Meet the International Renewal Delegates 2: Mike Williams and Angela Christianson

Mike Williams

Mike Williams lives in metro Atlanta and currently serves on the Regnum Christi Territorial Committee. He tells us that the three things he is bringing to Rome are:

• Absolute confidence in Almighty God, who is infinitely powerful, has perfect knowledge of all things, and goodness itself. His providential love has brought us this far and will not let us down.
• Tremendous appreciation for the vocation God has given us as laity. Our baptism carries with it God’s call to intimate union with Him as His sons and daughters along with a sharing in Christ’s salvific mission. I hope our conclusions reflect that dignity and the resulting organization supports each member’s realization of God’s aspirations for his or her life.
• A deep desire for docility to the Holy Spirit so that my personal participation will be truly constructive and contribute to the outcomes that God intends.

What he wants to bring back;

I hope to return from the convention with gratitude to God for having witnessed once again the Holy Spirit’s action through the process of group discernment, providing clarity on the essential questions regarding our path forward.

Angela Christianson

In addition to her primary work as wife of Bob for 31 years and mother of 6 children Angela’s earliest career flowed from my nursing degree as a NICU nurse then a Childbirth Educator. Once God invited her in a very clear calling to Regnum Christi, she was blessed to be promptly entrusted with responsibilities in Calgary’s growing women’s section as a Team Leader, AFIRE coordinator (Formation) and Spiritual Guide, in addition to the role of President of Clear Water Academy. After serving in these roles for nearly a decade, she served as Section Assistant then several years later as Section Director. For the past six years she has been working with my husband in a new media marketing business and has thus lived my Regnum Christi vocation working for the needs of members as a Spiritual Guide.

When asked what she wants to share with members here about her role as an international delegate, Angela replied, “It is now almost one quarter of a century since God spoke clearly, personally and mercifully to my heart as He invited me into my Regnum Christi vocation. What a profoundly beautiful and challenging journey it has been! It has become abundantly clear in recent times that Regnum Christi has given so much to aid me in loving Christ ever more deeply, freely and passionately and to be more and more alive in His love. And it is through this, I can confidently and generously accompany others in their journey into Christ’s Heart of Love. All glory be to God!

So to the question of three things I am taking with me to the International Convention, truly there are countless possibilities. What a great question to consider – thank you for asking! And a great assist as I prepare for the work and responsibility as an elected delegate for North America. Thank you for entrusting this task to us and especially for your prayers…

The first thing I will take to the International Convention is a deep conviction of the beauty of the Regnum Christi vocation. Only by the grace of God is my history of fidelity in living and helping others to live our Regnum Christi vocation long, deep and broad. Even through the messiest and most heartbreaking times for our spiritual family, I have been convicted it is Jesus Himself who chose me and keeps me in this place. It is in and through this conviction that I will carry each member of our spiritual family with me into the work of revising our statutes.

The next thing I will take with me to Rome is a passionate love for the charism of Regnum Christi which flows directly from the Merciful Sacred Heart of Jesus. I am convinced the Holy Spirit has been powerfully at work in our midst (well done Father Patrick and Father Owen!) clarifying what is the very heart of the matter regarding our charism so we can each possess it and confidently live self-donation through it for the Church and the world. From even before Pope Francis was elected, it seems the Holy Spirit was preparing me to be intensely identified and in love with his messages for our suffering world. Thus, I believe I can help formulate statute revisions rooted firmly in the heart of Christ and His Church.

Lastly, I will endeavor to take with me God’s ways of patience and mercy such that I will be His instrument through the process of revisions. As an extroverted intuitive with strong choleric/melancholic inclinations, it takes no effort for me to be overbearing. During prayerful preparation for the Territorial Convention, the Holy Spirit showed me clearly that the Father’s particular invitation to me was to be like Him in merciful patience rather than like the wounded fallen me. Initially it was unclear what it all meant but as the hours of intense and at times grueling work were happening in Mundelein, it became clear…. in my participation, there were times to speak with conviction and tenderness and times to be silent. It is during the silence that I can be intensely united with the movements of the Holy Spirit and offering prayer for those through whom He is speaking.

And now to the question of what I want to bring back from Rome, this feels like a much easier piece of the story. In fact, not only do I want to bring this back, from all that has occurred thus far, I know I will bring it back! It is a treasure to be shared generously with my nearest and dearest as well as broadly and courageously with all those God wills it to be shared. The treasure is pure grace, and can be described in many ways. The simplest way for now is: I will bring home a deep gratitude to God for making us new, fresh and strong again along with a renewed and growing confidence in the mission of Regnum Christi for the sake of the whole world.

God bless and keep you each and all…and give you His peace! With Jesus, I am carrying you in my heart…”