The Rev. Katie Rengers has been appointed staff officer for Church Planting for The Episcopal Church, a member of the Presiding Bishop’s staff.
Rengers has been offering her gifts to this work on an interim basis for the last six months; networking new ministries, developing resources and organizing trainings to support the development of new ministries of all kinds, across the Episcopal Church. “It is a joy to welcome Rev. Rengers to the church planting and redevelopment team. She is a strategist, a practical thinker, an entrepreneur and a pastor, and I look forward to seeing the Episcopal church planting movement grow from strength to strength under her care.” said the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, canon to the Presiding Bishop for evangelism, reconciliation and creation care.
The Rev. Tom Brackett, manager for church planting and ministry redevelopment, said, “Rev. Rengers brings her personal experience with planting ‘The Abbey’ in Birmingham to this role. She is inspired, in love with Jesus as well as with the power of the Gospel to change lives and whole communities. She brings all of the gifts and motivation to expand on the work that Rev. Mike Michie invested in developing support and infrastructure for church planting, over the last couple of years.”
Rengers is the founder of The Abbey, a worshiping community and coffee ministry in Birmingham, Alabama. The diverse neighborhood surrounding The Abbey gave her experience ministering with and among younger adults, people experiencing addiction or mental illness, and religious “nones.” In the previous triennium she served on the Taskforce on Church Planting and discovered a passion for supporting innovative leaders in the creation and nurture of joyful and sustainable missional communities.
Prior to her leadership at The Abbey, Rengers served as associate rector for young adults and outreach at Saint Luke’s, Birmingham and as rector of Saint Michael’s Episcopal Church in Fayette, Alabama.
Rengers is a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, where her thesis focused on the speeches in Acts of the Apostles. She has a bachelor’s degree in music from Northwestern University. Rengers lives in Birmingham with her husband, Josiah and their two young daughters.
Rengers began her new position on January 6, and can be reached at krengers@episcopalchurch.org.