By Father Ron Geilen
Ministry in the US is very challenging and rewarding at the same time. I have been doing this for quite some time. It was in august 10 years ago that I left house and hearth in Limburg to come to the United States, to be with my now-wife Missy and to be ordained a deacon. Then a year later I was ordained a priest in the Independent Catholic Movement. Nowadays, I am with the Anglican Church in North America.
Of course, in the beginning you have big dreams about the church you want to plant. However, reality catches up with you. It is not so easy to start a church and gather a congregation around you. There are several reasons for that. First, there is declining church attendance. Then there is the overload of churches already there and the fact that this boy came from the outside doing ministry in a small town in the Midwest (Fulton, MO). Also, the fact that the people in this area are more protestant than sacramental plays a role.
So, the start was certainly not easy. My ministry also changed over the years. I am still as motivated as I was 10 years ago. Persistence is in my DNA. That is how I was raised. Giving up is not an option. Over the years my ministry changed more from a congregation perspective to a church without walls principle. This fits also more with my educational background as I was educated to be a chaplain (spiritual counselor) in an interreligious context. So, I go where the people need.
I was educated at the liberal protestants in Bilthoven and finished at InHolland in Amsterdam. Those two educations made me unto who I am. I am a kind of “Middleway” guy that does not work from extreme angles on both sides of the spectrum. I consider myself also a kind of “flying dutchman” in ministry, throughout the Midwest. I have a ministry in Fulton, St. Mary & St. Ann Ministries, as well as a church mission, All Saints & Sinners, in St. Charles, Missouri, but I also have helped a parish in Illinois and have done funerals over the state. The most recent one was in Kansas City.
My ministry in Fulton is basically a pastoral care ministry for all in need. I am an active member of that community and consider myself a Chaplain-Priest for the community. I attend different events which help people to get to know me better. I am supporting a group to fight against human trafficking, but also attend events like hugs not drugs, visit other churches and other events that occasionally are held. In St. Charles, I try to plant an Anglican Church, since we had to close the one in O’ Fallon, Illinois, due to a lack of attendance.
Throughout the years I have received different responses from people in my ministry. Some appreciate my Dutch directness and the Dutch approach, others do not. I also found out that some things I say in my sermons are not always landing very well. For instance, with Christmas, I once was talking about the “census from Augustus” and said it was an ancient thing, before side noting, “Oh, but the USA still has a census”. I don’t think they really liked it. Some ask, “Why did you come here,” to which I usually respond that I came to be a missionary for Americans.
In general, I can say that most people respond well to my ministry and my down to earth approach. Summarized, you can say that ministry in the Midwest of the United States is interesting and challenging, but looking back I would not have done anything different. I am who I am, a Dutch guy from the Limburg land. Down to earth and direct, whether they like it or not.
* Ron Geilen from Geleen, the Netherlands is vicar/priest at All Saints & Sinners Anglican Mission in St. Charles, Missouri and at St. Mary & St. Ann Ministries in Fulton.
