On Wednesday evening, January 22, 2026, the Chapel at Christ Church Plano was filled with prayer, Scripture, and gratitude as Josh Heavin was ordained to the priesthood. As Bishop Paul reminded Josh during the sermon, to be ordained is to be “set apart”—not for status but for service, to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11–12). Surrounded by clergy, family, friends, and the parish he loves, the church did just that: set Josh apart for a lifetime of sacramental and pastoral service in Jesus’s name.
Josh’s journey toward the priesthood began early.
“Though I believed the gospel and was baptized at age six,” he shared, “I did not take a life of discipleship seriously until my early high school years, when I realized that ‘to live is Christ and to die is gain’” (Philippians 1:21).
That realization marked a turning point.
“More than anything, I loved Jesus and wanted to know him more, regardless of what that might entail for my life!” From there, Scripture, prayer, and service became steady rhythms as God shaped his calling within the life of the church.
Over time, that inward call was affirmed by the church through encouragement toward seminary, ministry leadership, and discernment for holy orders. Josh’s path led him through Baptist and Presbyterian congregations before he encountered the Anglican tradition, discovering “the riches of The Book of Common Prayer.” After joining Christ Church Plano around 2020, he was confirmed and entered the parish’s discernment process, later serving as a deacon and curate at Church of the Resurrection before returning to Christ Church in July 2025 for pastoral care ministry.
Alongside pastoral service, Josh has pursued further theological study, completing a doctorate focused on union with Christ in Paul’s letters and teaching as an adjunct professor. For him, theology and pastoral ministry belong together.
“I aspire to live an integrated life,” he said. “I want my academic work and pastoral ministry to be variations on a common melody”—so that Jesus might be known more deeply by his people.
Since returning to Christ Church, Josh has found particular meaning in the quiet, faithful work of pastoral care. Walking with people through suffering, grief, and hope has revealed again the presence of Christ through prayer, Word and Sacrament.
One moment that remains especially vivid for Josh was serving at the altar on Christmas Eve, as the congregation knelt together to receive the Eucharist. “Words begin to fail at this point,” he recalled, “and tears were in my eyes that night.”
What Josh loves about Christ Church is what Jesus is doing here.
“The Word of God is at the center of our common life,” he said, giving thanks for a congregation hungry to know Jesus, marked by unity, care, and shared mission. Christ Church has also been a place of deep blessing for Josh and his family—his children were baptized here, and he and his wife Lauren are grateful for the friendships and support they have found in this parish.
On January 22, as hands were laid upon him and prayers were offered, Josh joined a team of clergy set apart to equip the saints for the work God has entrusted to his church. It is amazing to imagine the exponential impact such ministry will have on our city and beyond. Christ Church Plano is inviting the world to Jesus’ Table; and when they come, they will find yet another worker set apart to serve them.
