Nov 29, 2020
Welcome to episode 83, In this episode, I have the honor of interviewing Deacon Taylor Tracy.
He is a deacon within the Progressive Catholic Church and, after years of formation with many unexpected and exciting turns, he is slated to be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, February 13, 2021.
Deacon Taylor’s love for ministry began at an early age when he began to sing in his church choir at the age of ten. By the time he was twelve, he was composing and conducting ensembles in his community, and by thirteen, he was hired as a church music director. Since that time fourteen years later, he has served as the director of music at churches ranging in size from 60 to 600. In addition to music ministry, he served as the director of divine worship and community at St. Paul University Parish, where weekly attendance grew from 600 to 2,000. His time at St. Paul's was a turning point; he got to see what "healthy" ministry really looks like; he led a staff of twelve and learned far more from them than they probably did from him. He continued his journey by serving as the executive director of a non-profit which served students in some of Wichita's most impoverished neighborhoods. He then moved to Kansas City with his fiancé, where he served in two United Methodist churches as director of music and youth and as the church administrator in another parish simultaneously.
He is currently on the Board of Directors for the North Kansas City Symphony Orchestra and has previously served with the National Association of Pastoral Musicians' local chapter. He is also the founding artistic conductor of the sixty-voice chorus, United in Voice, a group composed of nine denominations and counting with an emphasis on celebrating traditional sacred music.
In addition to countless hours of church leadership and formation seminars, Deacon Taylor has studied at Wichita State University in music education, at Newman University in theology and philosophy, The Liturgical Institute, and the Sancta Sophia Academy for Clergy Formation in the Progressive Catholic Church, under the direction and mentorship of Bishops Robert Chung and Dr. Marc Morales Del Castillo.
Deacon Taylor Tracy is the founding pastor and lead planter for Christ the King Church in Kansas City, Missouri, an independent and affirming Catholic community. He is currently completing an 11-month planting process and will launch on Sunday, February 14, 2021, the day after his planned ordination to the priesthood.
His primary vocational interests include; church planting, parish ministry, church health, and evangelism.
Links:
- Convergent Streams: The Premier ISM Magazine.
- Practical Church Planting Podcast.
- Canva.
- Book: "No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts that will Transform your Ministry," by Daniel Im.
This podcast is hosted by Bishop David Oliver Kling and produced by the Community of Saint George (a Young Rite jurisdiction).