On 11 June, Revd Robert’s was licensed as Assistant Chaplain during an 8.30 am service of the Book of Common Prayer 1662. He was licensed by Lord Bishop Richard Chartres (former Bishop of London) on behalf of Bishop Robert.  

Revd Robert Kinney tells us a little about his background and ministry: 

"I was born into a Christian family attending mostly Baptist churches and then Presbyterian churches. I studied Early Christian Literature at the University of Chicago and then Journalism at the University of Illinois. After graduating from undergraduate school, I served as the first employee of an American non-profit organisation dedicated to training Christian ministers in teaching the Bible. I currently serve as the Director of the organisation, the Charles Simeon Trust, which has grown to have about 30 staff in 10 countries.  

"About 15 years ago, I got the opportunity to live in England while starting a PhD in New Testament. During that time and the following years, while serving in a Presbyterian church, I became a theologically convinced Anglican. My wife Angela, who is an academic in the field of Classics, and I attended an Anglican church in Washington DC where I connected with the Anglican Province of Rwanda. I went through their ordination process, served a first curacy in Chicago, and have been in Vienna since 2014, serving with PTO, at Christ Church since early 2016. I finished my PhD in 2014, the same month I moved to Vienna. 

"The chaplaincy in Vienna is an active, friendly, welcoming church that both tries to respect our shared Anglican heritage and, at the same time, makes room for creative ministry as a diverse congregation. That is, we represent the fulness of the diversity of the Anglican communion - ethnically, educationally, economically, and theologically. So, we have to be creative. For example, in just the last two weeks, two members of the congregation who are professional violinists, played as part of a contemplative service at our Lange Nacht der Kirchen. This was two hours after the African drummers (mostly Nigerian members of the church) performed.  And this Saturday (17 June), we're expecting a few thousand people to attend our annual street party. We have some of the friendliest and most thoughtful people I've ever had the privilege of serving, and we have a diverse, active, and rich fellowship in this church."

Revd Canon Patrick Curran, Chaplain at Christ Church, Vienna is very supportive of Robert’s ministry:  

"Robert’s personal journey of faith within the household God’s people has enriched our life at Christ Church. Through his ministry, Christ Church has become a broader expression of the Anglican tradition. As a biblical scholar with an excellent knowledge of the Bible he has already deepened the congregation’s appreciation of the Word. As a preacher, he is committed to expository preaching. Robert does not only contribute to the life of Christ Church as a priest, but also through his musical skills with his love of jazz, as well as his IT skills. His capacity for work is humbling. Given he travels with his ‘day job’ extensively and across continents he manages to be present on a remarkable number of Sundays throughout the year, which is an indication of his dedication to serve God through a local Christian community. 

Robert and I are also agreed on one other thing. Our appreciation of Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather trilogy!"