The Community of the Mother of Jesus

Br. Joshua Craft-Rutan, CMJ
Director of Vocations

Ministries: Br Joshua is a former member of the Vestry, where he served as head of outreach.  During his tenure, he helped increase the parish's online presence via social media.  When the Covid-19 pandemic struck and the parish doors were closed, he was able to secure a grant from the Diocese to purchase live streaming equipment.  For the next 2 ½ years, he assisted with the live streaming of services.  Currently, he is discerning how he can best use his gifts & talents to serve.  He occasionally assists with teaching Adult Forums and is an integral part of the parish's book club.  

Parish: St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Franklin, IN

I was raised in the Pentecostal tradition of Christianity but left the denomination when I was 25, after coming to terms with my sexuality and realizing that I no longer believed or held true the things that were taught to me as a child.  I began to seek out God on my own and to study other faiths and spiritual paths.  For 10 years I studied religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, New Age spirituality and Paganism.  I was introduced to God in totally new ways and slowly began to rebuild the faith that I thought I had lost. The harsh & tyrannical God of my youth was transformed into a God of love, mercy, and compassion.  I began to see God all around me instead of sitting remotely on some great throne up in the sky.  It was during this time that I also began to hear our Blessed Mother’s voice, beckoning me ever onward to something more.  I began to pray the Rosary, not consistently, but enough that it caused a stirring in my heart.  I began to entertain the thought of returning to Christianity but could not find a denomination that I felt comfortable with, so I kept searching.  I began to study the lives of some of the saints and was captivated by the ways they selflessly served others and the devotion they had to our Blessed Mother. One day, as I was doing more research, I came across a quote from Biship Michael Curry that really struck me.  I don’t remember the quote, but I remember how it made me feel and it caused me to find out more about the Episcopal Church.  I discovered there was a local Episcopal parish in my town and so one Sunday, my husband and I decided to visit.  We instantly fell in love with the liturgy but more importantly, with the message of love that was taught and practiced.  From the moment we walked through the front doors of the church, we were welcomed with open arms and no questions asked.  We continued to attend and was confirmed several months later.  It was after our confirmation that my husband and I both felt a deeper call to serve but were unsure in what capacity.  We spent the next couple of years helping & serving wherever we could, but it wasn’t until I learned of religious life within the Episcopal church that I felt the strings of my heart being pulled.  I took note of this and began to research everything that I could find about religious life in the Episcopal church.  It was then that I learned about the Community of the Mother of Jesus.  The charism of Mary’s Way of Discipleship and the vows of Justice, Tenderness, Humility, and Contemplation spoke to my heart.  Once again, I heard our Blessed Mother’s voice beckoning me onward and I knew that this simple yet beautiful way, Her Way of Discipleship, was where I was being led.