In the Anglican tradition, the priest in pastoral charge of the church is called a "rector." Rector is an old Latin word for "ruler" and conveys the thought of spiritual oversight. A more modern word we use to describe our clergy today is Pastor, which is a Latin word that means, "shepherd". Both words suggest a loving leader concerned about our spiritual life. That certainly would describe our Rector, the Rev. Dr. Tony Baron. We know him at St. Anne's as Fr. Tony.
Fr. Tony has served at St. Anne's since June 2002. Through his leadership, St. Anne's has experienced spiritual and numerical growth. His sermons are designed to communicate biblical truth with practical applications. His preaching can also be heard on our website, through our tape ministry, or on K-PRZ Radio (1210 AM). In addition to his parish responsibilities, Fr. Tony serves as the Founder and Executive Director of the Christian Healing Center, an non-profit healing ministry committed to prayer, spiritual direction, and pastoral counseling.
Fr. Tony has taught at Fuller Theological Seminary and is currently adjunct professor at Azusa Pacific University Graduate School of Theology in pastoral theology. Fr. Tony teaches church leaders, internationally and nationally, on the ancient principles of discipleship for the contemporary church. Previously, Fr. Tony served as the Western Regional Director for the International Order of St. Luke Healing Ministry. Currently, he also serves as Dean of the Diocese of Bolivia, Western USA.
Prior to becoming a priest, Fr. Tony was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of a national firm specializing in psychological services, workplace/school violence prevention, and organizational development. An author of four books on workplace and school violence, Fr. Tony has spoken nationally to corporations, school districts, hospitals, universities, and churches concerning violence prevention issues and trauma intervention. He has provided critical incident debriefing and training for the victims of the tragedies at Columbine High School, Oklahoma City Federal building, the World Trade Center, and the United States Postal Service. To see some of his work as a peacemaker, you can visit the website at www.baroncenter.com.
As a student of Anglican theology and spiritual formation, Fr. Tony has a great love for the English spirituality writers of the patristic, medieval, and reformation periods. He holds a doctorate and masters degree in psychology from the United States International University. Fr. Tony has received his Anglican theological training from Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry and the Episcopal Theological School at Claremont. He also holds a Master of Sacred Theology degree with High Honors from Dallas Theological Seminary and a Master of Divinity with Honors from Talbot Theological Seminary with post-graduate training at Harvard Medical School. Currently, Fr. Tony is a doctoral candidate at Fuller Theological Seminary specializing in Pastoral Ministry.
We believe that one of the blessings of having Fr. Tony, as our Rector, is his family. Bobbi Baron loves the Lord and is Fr. Tony's best friend. She is active in many ministries within the church but has a great love for the Soaking Prayer ministry, Healing ministry, and Cursillo. Fr. Tony and Bobbi have three children with only Alex still in school attending Westmont College in Santa Barbara.
Fr. Tony and Bobbi