Christ the King Anglican Church
Staff & Leaders

  • Fr. Matthew MacKenzie

    Fr. Matthew MacKenzie
    Associate Rector

    Fr. Matthew MacKenzie is an Ocala native and a graduate of Grace Christian School, our primary outreach ministry. After graduating from the University of South Florida in 2010, he joined the staff at CTKA as the Youth Minister. After 13 years in that role, Matthew graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary in 2023 and was ordained a priest. He has a heart for people and loves to see the body of Christ work together in unity and grow together in their love of Jesus.

  • Rev. Tom Carson

    Rev. Tom Carson
    Assisting Priest

    Southwestern Pennsylvania is Tom’s birthplace. Tom was raised by parents who knew and loved the Lord Jesus Christ. Tom placed his faith in Jesus at about the age of 12 and continued in the church. Tom felt the called to ministry and completed his bachelor’s degree at Philadelphia College of Bible (now Cairn University) and his Master of Theology Degree at Dallas Theological Seminary. Tom pastored an Evangelical Free Church for nine years and then worked for the State of Florida for eleven years prior to serving as chaplain at Munroe Regional Medical Center for 16 years. Tom was ordained a deacon in the Anglican Church by the Diocese of Biharamulo in May 2019 and as a priest in October 2019. Tom and Pamela Backstrom married in 1971. God has blessed them with two children and five grandchildren. It is now Tom’s privilege to minister as an assisting priest at Christ the King Anglican Church.

  • Deacon Karen Murphy

    Deacon Karen Murphy
    Director of Christian Ministries

    Karen Murphy was ordained a vocational deacon by the Right Reverend Bishop Chuck Murphy in 2012. Raised a devout, practicing Catholic, Karen considers herself a born-again, spirit-filled, Anglo-Catholic. She has been a faithful member of Christ the King Anglican Church since 2007. She has three loving, adult sons, Peter, Patrick, and Philip Murphy. In February of 1985, she dedicated her life to living, loving and serving her Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. She believes in the Gospel mandate to live out the “Great Commission.” Before coming on board, Karen served in both public and private education for the past 34 years. She was a teacher for 17 years in Catholic, private and public schools. She was an elementary and middle school principal for 17 years in service to both the Catholic and Jewish communities. One of her fondest memories was serving alongside a Rabbi as a General Studies principal for the Hillel Day School of Boca Raton, “A Gentile honored to be among God’s chosen Jewish people!” She holds a bachelor’s degree from Monmouth University, a master’s degree from Oral Robert’s University and certification from the Anglican School of Ministry for ordained ministry to the Deaconate. Karen is licensed as a member of the clergy from the Anglican Providence of Tanzania through the Right Reverend Bishop Vitalis. Although she is retired from education, she will never retire from serving the Lord or His people!

  • Rev. Donald J. Curran, Jr.

    Rev. Donald J. Curran, Jr.
    Rector

    The Rev. Donald J. Curran Jr. attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison on a Navy scholarship and was commissioned an ensign in the Navy. Over the course of the next 20 years, he served in various shore billets and sea tours retiring in 1990. He attended Trinity School for Ministry in Pittsburgh, Pa. and was ordained a priest in the episcopal church in 1993. In 2008 he was the founding pastor of Christ the King Anglican Church where he continues to serve today. He is also the Canon for the Diocese of Birharomulo in Tanzania as part of the Anglican Union for the Propagation of the Gospel. He and his wife of 46 years, Cathy, have three children, Liam, Donald, and Eleanor.