We are now united with brothers and sisters in Christ across continents—many of whom, like us, labor not for recognition but for renewal, not for prestige but for peace.

This moment is a testament to your faithfulness—to your prayers, your persistence, and your passion for a Church that is beautiful, bold, and belonging. Our identity as a worshipping community remains steadfast. We continue to be rooted in our common worship, our daily prayer, and our love of the Eucharist.

A formal reception into the Anglican Free Communion International will take place this October during our Synod gathering in Jacksonville, Florida. This will be a time of celebration, commissioning, and commitment to the work ahead.

Let us mark this day with joy.

Let us give thanks for the path behind us and the promise ahead.

And above all, let us remain steadfast in our calling:
To be a light on the lake, a refuge for the weary, and a holy remnant of ancient faith made new.

Yours in the peace of Christ,
+Brent
Bishop, Anglican Mission of Lake Erie

04/20/2025

Paschal Letter from Bishop Brent
To the Faithful of the Anglican Mission of Lake Erie,
and to our beloved friends and kindred in Christ throughout the world

Χριστός ἀνέστη! Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, Who by His glorious resurrection hath trampled down death by death, and bestowed life upon those in the tombs.

On this most holy Feast of Feasts, we lift our hearts with the Church Triumphant and the Church Militant, proclaiming with the angels and saints: The Lord is Risen indeed!

The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is not merely a symbol of hope; it is the axis upon which all history turns, the triumph of the New Adam over the corruption of the old. In His rising, He has inaugurated the new creation. In His glorified wounds, He has reconciled earth to heaven.

Let us therefore hold fast the holy tradition which has been delivered unto us by the Apostles, preserved by the Fathers, and safeguarded in the liturgy, sacraments, and creeds of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. In this age of great forgetting—when novelty is mistaken for truth, and relativism for love—let us be steadfast. Orthodoxy is not an ideology, but the living memory of the Body of Christ. It is the guardrail of grace; the inheritance of the saints; the ark amid the flood.

Brethren, the Paschal flame compels us not only to stand firm, but to go forth as witnesses. In our broken and bleeding world—where war rages abroad and bitterness festers at home—let the people of God be found as peacemakers. Let our first weapon be prayer, our first offering be mercy, our first answer be silence and listening. Let every parish be a haven of gentleness and truth, every household an icon of the Resurrection.

And let us not grow weary. The Risen Christ goes before us to Galilee. He is not found among the dead, nor confined to tombs of ideology or fear. He walks among us still—in the breaking of bread, in the faces of the poor, and in the quiet fidelity of the faithful.

Therefore, beloved, keep the feast—not in malice and wickedness, but in sincerity and truth. Cling to the Cross. Guard the tradition. And rejoice in the light which the darkness cannot overcome.

With my blessing in the name of the Risen Lord,
and with love in Christ Jesus,
I remain,
+Brent
Bishop, Anglican Mission of Lake Erie

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Пасхальное послание епископа Брента
Верным Англиканской миссии озера Эри
и всем возлюбленным друзьям и сродникам во Христе по всему миру

Христос Воскресе! Воистину Воскресе!

Благодать вам и мир от Бога Отца и Господа нашего Иисуса Христа, Который славным Своим воскресением попрал смертью смерть и даровал жизнь сущим во гробах.

В этот Святейший Праздник Праздников мы возносим сердца вместе с Церковью торжествующей и Церковью воинствующей, восклицая с ангелами и святыми: Воистину воскрес Господь!

Воскресение Господа нашего Иисуса Христа — не просто символ надежды, но ось, вокруг которой вращается вся история, победа Нового Адама над тлением ветхого. В Своем воскресении Он открыл новую тварь. В прославленных ранах Своих Он примирил землю с небом.

Будем же держаться святого Предания, преданного нам Апостолами, сохраненного Отцами и утвержденного в литургии, таинствах и Символах веры Единой, Святой, Соборной и Апостольской Церкви. В этот век великого забвения — когда новизну принимают за истину, а относительность за любовь — да будем мы непоколебимы. Православие — не идеология, а живая память Тела Христова. Оно есть ограда благодати, наследие святых, ковчег среди потопа.

Возлюбленные, пасхальный огонь призывает нас не только стоять твердо, но и идти вперед как свидетели. В этом разбитом и кровоточащем мире — где бушуют войны и царит вражда в домах — да будут чада Божии миротворцами. Пусть наше первое оружие будет молитвой, первым даром — милость, первым ответом — молчание и внимание. Пусть каждый приход станет прибежищем кротости и истины, а каждый дом — иконой Воскресения.

И да не ослабеют руки наши. Воскресший Христос предваряет нас в Галилее. Он не среди мертвых, не в гробницах страха и идеологий. Он живет среди нас — в преломлении хлеба, в лицах нищих, в тихом стоянии верных.

Итак, возлюбленные, празднуйте — не со старою закваской злобы и лукавства, но с опресноками чистоты и истины. Прилепитесь ко Кресту. Храните Предание. И радуйтесь Свету, которого тьма не может объять.

С архиерейским благословением во Имя Воскресшего Христа
и с любовью во Иисусе Господе,
пребываю,
+Брент
Епископ, Англиканская миссия озера Эри

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Пасхальное послание от епископа Брента
къ вѣрнымъ Англиканскыя мiссiи при озерѣ Эри
и ко всѣмъ друзѣмъ и сродникомъ во Хрiстѣ

Христосъ воскресе изъ мертвыхъ,
смертiю смерть поправъ,
и сущимъ во гробѣхъ животъ даровавъ!

Возлюбленнѣи чада свѣтѣлѣй Церкви Христовыя,

Въ сiя свѣтозарнѣйшiя дни Святой Пасхи,
возлюбимъ другъ друга, да единомыслиемъ исповѣмъ: Христосъ воскресе!

Сей день, егоже сотвори Господь,
возрадуемся и возвеселимся въ онь.
Яко заря восходитъ надъ мiромъ —
та́ко Воскресеніе Христово осiяваетъ вселенную,
разгоняя мракъ грѣха и отчаянiя.

Стоймо вѣрно во православнѣй вѣрѣ,
и не уклоняймось ни на десную, ни на лѣвую.
Да не поколеблется упованiе наше,
но утверждено будетъ на камени Христовѣ.

Буди мiръ всѣмъ — въ домовѣхъ нашихъ и во всей земли.
Съ верою, съ смиреніемъ и любовiю
молимся: да престанетъ всякая вражда и кровь пролитiя.
Да воцарится миръ Христовъ въ сердцахъ всѣхъ человекъ.

Воистину воскресе Христосъ — Истинный Мiръ,
свыше нисшедый, да всѣ спасетъ.

Благословенъ грядуй во имя Господне,
и благодать Господа нашего Iисуса Христа,
да будетъ со всѣми вами.

+Брентъ,
Епископъ, Англиканская Мiссiя при Озерѣ Эри

03/26/2025

The Anglican Mission of Lake Erie
The Right Reverend Brent Whetstone
Feast of the Annunciation – March 25, 2025

Dearly Beloved in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

On this solemn and joyful Feast of the Annunciation, we gather in spirit and prayer to mark the anniversary of the founding of our beloved Mission of Lake Erie. It is fitting that our remembrance should fall on this feast day—when the angel Gabriel declared to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would bear the Christ, and she, in faith and courage, answered: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

In that moment, history turned on a whisper. The Word became flesh not through force or spectacle, but through the humble yes of a young woman in Nazareth. In Mary’s fiat, we see the model of our own vocation: to receive the Word of God, to let it dwell richly within us, and to bear Christ into the world through acts of mercy, love, and truth.

So too was our mission born—not in grandiosity, but in response to a call. A call to serve the margins, to pray for the brokenhearted, to walk beside the weary. Over the years, the Anglican Mission of Lake Erie has become a quiet but steady light along the lakeshore and into the hills of Appalachia.

Today, I give thanks to God for each of you who has said your own yes—serving in prayer, worship, generosity, and acts of compassion.

One of the most profound expressions of our mission is our work in healthcare chaplaincy throughout Appalachia. There, in hospital rooms and long-term care facilities, being a messenger of the Incarnation—bringing Christ’s presence to those who are suffering in body and spirit. I carry no angelic wings, but my hands anoint, my prayers comfort, and my silence listens deeply. Our mission is not a traditional mission, but it is a mission where Christ is born anew in every wounded place.

We are also blessed to see the fruit of the Whetstone Family Foundation Scholarship, which supports students from Appalachian communities as they pursue education and training in healthcare and the arts. This is not just charity—it is prophecy. It is the Church saying to the poor in spirit: You matter. You belong. You are called.

In these students, we glimpse the unfolding of God’s future. Their formation is a work of hope, a sign that the Holy Spirit is still overshadowing hearts, still planting seeds of redemption in forgotten soil.

As we reflect on this anniversary, I invite you to renew your own “yes” to the mission. Let us continue to be a people who say with Mary: Let it be to me according to your word. May her faithfulness inspire our own, and may the mystery of the Incarnation shape everything we do—from the liturgy we pray to the lives we touch.

Finally, I ask your prayers for the work we do, for the students supported by the scholarship, and for all those who look to this mission for guidance, hope, and healing.

May the Lord who came to dwell among us through the obedience of a young woman dwell also in your hearts and homes. And may the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, pray for us all.

With every blessing,
+Brent
The Right Reverend Brent Whetstone
Bishop, Anglican Mission of Lake Erie