Meet the Clergy
The Reverend Craig Tanksley, Rector
Born in Tacoma, Washington, and now a Canadian citizen, Craig Tanksley’s professional and spiritual journey has taken him on many paths, but always strong Christian ones.
“I was born into one of the smaller Pentecostal organizations called the Open Bible Standard Churches,” he says, and as described by Dr. Richard Leggett of the Vancouver School of Theology, he is one “who rooted in the neo-Pentecostal tradition has to come to a deeper appreciation of the Anglican tradition.”
Having had extensive experience in both evangelical and Anglican churches, as well as missionary service in the Far East, he was ordained by the Assemblies of God in 1981 and as an Anglican priest in 2001.
Craig holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwest University, Kirkland, Washington. After studying at the Fuller Theological Extension in Seattle, he completed a Master’s degree in Theological Studies from Regent College, Vancouver, B.C. Holly, his wife, who is also an ordained minister, together have traveled extensively throughout the world, and they are avid backpackers. Blessed with an excellent singing voice, he has had a lifelong love of gospel music.
Craig came to St. Alban’s in 2002. He energized and enriched the parish with his enthusiasm, his irrepressibly sunny temperament, loving and attentive pastoral care, and outstanding preaching.
In the spring of 2008 Craig left St. Alban’s to join the pastoral team at St. Marks. He says, “I want parishioners to grow into the full stature of Christ. I want them to attain the maturity in faith to which God is calling them. I believe that God is calling all of us to be more than we are, something that God envisions us to be. A good picture of full Christian maturity can be seen in Psalm 1. Those who walk in the counsels of the Lord, “are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither”. Bearing fruit year after year, faithfulness rooted in drinking of the life of God and bearing the fruit of the Kingdom of God. That’s what I want to see happening to people. We won’t arrive in this life to full Christian maturity, but the thing is to keep on this road, growing to fruitful maturity.”
The Reverend Jonathan Blanchard, Associate Priest
Jonathan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from University of Manitoba in 1990 and received an MDiv from Wycliffe College in Toronto in 1995.
Jonathan was ordained a Deacon at St. Peter’s on the Rock, Kirkland Lake Ontario in the Diocese of Moosonee in the fall of 1995. He remained in Kirkland Lake until Dec. 1995 and then moved to Lethbridge, Alberta, where he joined Primerica Financial Services. Jonathan and Deanna moved with their infant daughter Samantha to Calgary, Alberta. In the late summer of 1996 they moved from Lethbridge to Winnipeg Manitoba, where he spent two years as a teacher assistant. God continued tugging and pulling him to clergy ministry and so he answered a call from the Arch-Deacon of the Diocese of Moosonee to lead a Vacation Bible Study for the summer of 1998, and then to finish his curacy at St. James Geraldton, Ontario.
Jonathan’s experience at VBS and at Geraldton was very positive, and reinforced the calling he had for clergy ministry. Jonathan was ordained into the order of Priests in 1999 and then spent 12 months as assistant Priest. After his supervising Priest retired in the summer of 2000 Jonathon spent half a year as Rector in charge. In January 1st 2001, Jonathan became Rector of St.Mark’ s in Iroquois Falls and priest in charge of St. John’s in Matheson. During the five and a half years in Iroquois Falls he learned much and grew spiritually.
Jonathan feels very blessed to be given the responsibility of being an associate priest in this parish of St. Mark’s Ocean Park and prays that he will be a blessing to many in this parish for many years to come.
Deanna and Jonathan have two children.
The Reverend Eric Lowe, Honorary Assistant Priest
Eric Lowe is honorary assistant priest at St. Mark’s. Eric served in Pakistan and India as a missionary for fifteen years before taking up parishes in Toronto, Vancouver and Burnaby. He is now retired.
