Murphy's recent and familial roots run deep through a Florida landscape that, until November, housed not only his flourishing congregation, but wife and daughter. So deep, he never expected to fully answer a call from the New Bern church looking for his powerful leadership and conservative commitment to teaching scripture. Emmanuel Anglican Church would not be his to lead, he thought.

It wasn't that the prospect of helping a parish reach a new spiritual level wasn't exciting - it was. Murphy's unique experiences in building two pervious churches and connection to Kolini, the leading authority over the Anglican mission in America, had showcased that excitement time and again. But he wasn't sure he could transfer that sense of challenge and ministry to a family entrenched in lives hundreds of miles from where he would be leading them.

"I thought, 'God this is test for you, if you can change her mind. â?¦'" Murphy said about his wife, Sharon. "And he did."

And so Murphy began his New Bern ministry in November 2005. His will be a traditional teaching ministry that will focus on scripture and strict standards - a reverting to conservative theology and a departure from more recent trends in America that avoid unpleasant subjects, Murphy said.

"Sometimes people are reticent to talk about that because there's sin involved - and people don't want to talk about that," Murphy said about preaching the gospel. "But you have to take the good with the bad."

Emmanuel Anglican Church will not be the first parish Murphy has involved in such teachings.

The theological nod backward to lead his congregation forward is echoed by Kolini's leadership. It was knowing this about the archbishop that initially led him to call his Rwandan colleague.

To strengthen and teach what he defines as the core values of religion, the ordained Episcopal priest asked Kolini for license to start an Anglican mission in America church in Florida - the ministry in which he was positioned when he received the call from New Bern.

It is a call that will be answered by a shift to action, Murphy said.

"The church's mission in life is to be a center of discipleship, a teaching church," Murphy said about EAC. "The next level is, let's put some legs on that in terms of what you know and apply it."

Some of those applications could involve more youth-centered activities and education.

"There's a whole generation that doesn't have an appreciation for the peace and the life that comes only through Jesus Christ," Murphy said.

Parishioner Marge Holton said her church welcomes the opportunity to expand on that appreciation and on the Bible studies currently offered three to four times a week across denominations. She also welcomes Murphy and is confident in his leadership. It's a confidence that comes with faith.

"We kept praying that God would send the right person to lead us," Holton said.

Tom Mayer can be reached at 625-5662 or tmayer@freedomenc.com.
if you are going. Installation of the Rev. James Murphy as rector by the archbishop of Rwanda 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17 Garber Methodist Church, 4201 Country Club Road, New Bern. Archbishop will speak at 7 p.m. Jan. 16 at GMC. "Hotel Rwanda," will be shown at 3 p.m. Jan. 14 with refreshments and 5 p.m. Jan. 15 with dinner, at the church at 3407 Red Fox Road, New Bern.