The Rev. Father Oliver Robinson, Vicar

Fr. Oliver Robinson was ordained in the Church of England and ministered in inner-city London for a decade before relocating to the United States. He completed his Master of Divinity at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford (2013–2015), and earned an MA in Abrahamic Religions from Heythrop College, University of London (2011).
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Fr. Oliver is a Professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, where he teaches Counseling and Theological Worldview and Assessments and Evaluation.  His teaching and research focus on the relationship between theology and psychology, with particular attention to the application of Christian theology to spiritual struggles encountered in clinical practice.

He serves Grace bi-vocationally while also working as a Christian counselor with Steeple Counseling in Arlington Heights. In both vocations, Fr. Oliver is committed to careful pastoral care, thoughtful clinical and theological reflection, and the faithful application of Christian theology to the realities of human suffering.

Fr. Oliver is overjoyed to be serving within the ACNA, in the Diocese of Christ our Hope and the Great Plains Missionary District.  He is married with two young children and enjoys literature, history, and motorcycles.

The Rev. Father Alan L. Heatherington, Associate Vicar

Fr. Alan Heatherington attended Moody Bible Institute (1963-64) in Chicago, received a pre-seminary BA degree from Houghton College (1964-67) in New York, studied at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (1967-70) in Illinois, taught Biblical Studies and Theology at Moody Bible Institute (1969-79) and completed the Anglican Studies program at Nashotah House Theological Seminary (2013-2014) in Wisconsin. 

He has a M. Mus. from Northwestern University (1974) in violin performance and served as Music Minister at the Northwest Baptist Church in Chicago (1973-1979), Director of Music Ministries at the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest (1995-2003), and Director of the Anshe Emet Synagogue professional choir (1992-2000) that can be heard on a collection of compact discs of High Holy Days music with Hazzan Alberto Mizrahi. He taught at the State University of New York at Buffalo (1981-86) and at North Park University (1987-1992). 

He was Music Director of the Chicago Master Singers (1989 to 2019), having previously been the Music Director of the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra (1995 to 2015) and the Lake Forest Symphony (2000 to 2013). He is grateful for the many ways that God has directed his path to past, present and future ministries. 

Gayle Heatherington, Administrator and Director of Music Ministries

Gayle has served as Church Administrator and Director of Music Ministries at Grace Anglican Fellowship since its founding in 2016. She plays an active role in the life of the parish, supporting both its daily operations and its worship. In addition to her administrative and musical leadership, she has served as a lay reader and acolyte, taught adult education classes, and currently leads a weekly women’s Bible study.

Beyond the parish, Gayle serves the wider church as a member of the Diocesan Council of the Diocese of Christ Our Hope and on the Board of Visitors of Nashotah House Theological Seminary. She also serves on the finance committees of both Nashotah House and the Anglican Church in North America.

Gayle brings extensive professional experience in development, website design, and finance. She served for fifteen years as Chief Financial Officer of an engineering firm in Evanston, Illinois, and has worked in nonprofit leadership for many years, including as Executive Director of the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra and the Lake Forest Symphony, as well as a board member of the Chicago Master Singers.

The Rt. Rev. Alan J. Hawkins, Bishop Ordinary

Since 2024, Bishop Alan has been the bishop ordinary of the Anglican Diocese of Christ Our Hope. Prior to this, he founded the Church of the Redeemer in Greensboro, North Carolina, which began as a small group in the Hawkins' living room and as of 2021 had attendance of nearly 500. He has served in several roles at the provincial level for the ACNA, including chief operating officer of the province, canon for provincial development, and vicar of the ACNA-wide Anglican 1000 church planting initiative.

As canon for provincial development, he helped raise $1 million annually to support provincial initiatives. As chief operating officer for the Province, he oversaw the church's financial and communications offices in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, and the ACNA's initiatives on leadership development, diversity, youth leadership, global partnerships, justice and mercy ministries, church planting, and generosity.

The Rt. Rev. Paul Donison, Assisting Bishop for Great Plains Missionary District

​Bishop Paul is the Rector and Dean of Christ Church Plano in Plano Texas. Ordained in 2004, he served in several Canadian parishes before being called to Texas in 2016 with his wife, Monika, and their four daughters. In 2023 he was elected by the GAFCON (Global Anglican Communion) Primates as General Secretary and consecrated as a Bishop in Rwanda in 2024. Bishop Paul also serves as an Assisting Bishop for Great Plains Missionary District.

He holds a B.F.A in Theatre from the University of Victoria, a Dp.C.S. and M.Div. from Regent College, and has done doctoral work at Trinity School for Ministry. He serves on the boards of Trinity School for Ministry and East African Christian College (Kigali, Rwanda).

​As a retired stage actor, Bishop Paul continues to memorize and dramatically storytell the Scriptures when he preaches.