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Fargo Anglican Church Plant
The Opportunity
Fargo Anglican is the working name of a proposed Anglican church plant in Fargo, North Dakota. The group of lay people who make up the launch team are seeking a church planter to establish and lead the new church under the initial sponsorship and oversight of Church of the Cross in Minneapolis, a member of the Diocese of the Upper Midwest, Anglican Church of North America.
No ACNA churches currently exist in the state of North Dakota; the closest ACNA congregations are in the Twin Cities in Minnesota and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Vision
We envision this new Anglican church plant as a community where:
• People come to know and experience God through reverent and joyful worship, marked by devotion to God's Word and the weekly celebration of the Eucharist.
• All generations are invited to grow in mission, generosity, and care for their neighbors.
• There is a demonstrated value for beauty, the historical practices of the church, and the riches of both contemporary and traditional music.
• The strong entrepreneurial and strategic culture of Fargo is strengthened for Kingdom effectiveness.
• Effectual and transformative prayer is practiced, rooted in trust in the work of the Holy Spirit today.
This is an opportunity for a Spirit-led, gifted, and motivated Anglican priest who has a vision for Christlike transformation and wholeness, both for individuals and for the broader Fargo community.
History
The initial steps toward an Anglican church plant in Fargo began with meetings among interested lay people in Spring 2025 for discussion and prayer. These were followed by Zoom meetings with Molly Ruch, Canon for Church Planting of the Anglican Diocese of the Upper Midwest, and Christian Ruch, Rector of Church of the Cross in the Twin Cities. They agreed to offer ongoing oversight and support, with Church of the Cross acting as the sponsoring church. In May 2025, the launch team hosted two prayer meetings to introduce Anglican liturgy and worship, share the vision, and teach key distinctives of the church. About 60 people attended. From these gatherings, the launch team grew.
The team began reading together and continued meeting with Molly and Christian to discuss next steps and Anglican distinctives. Daniel Bixby was designated as team leader, responsible for liaison work, organizing meetings, and assigning responsibilities.
In October 2025, the team hosted an Anglican Eucharistic worship service at Plymouth Congregational Church in Fargo with approximately 60 attendees. The launch team continued to grow and established a fund through Church of the Cross for designated giving to the Fargo work. In January 2026, and again in March, additional services were held with similar attendance. Future services are being planned. Several of the core leaders have met with other area churches who have shown an interest in allowing a new church plant to use their facilities for worship.
The team continues to meet regularly, focusing on next steps, Fargo's context, Anglican formation, outreach, and the process of calling a church planter. The core group continues to expand as more families and individuals show genuine interest and commitment to starting an Anglican church in Fargo.
The Church Planter
We seek an ordained Anglican male priest who, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can plant and lead a viable new church and guide a growing congregation.
This candidate will be Godly, prayerful, relational, a strong preacher of God's Word, committed to sacramental and liturgical worship, and gifted in pastoral leadership.
The Fargo church plant is beginning as a mission of Church of the Cross (Hopkins, Minnesota), and receives supervision and oversight from the Rector and Vestry. The Bishop of the Upper Midwest Diocese and the Rector of Church of the Cross, in collaboration with the Fargo launch team, will guide and approve the search process and hiring of the planter. Compensation will follow diocesan and Church of the Cross guidelines.
Qualifications
• Ordained in the ACNA (or ordained in another denomination and coming into the ACNA); Master of Divinity or equivalent
• Meets diocesan church planter requirements, and willing to complete church planting assessment and training as needed
• Clear testimony of faith in Jesus Christ, and ongoing commitment to a life grounded in prayer, Scripture, and community.
• Visionary leader committed to understanding and engaging the Fargo context
• Relational, humble, trustworthy, and able to develop others' gifts and form teams
• Passion for evangelism and discipleship across all ages
• High value for biblical teaching and commitment to lead liturgical worship with reverence and Spirit sensitivity.
• Alignment with the theological beliefs and convictions of the Anglican Church of North American and the Anglican Diocese of the Upper Midwest.
Primary Responsibilities
• Plan, develop, and launch the Fargo Anglican church
• Grow and lead the launch team
• Work with diocesan leaders and partner churches
• Establish financial sustainability
• Oversee administrative and operational systems
• Engage with the Fargo community and local clergy
• Secure a suitable facility
• Build systems for worship and church life
• Establish advisory leadership and eventual Vestry
• Communicate vision and goals
• Prepare and lead worship services
• Preach regularly
• Conduct baptisms, weddings, funerals, and other services
• Provide pastoral care
• Lead meetings and develop leaders
• Delegate and oversee ministry systems
Diocesan Alignment
The Anglican Diocese of the Upper Midwest (ACNA) is committed to Planting a Revival of Word and Sacrament infused by the Holy Spirit. Candidates must align with diocesan values, canons, ACNA theological convictions, and the Jerusalem Declaration.
The Location
The greater Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area population is more than 238,000 people. Fargo, the largest city in North Dakota, lies alongside the Red River in the southeast part of the state near the Minnesota border. Fargo is in the top 20% of all metros in terms of industry diversity. (Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corp.)
Located along east-west I-94, it is an agricultural, commercial, medical, and transportation center with the strongest economy in the state. About 94 percent of people who live in the Fargo community have more than a high school education compared to an 88 percent nationwide. In addition, one in three people here is engaged in education in one way or another. Our area features over 270 religious organizations, offering diverse denominations including Lutheran, Catholic, Baptist, and non-denominational churches. The network of private schools features everything from religious-based philosophies to Capstone Classical Academy, and Montessori programs. Fargo-Moorhead also is home to Division I, II and III higher education systems and a strong system of community, technical, and business colleges. Eight colleges and universities are located in the metro area. The arts play a major role in Fargo's culture. There are numerous museums and galleries to visit, and several festivals are held each year. The area is known for being friendly and having a strong community feel with a Scandinavian influence.
Fargo is a "big-small" town. "We have the great amenities of a big city, including education, healthcare, entertainment, dining, employment and access to travel, while still maintaining a 'small town' attitude of looking out for our neighbors. One of the most consistent comments we hear from visitors is that the people here are so friendly and helpful.
To Apply:
Please send a cover letter and CV to Christian Ruch, Christian@ofthecross.org, and Daniel Bixby, Dwbixby@gmail.com.
References Needed:
Two work references
Two personal references
One additional reference for background check
To apply for this job email your details to Christian@ofthecross.org