On Wednesday, June 15, 2022, the Anglican Church in North America’s Provincial Council elected four new members to the Provincial Executive Committee: two from the clergy, the Rev. Dr. Jake Stum and the Rev. Lisa Schwandt, and two from the laity, Dr. Joan Deeks and Dr. Bill Atwood. They will all serve the Committee for the next three years. We were able to catch up with them to hear a bit more about each of their stories and what they most hope to see happen in the province over the next few years through the work of the Executive Committee.
The Rev. Dr. Jake Stum
The Rev. Jake Stum serves as the Executive Director of the Anglican Relief and Development Fund. His passion is to help Christians and local churches engage the world in healthy ways, which led to unique professional paths: church planting, international and domestic community development, owning a small business, leadership consulting, and fundraising.
We asked him, upon his election, for his thoughts as he begins to serve on the Committee for the first time. “I feel humbled. I look forward to bringing whatever ideas to the table that I can bring, especially from my perspective as the Director of the Anglican Relief and Development Fund.”
Jake says he loves to grow things, and he has a track record of producing church, organizational, and community growth. He earned a PhD in Organizational Leadership from Regent University. His passion for organizational strategy will come in handy over the next three years. “The ACNA is getting old enough to begin thinking about our future as a mature church,” he said. “I’m excited to see the ACNA form a strategy for future growth as we live into the freedom to start dreaming about what we can achieve together.”
He currently lives in Cleveland, TN, with his wife and three sons, with whom he enjoys spending his free time, and he also enjoys fly fishing and football.
The Rev. Lisa Schwandt
Rev. Lisa serves as a deacon for the Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast and is a member of Hope Pointe Anglican Church. She is also the Canon for Discipleship in her diocese.
Deacon Lisa served in ministry in a myriad of roles her entire adult life. She was ordained to the diaconate in May of 2009. Her joy is disciple-making, ever in awe of the ways God continues to prepare His Bride for His return. She loves joining in with Him in the proclamation of His Gospel, sharing His love, and encouraging His people. In addition to serving on both the local and diocesan levels, Lisa served provincially for the past three years as a member on the ACNA Executive Committee.
“Going into a second term,” she explained, “I know how important the relationships on this Committee are. I’m honored to be a part of a group of gifted individuals who love Jesus and love His Church, and I look forward to engaging our process of growth with them over the next three years so that we can continue making disciples and bringing glory to God’s name.”
Lisa received her Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin and her Certificate of Diaconal Studies from the Anglican School for Ministry. A Tennessee transplant, Lisa has lived all her adult life in Texas. She is married to Scott, and they have two children, Sarah and Michael, and four grandchildren. She spends much of her time in the company of her grandchildren, C. S. Lewis, gardening, and ice cream. All of these, she says, are high up on her list of priorities!
Dr. Joan Deeks
Joan is a professor in the School of Business at a Christian liberal arts university in Canada. Joan also has over 25 years of business experience as an HR professional and corporate leadership/management consultant. Her company, Advantis Consulting Group, is involved in management, human resources, and board development training and consultation for leaders. Prior to Advantis, she served in senior management roles with the Vancouver Canucks Hockey and Entertainment, and several municipal governments in British Columbia. She served as a member of the Executive Council for the Anglican Network in Canada (ANIC), and with a passion for assisting church leaders and teaching children, she has worked with dedicated teams in the development of the ANIC Strategic Ministry Planning manual and their Kingdom Story Sunday School curriculum.
Joan is also serving a second term on the Executive Committee. “I am excited to serve again on this amazing team,” she shared. “I’m honored to be able to represent Canada to the whole province and to bring our perspective to the table.”
When asked what she would like to see in the ACNA over the next three years, she said, “2024 will be a big year for all of us as our archbishop finishes his second term. I hope the province moves through that transition well, and I look forward to helping us build a strategy to get to the next season of our life together.”
Currently, Joan sits on her diocese’s Episcopal Nominating Committee, co-chairs Clergy Spouse Connections, co-chairs the Canadian Christian Business Federation, and co-chairs, with Bishop Kevin Allen, the ACNA’s 2030 Strategic Planning Committee. She is also actively involved at St. Matthews Anglican Church in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
Dr. Bill Atwood
Dr. Atwood was a part of the Provincial Assembly Executive Committee for the past few years. Over the years, he served the ACNA in many roles, from his local parish, as a Sunday school teacher, youth group leader, vestry member, lector, and senior warden; to his diocese, as president of the Standing Committee; and to the province, as a delegate to Provincial Assembly and a GAFCON representative.
“I recently celebrated my 70th birthday,” he explained, “and as I begin my 8th decade here with you, I count my many blessings that God has provided the energy and experience needed to continue to be of benefit to the ACNA.” When asked what he would like to see during his time serving the province, he said, “I want to go forward, always forward, as Archbishop Beach says, and I hope most of all that we, as the Church, learn to go out to where the people are instead of expecting them to always have to come to us.”
Dr. Atwood has a Doctorate in Administration and has been a schoolteacher since 1980. He is married to his dear wife of 29 years, Carol, and resides in the Diocese of San Joaquin, serving at Christ Church Anglican in Oakhurst, CA.
