Nearly a year after searching at various churches, Baltimore, Maryland native Patrick Bourckel joins St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Glendale as its new combined director of Worship and Parish Administration. With a Master of Arts in religion with a concentration in music and liturgy from Gordon-Conwell Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts degree in music education from Wheaton College Conservatory of Music in Illinois, Bourckel brings a wealth of talent and unique gifts to St. Luke’s.

Along with his wife, Jen, and their 1-year old son, Peter, the Bourckel family recently relocated from Boston to Los Angeles in late July. He began his new position at St. Luke’s on Aug. 1.

Bourckel embraces many different worship influences as a result of growing up in a charismatic church where he sang upbeat, modern worship songs. At the same time, he sang in a traditional boys’ choir, performing choral evensongs and medieval chants. Bourckel relates the combination of his early and later modern music influences as being both beautiful and profound.

“God has displayed His beauty uniquely in every different facet of the church. I enjoy drawing on the good in each style in my worship leading,” he said. While his primary instruments are piano and guitar, Bourckle also “tinkers” with other instruments.

“I feel gifted in leading the church in creative arts expression,” he added.

Regarding musical influences, Handel’s Messiah is a favorite ancient piece. His modern worship preferences include the worship group All Sons and Daughters.

Growing up, his mother was a flautist. He and his sister played in orchestra together. His wife Jen was a vocal major at Wheaton College. The two met while singing together in the choir at Wheaton.

His background encompasses time as an office manager and assistant director for Maryland State Boychoir, the renowned community chorus in Baltimore. For three years, he also served as music director at Long Green Baptist Church before attending Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary to pursue his master’s degree in religion.

St. Luke’s Anglican Church welcomes the community to attend its weekly worship service held at 9:30 a.m. at Seventh Day Adventist Church Chapel, 300 Verdugo Road, Glendale. Youth group for teens from ages 13 to 18 resumes with a back to school barbecue celebration at 6 p.m. on Aug. 25 at a parishioner’s home in La Cañada. Contact parish administrator Patrick Bourckel at (818) 249.5100 or log onto www.stlukesanglican.org for more information.