Holy Trinity Anglican Church Webster Groves — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable The Rev. Paul Howden (Rector, installed May 2, 2021)

Founded Reformed Episcopal Church congregation, member of ACNA

Denomination Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) / Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)

Service Times Sunday School 9:30 AM; Worship and Holy Communion 10:30 AM; Lenten Stations of the Cross Wednesday 6:30 PM

Men's Ministry No

Kids Ministry Yes

Website www.holytrinityrecstl.com

Pastor Credentials B.A. Political Science, California State University Long Beach; M.Div., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (1987); ordained Reformed Episcopal Church presbyter 1994

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

Historic Anglican creedal formularies (Apostles', Nicene, Athanasian via BCP) — green.

Strong

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

Homepage grounds teaching in 'historic creeds, the Articles of Religion, and the Book of Common Prayer' — 39 Articles + BCP confessional framework confirmed.

Strong

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

Not visible on homepage — verify in person.

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Anglican salvation by grace — REC is noted for strong Reformation-era Protestant emphasis.

Strong

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

REC does not ordain women to the priesthood denominationally — green on denominational basis; parish clergy names not visible on homepage.

Strong

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Male rector Rev. Paul Howden; REC episcopal polity.

Strong

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Rev. Howden holds M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary — solid evangelical preaching foundation.

Strong

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Active liturgical parish with Lenten stations.

Strong

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

REC is a founding jurisdiction of ACNA (2008) with deep Reformed Anglican roots; firmly orthodox.

Strong

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

Homepage confirms REC (Reformed Episcopal Church, est. 1873) membership and REC's status as 'a founding jurisdiction of the Anglican Church in North America (established 2008)' — REC/ACNA confessional accountability fully verified.

Strong

Assessment

Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Webster Groves, Missouri (St. Louis metro) is a Reformed Episcopal Church congregation and member of the ACNA — the REC was a founding jurisdiction of the ACNA in 2008. Rector Rev. Paul Howden was installed May 2, 2021, bringing an interesting evangelical-sacramental profile: B.A. from Cal State Long Beach, M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (1987), and ordained as a presbyter in the Reformed Episcopal Church in 1994. The REC's uniform male-only ordination policy (without the presbytery-level variation found in EPC) provides confessional clarity. Weekly Sunday School 9:30 AM plus Worship and Holy Communion 10:30 AM, with additional Lenten-season Stations of the Cross Wednesday evenings. Strong green-rated Anglican option for the St. Louis metro.

Sources & Evidence

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Live source holytrinityrecstl.com

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.