About Gregory House
The Diocese of the Upper Midwest has a long history of raising up leaders and artists for the work of church planting. Churches in our network were planting new churches as early as 2004. In 2013, we formed a diocese that unified our mother and daughter churches.
Next, to formalize and unify our training across the diocese, we formed a diocesan residency program in 2019 by combining the residency program of Church of the Resurrection (Wheaton, IL), begun in 2017, with the residency program of Church of the Cross (Hopkins, MN), begun in 2014. This program provides a consistency of training throughout our diocese as more churches host residents and become hubs for training.
As we’ve grown this program to include dozens of Ministry and Church Planting Residents over the last few years, our mission remains the same: We want to raise up the next generation of leaders and artists for the work of planting a revival of word and sacrament infused by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We want to see hundreds of Word & Sacrament churches planted and sustained in the Midwest, and that vision can only be realized by investing in the next generation of leaders: you!
Vision
The vision of Gregory House is to raise up the next generation of leaders and artists for the work of planting a revival of Word and Sacrament infused by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Preparation for ministry does not happen only in a classroom. It takes real ministry experience and close partnership with seasoned pastors to prepare for the demands and joys of ministry.
We equip residents with theological and leadership training coupled with real responsibility in our core ministries including discipleship, worship, and mission. This training and experience combine to equip residents to go into a variety of contexts as church leaders, staff, or missionaries to impart our mission and values in their unique context.
Leaders
Bp. Stewart Ruch III
BISHOP
After first attending Church of the Resurrection as a college student in 1988, Bishop Stewart became the rector in the winter of 1999. With a focus on the presence of God, prayer and fasting, and a collaborative and creative leadership culture, Resurrection has experienced growth in attendance as well as in conversions.
In September 2013, Stewart was consecrated Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Upper Midwest (ACNA), and has a vision to see a Revival of Word and Sacrament infused by the Holy Spirit in the Upper Midwest. In the first seven years of the diocese, numerous churches have been planted.
Stewart is married to Katherine, and they have six children. Their first love and passion is discipling their children and developing their family as a “domestic church.” Gregory House is one of his greatest ministry passions.
Amy Patton
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
After 8 years on staff at Church of the Resurrection, Amy is delighted to focus her energy primarily on directing the Gregory House school.
Amy brings an incredible breadth of ministry experience, having served as Children’s Pastor, Formation Pastor (overseeing children, youth, and adult ministries), and Executive Pastor over the course of her time on staff at Resurrection.
Amy is married to Ryan, and they are raising their 3 boys to know their “delightful inheritance” in the Lord. They love living in Wheaton, adventuring with their boys, and drinking copious amounts of coffee to keep up!
Fr. Christian and Molly Ruch
Fr. CHRISTIAN IS THE Rector of Church of the Cross and Dean of Minnesota
MOLLY IS THE Director of Church Planting for the Upper Midwest Diocese
Fr. Christian and Molly serve as the leaders of Gregory House North in Minnesota.
Sixteen years ago, they 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. Now Fr. Christian serves as Dean over churches in Minnesota and South Dakota while also staying involved in raising up leaders and pastoring at Church of the Cross.
Molly is involved with church planting at Church of the Cross, in the diocese as Director of Church Planting, and in the 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.
Both love to spend time with leaders hearing about their lives and sense of calling.
Gregory House is the ministry school of the Anglican Diocese of the Upper Midwest, with hubs in Wheaton, IL (Church of the Resurrection) and Hopkins, MN (Church of the Cross).
The diocese was founded in 2013, and is a Regional Diocese in the Province of the Anglican Church in North America. It is led by Bishop Stewart Ruch III, along with our deans, Frs. William Beasley (Greenhouse Movement), Eirik Olsen (Kenosha, WI), and Christian Ruch (Hopkins, MN)
Over thirty congregations call our diocese home, with churches in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Our diocese is made up of distinct worshiping communities—rural, urban, suburban, and storefront—from a variety of socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. But together, cared for by the same bishop, united in mission and values, we are building a movement where people can experience boundlessness: limitless love in Jesus, unification through vision, and being equipped for new things.