The Rev. Tom Phillips has been called as the new rector of Holy Trinity, Melbourne. He will begin at the church on Oct. 16 and preach his first sermon the following weekend. His celebration of a new ministry will take place on Nov. 19.
He comes to Holy Trinity from the Church of the Incarnation, Oviedo, where he was ordained and served for five years. “I was ordained on Palm Sunday 2018,” Phillips explained. “I preached at my first service on Easter Sunday. I didn’t even have a set of keys to the church. I entered the church just like any other visitor on Easter.”
He has a deep fondness for the people of his former parish. “I will miss the people at Incarnation,” he said. “They are a precious community of Christ-followers who have loved us well. It was a wonderful parish to lead. The honeymoon phase never ended.”
Phillips was at the top of the list at the end of each level of the search process, said Search Committee Chair Faye Bottomley. “We were looking for a gifted preacher who presents the gospel and leads people to a personal relationship with Christ,” she said. “We heard this in his online sermons and when he held a Eucharist for the Search Committee and vestry.”
“Holy Trinity is an exciting parish for which God still has more plans,” she added. “His position is seeing God has possibilities for us. He sees pastoral care as a priority. Many lay leaders provide pastoral care, and Father Tom supports their work.”
Phillips said he applied for the position because Holy Trinity has such a strong mission statement, “To know Christ and make Him known.”
“I can’t wait to see how the Lord will leverage the leadership at the parish,” he added. “The depth of leadership is already in place at Holy Trinity, which is a blessing!”
He and his wife, Julia, have two children, Anna, 15, and Luke, 12, who have been attending Holy Trinity Academy’s Upper School since Sept. 5. “We felt it would be better for them to start as soon as possible so they could build friendships versus trying to do that in the middle of the school year,” he said.
Years ago, while working as a summer camp counselor, Phillips sensed God directing him into missions. “I took two years off from college and worked with youth, intending to be a full-time missionary,” he said. “I had the opportunity to attend a Bible school that took you through the entire Bible in nine months. During that time, I knew I wanted to teach the Bible full time.”
Phillips started Emmaus Ministries in Lake Lure, North Carolina, a school of biblical studies that conducted seminars and held evening classes for those who were working. He later moved the school to Canterbury Conference Center, where he met the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb, then canon for vocations for the Diocese of Central Florida. He made an impression on Holcomb, who was consecrated as bishop on June 10.
“In my first meetings with Tom, what stood out was his knowledge of scripture and his passion for teaching it,” Holcomb said. “In addition, his ability to build and sustain an organization with staff, fundraising and programming impressed me.”
Phillips has a bachelor’s degree in geology from Western Carolina University. “I wanted to be a forest/park ranger,” he said. “I concentrated on snow science avalanche prediction. Kind of ironic that I chose to live in Florida.”
He also has a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary, Orlando campus, and completed Anglican studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Jacksonville.
Phillips hopes to bring his passion for prayer ministries and Bible study to his new parish. “I know the power of prayer,” he said. “I’ve seen the power of prayer at Incarnation. Prayer made Incarnation flourish. I want the parish to gain a depth of knowledge of scripture.”