A lot has been said about the perils of social media, but without it, one Canadian priest might not have transitioned to the Diocese of Central Florida. The Rev. Jonathan Turtle, new rector of Emmanuel, Orlando, first met the Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, diocesan bishop, through social media platforms more than six years ago. Over time, he became connected with other clergy from the diocese. Eventually, two colleagues from Canada (the Rev. Ryan Cook, Church of the Ascension, Orlando; and the Rev. Matthew Perreault, St. Thomas, Eustis) accepted calls here. “The joke is that Canadians are infiltrating the diocese, and I’m happy to report that things are proceeding according to plan,” Turtle said.

Turtle started to explore a call to Central Florida. “In addition to Bishop Brewer, a lot of what drew me to the diocese was the caliber of clergy colleagues,” he said. “I knew it as a place where orthodox Anglicanism was thriving.”

After accepting a call to Emmanuel, the Turtle family began putting plans in place. “The 10-month immigration process was long and arduous,” Turtle said. “Nevertheless, there was a persistent sense that the Lord was indeed calling us so we waited, prayed and trusted. I am so grateful to the people of Emmanuel for their patience during the process.”

Turtle’s wife, Christina, and their four children (ages 11, 9, 7 and 4) temporarily remained in Canada following his move to Orlando in January 2023. “During the two months we were apart, I discovered that our immigration journey wasn’t quite over,” he said. “Starting from scratch in a new country has had its challenges, but the folks at Emmanuel have been so gracious and welcoming. My family was finally able to come down at the end of February, and it’s been great to be back together again.”

Emmanuel is a departure from Turtle’s previous parishes in Canada. After his ordination in 2015, he began a curacy at a four-church amalgamation in Toronto. Four dwindling parishes came together with renewed energy, and the Turtles enjoyed over two years of ministry there. His bishop then asked if he would be interested in leaving Toronto for a two-point rural parish. “We did rural, small-town ministry for 5 1/2 years,” he said. “It was a sweet time.”

Emmanuel, nestled in the Audubon Park neighborhood of Orlando, offers a very different setting. “The neighborhood itself was a big draw for me,” Turtle explained. A few years ago, Emmanuel began an after-school program for students of the school across the street. What started with five children has now grown to over 40 kids each day.

“I hope we can continue to serve the community of Audubon Park and beyond,” he said. “One of the chief ways we can do this is by participating in the worship of the church. There is a vicariousness to worship. When we worship, I want us to be conscious of the fact that we are doing this on behalf of our neighbors who are not there.”

As he prays through the vision for Emmanuel, Turtle is asking the Holy Spirit to give eyes to see and ears to hear what the church is called to do. Two additional questions are guiding this process, he said: “Are there particular charisms that God has given to Emmanuel, tucked away in our past? What treasures lie buried that can help us live faithfully into the future?”

And the church’s new rector believes exciting things lie ahead for Emmanuel. “Only God knows what’s next, but if we focus on staying near to Jesus and relying daily on the Holy Spirit, who is becoming within us a spring of living water, then he will make clear each next step,” he said.

A Celebration of New Ministry for the Turtles was held Wednesday evening, April 19, at Emmanuel, with Brewer presiding.

(L) | Photo Credit: Father Jonathan Turtle;  (R) | Photo Credit: Oak & Myrrh Photography