The Bishop of Texas, the Rt. Rev. Andy Doyle, has called the Rev. Isaias Ginson to plant a new congregation to serve the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in the Gulf Coast region.
Ginson, a graduate of Seminary of the Southwest, was ordained in the Diocese of Texas in 2010 and subsequently served as curate at Good Shepherd, Friendswood, and St. Stephen’s, Houston.
“I am delighted that Isaias is returning to the Diocese. He has always had a heart for serving and sharing the Gospel with those outside of our church walls and I know he will bring that passion to his new role,” said Canon to the Ordinary, the Rev. Canon Christine Faulstich.
The Canon for Mission Amplification, the Rev. Joann Saylors, echoed similar enthusiasm: “We are glad to welcome [Isaias] back to the diocese as a church planter. His passion for evangelism and mission, as well as the experience he brings from his missionary work, will be a gift to the diocese. We look forward to the mutual learning to come from his work with the AAPI community.”
In 2012, Ginson accepted the call to serve as missionary priest and chaplain in the Episcopal Church and School in Guam and Saipan in Micronesia. Four years later, he moved to New York and served as priest-in-charge of St. Margaret, Plainview, and chaplain for Protestant Campus Ministries at Stony Brook University in the Diocese of Long Island. Now, he looks forward to returning to the Lone Star State.
“I am excited to be a church planter, working side-by-side with the staff of the Diocese of Texas. It is vital for us in the church leadership to re-imagine mission, finding fresh ways to live out and engage the culture of this generation with compassion and understanding. I am looking forward to faithfully serve and reach out to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community with renewed confidence in today’s changing new world,” said Ginson.
Ginson was born in the Philippines, obtained both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and Philosophy from University of St. La Salle, and another master’s degree in Human Kinetics from the University of the Philippines. He served as Professor at both universities for more than a decade before he and his wife, Christie, immigrated to the United States in 2002. In his spare time, Isaias practices qi gong, tai chi, and Filipino martial arts.
He will start his new role as church planter on October 1, 2021.