An Episcopal congregation in Lafayette has announced the installation of a new rector for the parish.
The Episcopal Church of the Ascension, located in downtown Lafayette near the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, is welcoming Reverend Matthew Ainsley and his family from Horizon West, Florida, where Ainsley served as vicar of All Souls Episcopal Church.
According to a statement from the church, Ainsley received his Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and completed further Anglican studies at Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin.
He was called to Ascension after a search led by vestry member George Arceneaux, who said, “committee members fell in love with Fr. Matt and Kasey for their faith, energy, and engagement, and especially with Fr. Matt’s approach to ministry, which merges innovation and church growth with the profound beauty of orthodox Anglican/Anglo-Catholic tradition and worship.”…