Central Florida Episcopalian Magazine - Advent 2023

EPISCOPALIAN CFDIOCESE.ORG / ADVENT 2023 / ISSUE 2 / VOL 126

Canon Smith

“The degree of comfort we receive from the good news of Christ depends on accepting the depth of the bad news.” p. 8

The

Comfortable

Words The Gift of the Gospel

By Bishop Holcomb

ARTÍCULOS NOTABLES EN ESPAÑOL

CENTRAL

FLORIDA

EPISCOPALIAN ADVENT 2023 / ISSUE 2 / VOL 126

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“This message of the gospel is for all because we all labor and are heavy laden, and in that need and yearning, Jesus both acknowledges our misery and invites us to him.”

– Bishop Justin Holcomb

“To the priest, deacon or layperson feeling discouraged, remember it is only the Holy Spirit who is going to open hearts.” – Jim Davis, co-author of The Great Dechurching

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12 “His passion is to proclaim the gospel to as many people as possible.” – Zoe Holcomb, near L, about her father, Bishop Justin Holcomb

C O N T E N T S GOSPEL

8 Christmas Comfort 16 Advent and the Comfortable Words

DIOCESAN FAMILY

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, “Return of the Prodigal Son,” 1669

ESPAÑOL

EPISCOPAL COUNCILS

LAST WORD

Convention Prepares to Serve

DIOCESAN CALENDAR

COVER PHOTO

5 Palabras que confortan 14 Obispo Justin Holcomb:

Impulsado por el evangelio

BISHOP HOLCOMB

3 The Comfortable Words

LEADERSHIP

7 New Canon to the Ordinary Helps

Bishop Holcomb ‘Build a Foundation’ 12 Bishop Justin Holcomb: Compelled by the Gospel 17 Dean Reggie Kidd and Family Maintain Ties With Son’s Rescuer

THE DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

The Right Reverend Dr. Justin S. Holcomb, Bishop Serving 15 counties through 81 churches and over 25,000 parishioners

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9 Diocesan Deputation to 2024 General

OUTREACH

10 A Crucial Moment, an Extraordinary

Opportunity: Hearing and Honoring the Dechurched

MINISTRIES

18 Soul in the City Brings Community

21 55th Annual Diocesan Convention 22 Comfort Personified

Bishop Holcomb’s Visitation Schedule; Subscription Information

Connect with us on social media @cfdiocese

and Personal Transformation 19 Camp Wingmann 20 Crisis at Canterbury

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate An international community of 2.5 million Christians in North and South America, Europe and Taiwan

THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION

The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury A global community of more than 85 million Christians in more than 165 countries worldwide

cfdiocese.org

Comfortable The Gift of the

GOSPEL

Words

BY THE RT. REV. DR. JUSTIN S. HOLCOMB

A joyful part of my charge as a bishop is to “be one with the apostles in proclaiming Christ’s resurrection and interpreting the Gospel, and to testify to Christ’s sovereignty as Lord of lords and King of kings” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 517). That’s why I want to take time to examine a key portion of our Anglican liturgy: the Comfortable Words. These are four scripture

passages arranged in a specific order and meant to be read right after the confession of sin.

Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer, who compiled the Book of Common Prayer, organized the four Comfortable Words in the following order because he wanted people to understand that Christ is the good shepherd, alluring back his lost sheep

Come to me, all who labor

and are heavy laden, and

I will give you rest.

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Matthew 11:28

by the power of his self-sacrificing love.

God’s Invitation: ‘Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matt. 11:28, ESV).

Included in this is a gentle invitation to weary humans because human misery comes from the captivity and destructive power of sin. We all carry this curse, although our sins and exhaustions take different forms. And that’s why the invitation from Jesus is to all.

We feel weary and burdened by the guilt of sins we commit. We’re also weary because of the sins done against us and the effects of sin in the world: sickness, suffering and death.

This first Comfortable Word acknowledges both the depth of human longing for good news and our need for rest. We suffer from spiritual fatigue, the most obvious fruit of our sin. Jesus embraces the meek and the broken, the humble ones who feel swamped with heavy burdens.

This message of the gospel is for all because we all labor and are heavy laden, and in that need and yearning, Jesus both acknowledges our misery and invites us to him. He longs to provide the rest we need through the good news of the gospel.

God’s Disposition: ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16).

Many people have a picture of Jesus as if he’s annoyed that we keep asking for forgiveness because if we were really serious, we’d get it together.

But the Comfortable Words present us with something different. Here, we see God’s true disposition toward us: a patient Savior who is merciful, gracious, abounding in love and faithfulness, and eager to forgive sins.

We celebrate the fact that the good shepherd is bringing back his lost CFE Advent 2023

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BIS H OP H OL COM B

The

BIS H OP H OL COM B

sheep by his self-sacrificing love. This second Word focuses on the depth of his longing to respond to our need. His very disposition to us is love, and his divine desire and initiative to save his people despite our desire to rebel lies at the heart of this passage.

No matter what you’ve done, God’s love for you in Christ is secure. And if you have faith in Jesus, nothing can separate you from it; it’s yours for eternity.

God’s Diagnosis: ‘The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of which I am the fore most’ (1 Tim. 1:15).

We’ve seen two things in the previous Comfortable Words: the longing of humanity for relief in the first, the longing of God to rescue in the second.

And now in our third Comfortable Word is a diagnosis of the human condition. It reveals that humanity’s situation is not just the subjective feeling of burden but also the objective consequence of violating God’s Law. Dealing with our sin problem is beyond our capability. But this passage makes the reason Christ came into the world clear: to rescue us, to save sinners.

Other forms of salvation are futile.

The gift of the third Comfortable Word is that it tells us the truth about our situation; it diagnoses our sin sickness with accuracy. Yet its focus is not on us and our sin but on Christ Jesus, who came to save us.

Jesus willingly paid for our sins with his own life. The cross is substitution and sacrifice, God’s unlimited love for us.

God’s Remedy: ‘But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world’ (1 John 2:1b-2).

This fourth Comfortable Word tells us we have a remedy for our sin problem.

“Propitiation” means that Jesus Christ was a sacrifice that has removed God’s wrath from us by diverting it to himself.

All the “no” of breaking the Law goes

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God so loved the world,

that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

to Jesus, so all of his righteousness, blessings and merit, the “yes,” now goes to us. He is our advocate.

This is the fourth gift of the Comfortable Words. Our sins are forgiven, and we are declared righteous because of his sacrifice on the cross.

How do we know God loves us?

Because Jesus was the sacrifice for our sins, and God resurrected him from the grave.

God’s unconditional love expressed in these four Comfortable Words reminds me of a Bible translator working with a people group in Cameroon. He knew vowels in their language ended in a, i and u. But in looking at the word for love, he only found dva and dvi, not dvu.

John 3:16

The local men told him dvu did not exist between humans because it referred to a love that would persist no matter what.

“Can God dvu?” he asked.

Tears ran down their faces. “That would mean that God has committed to love us, even though we have sinned more than any other people,” they said.

One simple vowel beautifully captured radical grace. And that’s the meaning of these four Comfortable Words.

Note: Much of the material for this article was influenced by Divine Allurement: Cranmer’s Comfortable Words by Ashley Null (The Latimer Trust, 2014).

cfdiocese.org

El don del evangelio EL RVMO. DR. JUSTIN S. HOLCOMB

Un área de mi cargo como obispo que me regocija es “ser uno con los apóstoles al proclamar la resurrección de Cristo e interpretar el evangelio, y testificar de la soberanía de Cristo como Señor de señores y Rey de reyes” (Libro de Oración Común, 517). Por eso, quiero tomarme un tiempo para examinar una parte clave de nuestra liturgia anglicana: las Palabras Confortantes. Estos son cuatro pasajes de las Escrituras dispuestos en un orden específico y destinados a leerse inmediatamente después de la confesión del pecado.

El arzobispo de Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, quien compiló el Libro de Oración Común, organizó las cuatro Palabras Confortantes en el siguiente orden, porque quería que la gente entendiera que Cristo es el Buen Pastor, que atrae a sus ovejas perdidas con el poder de su amor abnegado.

Dios invita: “Vengan a mí todos ustedes que están cansados y agobiados; yo les daré descanso’’ (Mt. 11:28, NVI).

En esto se incluye una tierna invitación a las personas cansadas, porque la miseria humana proviene del cautiverio y el poder destructivo del pecado. Todos cargamos con esta maldición, aunque nuestros pecados y agotamientos tomen formas diferentes. Y por eso la invitación de Jesús es para todos.

Nos sentimos cansados y agobiados por culpa de los pecados que cometemos.

También estamos cansados por los pecados que se cometen contra nosotros y los efectos del pecado en el mundo: la enfermedad, el sufrimiento y la muerte. cfdiocese.org

Esta primera Palabra Confortante reconoce tanto la profundidad del anhelo humano de buenas noticias como nuestra necesidad de descanso.

Sufrimos de fatiga espiritual, el fruto más evidente de nuestro pecado.

Jesús abraza a los mansos y a los quebrantados, a los humildes que se sienten abrumados por cargas pesadas.

Este mensaje del evangelio es para todos, porque todos trabajamos y estamos cargados, y en esa necesidad y ese anhelo, Jesús reconoce nuestra

Esta palabra es fiel y digna de ser recibida por todos:

Cristo Jesús vino al mundo para

salvar a los pecadores

1 Tim. 1:15 CFE Advent 2023

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OBIS PO H OL COM B

Palabras que confortan

miseria y nos invita a ir a Él. Él anhela brindarnos el descanso que necesitamos a través de las buenas nuevas del evangelio.

Dios dispone: “Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree no se pierda, sino que tenga vida eterna’’ (Jn. 3:16, RVA).

Mucha gente tiene una imagen de Jesús como si estuviera molesto, porque seguimos pidiendo perdón; porque si fuéramos realmente serios, lo arreglaríamos. Pero las Palabras Confortantes nos presentan algo diferente. Aquí vemos el verdadero carácter de Dios hacia nosotros: un Salvador paciente, misericordioso, lleno de gracia, lleno de amor y fidelidad, y deseoso de perdonar los pecados.

Celebramos el hecho de que el Buen Pastor está recuperando a su oveja perdida mediante su amor abnegado.

Esta segunda Palabra se centra en su anhelo profundo de responder a nuestra necesidad. Su misma disposición hacia

OBISPO HOLCOMB

nosotros es amor, y su deseo divino y su iniciativa de salvar a su pueblo, a pesar de nuestro deseo de rebelarnos, se encuentran en el corazón de este pasaje.

No importa lo que hayas hecho, el amor de Dios por ti en Cristo está asegurado. Y si tienes fe en Jesús, nada podrá separarte de su amor; es tuyo por la eternidad.

Dios diagnostica: “Esta palabra es fiel y digna de ser recibida por todos: Cristo Jesús vino al mundo para salvar a los pecadores, de los cuales yo soy el primero’’ (1 Tim. 1:15, RVA).

Hemos visto dos cosas en las Palabras Confortantes anteriores: en la primera, el anhelo de la humanidad por alivio; en la segunda, el anhelo de Dios por rescatarnos. Y ahora, en nuestra tercera Palabra Confortante, se halla un diagnóstico de la condición humana.

Revela que la situación de la humanidad no es solo el sentimiento subjetivo de carga, sino también la consecuencia objetiva de violar la Ley de Dios.

Lidiar con nuestro problema de pecado está más allá de nuestra capacidad humana. Pero este pasaje deja clara la razón por la que Cristo vino al mundo: para rescatarnos, para salvar a los pecadores. Otras formas de salvación son inútiles.

El regalo de la tercera Palabra Confortante es que nos dice la verdad sobre nuestra situación; diagnostica nuestra enfermedad del pecado con precisión. Sin embargo, su enfoque no está en nosotros y nuestro pecado, sino en Cristo Jesús, quien vino a salvarnos.

Jesús pagó por nuestros pecados con su propia vida de manera voluntaria. La cruz es sustitución y sacrificio, el amor ilimitado de Dios por nosotros.

Dios remedia: “Si alguno ha pecado, tenemos un abogado ante el Padre, a Jesucristo el justo. Y él es la propiciación por nuestros pecados; y no solamente por los nuestros, sino también por los de todo el mundo’’ (1 Jn. 2:1b-2, RVA).

Esta cuarta Palabra Confortante nos asegura que tenemos un remedio

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Si alguno ha pecado, tenemos

un abogado ante el Padre

a Jesucristo el justo.

para nuestro problema de pecado.

“Propiciación” significa que Jesucristo fue el sacrificio que quitó de nosotros la ira de Dios al desviarla hacia sí mismo.

Todo el “no” de violar la Ley es para Jesús, así que toda su justicia, bendiciones y méritos, que es el “sí”, ahora va para nosotros. Él es nuestro defensor.

Este es el cuarto regalo de las Palabras Confortantes. Nuestros pecados son perdonados y somos declarados justos gracias a su sacrificio en la cruz. ¿Cómo sabemos que Dios nos ama?

Porque Jesús fue el sacrificio por nuestros pecados, y Dios lo resucitó de la tumba.

El amor incondicional de Dios expresado en estas cuatro Palabras Confortantes me recuerda a un traductor de la Biblia que trabaja con un grupo étnico en Camerún. Sabía que las vocales en su idioma terminaban en a, i

1 Juan 2:1b

y u. Pero al buscar la palabra amor, solo encontró dva y dvi, pero no dvu.

Los hombres de allí le dijeron que el dvu no existía entre humanos, porque se refería a un amor que persistiría pasara lo que pasara. “¿Puede Dios dvu?”, preguntó él.

Las lágrimas corrían por sus rostros.

“Eso significaría que Dios se ha comprometido a amarnos, aunque hayamos pecado más que cualquier otro pueblo”, respondieron ellos.

Una simple vocal capturó maravillosamente la gracia radical. Y ese es el significado de estas cuatro Palabras Confortantes.

Nota: Gran parte del material de este artículo fue influenciado por Divine Allurement: Cranmer’s Comfortable Words por Ashley Null (The Latimer Trust, 2014).

cfdiocese.org

LEADERSHIP

New Canon to the Ordinary Helps Bishop Holcomb

‘BUILD A FOUNDATION’

BY MARTI PIEPER

PHOTOS: Erik Guzman and Evelyn Smith

W

hat would bring a priest out of semiretirement and back into full-time ministry? For the Rev. Canon Dr. Dan Smith, who began his tenure as canon to the ordinary for the Diocese of Central Florida on July 1, it all came down to one thing: “The opportunity to help Bishop Justin Holcomb build a foundation was too good to pass up.”

Smith came to his new position with a wealth of experience. A cradle Episcopalian who grew up at Christ the King, Azalea Park, he described his call to the priesthood as “pretty organic.”

“I didn’t have any great big flash of light; I just started the process, walking that path, and doors kept opening,” he explained. Two weeks after graduating from the University of Central Florida, he married Evelyn, now his wife of 45 years. Two weeks after that, he began seminary at Nashotah House.

Following seminary, Smith served three different Central Florida churches before moving to positions in Hawaii, Iowa and the Diocese of Missouri, where he served as canon to the ordinary.

But 30-plus years of ordained ministry, primarily in leadership roles, took their toll. In 2015, recognizing symptoms of burnout, he took early retirement, returned to Florida and “really did some work to get myself healthy again.”

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From there, Smith went on to serve part time as priestin-charge for Holy Cross, Sanford, and in various diocesan consulting roles.

“The fact is, I’ve had a wonderful career,” he said.

“I don’t need a career at this point. … I believe Holcomb has the possibility of a 20-year episcopacy in front of him, and I really think he’s going to be good. Just the opportunity to help him get started and

help him build what I call a foundation was too good an opportunity to pass up.

“I do have some skills that I think will be useful to him,” Smith added. “I actually loved being canon to the Canon Dan Smith and Bishop Justin ordinary in Missouri, Holcomb on a break from cleanup after and I enjoyed all of that Hurricane Idalia at St. Anne’s, Crystal River time. … I’m grateful to be healthy and grateful to have particular type of ministry. the chance to reenter that “One of the things that Bishop

Holcomb and I share is the knowledge that his offices really exist for the benefit of the congregations, not the other way around,” he explained. “Our work is to serve the congregations and the clergy of the diocese, and I look forward to that aspect of working with clergy and working with congregations in their searches. And if they enter other kinds of things where my help is needed, I’m grateful to do that.

“I’m looking forward to the developing of leadership both in terms of clergy that we’ll raise up and in terms of clergy that will come into the diocese; I’m already enjoying that aspect of the job,” Smith said. “And I’m looking forward to helping people be able to share the gospel and whatever I can do to support the clergy in their primary task of leading congregations.”

Canon Dan Smith and Bishop Justin Holcomb following the bishop’s June 11 recognition, investiture and seating, Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando

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G OS PEL

Christmas Comfort “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Tim. 1:15, ESV).

This quote from 1 Timothy is the third of what Anglicans call the Comfortable Words, found in the Book of Common Prayer and intended to be shared with the congregation following the confession and absolution in the context of the Eucharist. As I consider these words, perhaps my first thought is “What makes them ‘comfortable’?”

I typically use that term to describe a chair, a sofa or even a bed, not a verse of scripture.

But that is not the thinking behind our use of this or the other Comfortable Words found in the prayer book. The idea here is not so much that the words themselves are comfortable but rather that, as we hear, read or meditate upon them, they give us comfort.

However, they only give me comfort if I accept the premise that I need them.

And the only way for me to do that is to fully, clearly recognize that I am a sinner – the only way any of us can find comfort in these Comfortable Words.

Perhaps we should remember the final phrase found in 1 Timothy 1:15.

Paul writes: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (emphasis added).

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Those final six words hold the key for us. Paul recognizes his sin. We need to recognize ours. Frankly, that’s not very comfortable, but the degree of comfort we receive from the good news of Christ depends on accepting the depth of the bad news.

The prayer book defines sin this way: “Sin is the seeking of our own will instead of the will of God, thus distorting our relationship with God, with other people, and with all creation” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 848).

This definition is broad because our understanding must be broad. I need to remember that the term “sin” applies not only to murder or adultery, sins we consider big. I must remember that sin is anything I do that distorts, or puts out of place, my relationship with God, with others and with creation in its entirety.

When I am honest, I must admit I put myself first much of the time. Although this sometimes happens only in my thoughts, my will still comes to the fore. I must recognize, as Paul did, the sin that remains in my life.

Only then do the words of comfort ring true for me: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”

At this time of year, we take special joy in remembering gospel truths such as the following: I need to be saved because I am a sinner. Jesus came into the world to save because God loves.

In this I find great peace and comfort. May we all embrace the truth of the Comfortable Words this Advent and always.

This window in the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando, depicts Mary, mother of Jesus; the nativity; and scenes from Jesus’ youth.

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cfdiocese.org

PHOTO: Courtesy the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando

BY T H E R E V. C A N O N D R . D A N S M I T H

EPIS COPAL COU N CIL S

Diocesan Deputation to

2024 General Convention PREPARES TO SERVE

BY T H E R E V. P H Y L L I S B A RT L E

The 81st General Convention of The Episcopal Church will be held June 23-28, 2024, at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Like other dioceses, the Diocese of Central Florida sends deputies elected at our 2023 Diocesan Convention. These deputies, listed below, are excited to serve beside our new bishop, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb.

PHOTOS: Courtesy the Rev. Phyllis Bartle

Clerical Order: The Rev. Phyllis Bartle, St. Jude’s, Orange City; the Rev. Canon Scott Holcombe, Christ Church, Suntree Viera; the Rev. Sara Oxley, Good Shepherd, Maitland; the Rev. Dr. José Rodríguez, Christ the King and Jesús de Nazaret, Orlando.

Lay Order: Mrs. LaNora Holcombe, Christ Church, Suntree Viera; Ms. Krisita Jackson, St. John the Baptist, Orlando; Mrs. Heather Rodríguez, Christ the King, Orlando; Ms. Heidi White, Holy Cross, Winter Haven.

The following alternates were elected to serve if one or more deputies cannot; they may cfdiocese.org

also be selected to attend to gain experience for the future.

Clerical Order: The Rev. Kay Mueller, Our Saviour, Okeechobee; the Rev. Laura Cook, All Saints, Winter Park; the Very Rev. Deke Miller, Holy Cross, Winter Haven; the Rev. Tracy Dugger, Church of the Nativity, Port St. Lucie.

Lay Order: Mrs. Emily Fletcher, St. Peter’s, Lake Mary; Mrs. Mary Kay Predmore, Church of the Messiah, Winter Garden; Ms. Cheryl Arnold, Grace, Ocala.

Our deputation thus represents many congregations, large and small, from around the diocese, as well as diverse backgrounds and experiences. Seven of

this group of deputies and alternates are serving for the first time, while eight have served at least once before.

This will be my seventh General Convention and my third or fourth as deputation chair; it will also be my last, since I will retire prior to the 2027 General Convention.

The 2024 deputation held our first meeting on Sept. 6 at the diocesan office in Orlando and began to break down our duties in Louisville.

General Convention is set up much like our governmental Congress with two houses (bishops and deputies). Each piece of legislation must pass both houses before being adopted.

But attending general sessions are not the deputation’s only responsibility. Many deputies are selected to serve on the more than 25 committees that review and edit proposed L-R, The Very Rev. Sherry Black, Diocese of Springfield; the Rev. Nancy Suellau, Diocese of Florida; and the Rev. Phyllis Bartle at the 2022 General Convention

legislation prior to its arrival on the House floor.

Legislation can come from many places: deputations, bishops, dioceses, committees, commissions or individuals. Even special task forces sometimes propose legislation. I have been serving since the last General Convention on the Task Force on Communion Across Difference.

Depending on the committee assigned, the perfected legislation goes to one of the two houses for debate and vote. Once it passes the first, it is sent to the other for the same.

Our deputation is excited about serving on committees including Social Justice, Evangelism, Congregational Vitality and Stewardship along with Safety, Wellness and Mental Health.

A key function of this General Convention will be electing a new presiding bishop. The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, elected in 2015, will conclude his term when the new bishop is installed on Nov. 1, 2024.

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OUTR E A C H

A Crucial Moment, an

Extraordinary

Hearing and Opportunity Honoring the Dechurched B Y R E B E C C A TAY LO R

1989

As California housing prices surged, Campus Crusade for Christ, one of the world’s largest evangelism organizations, looked for new international headquarters. After surveying 27 cities, Orlando was selected.

A growing, family-centric city, with good weather, evangelical-friendly values and deep pockets, the City Beautiful seemed ideal. The nonprofit’s move marked the beginning of a trend.

1999

In January, the “Tampa Bay Times” published an article identifying Orlando as a “spiritual mecca.” The article explained that the previous decade saw over a dozen seminaries and evangelical institutions set up shop in Metro Orlando.

Lyn Perez, then executive vice president of Reformed Theological Seminary, explained the attraction:

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“When you have an area that grows like this, new subdivisions go in, new communities are developed, and in those communities, there is a need for churches,” he said.

He was right. Orlando needed churches, and as the city experienced rapid growth, churches grew in tandem.

2023

On Aug. 19, several hundred people gathered at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando, for a unique multigenerational event that drew from several mainline denominations as well evangelical nondenominational churches.

Attendees had one common question: Why have people stopped coming to church?

When Orlando natives Jim Davis and Michael Graham became aware that Orlando has the same percentage of evangelicals as secular-leaning New York

City and Seattle, the news propelled them into a significant research project.

They published the results in their book, The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back?

For Davis and Graham, like so many of us, the 40 million who dechurched in recent decades are not statistics; they are beloved family members and friends.

Diocesan Focus on the Dechurched

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb, bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida, is tackling the issue head-on, urging clergy and laity alike to recognize the value of the dechurched.

“These people are made in the image of God,” he said. “We need to honor their voices, hear their hopes and concerns, and love them as God does, regardless of cfdiocese.org

PHOTOS: Erik Guzman

Uniquely Positioned

Davis sees the diocese as uniquely positioned to serve the dechurched. “There are many exvangelicals who would never return to an evangelical church, but would be open to returning to a mainline denomination.

“Your diocese has a history of holding to truth and caring for all kinds of people,” he said. “Sadly, a lot of evangelical churches have been good on learning minds, but not as good on active hands and growing hearts.”

While many Episcopalians fear the ramifications of aging populations, Davis sees those hands and hearts lived out in multigenerational churches. “The ages between 13 and 30 are the hardest to maintain faith,” he said. “We want churches where young people can ask good questions, communicate doubts and not be ostracized. Proximity is a huge blessing in multigenerational churches.”

The Rev. Eric Turner, rector of St. John’s, Melbourne, believes existing relationships are essential to reaching the dechurched. “I remain convinced that the dechurched have serious questions about God and how faith and life intersect,” he said. Seeking to create the kind of unruffled environment Davis describes, Turner created a monthly gathering in a local brewery called “Tapping the Big Questions.”

The Rev. Tom Phillips believes the foundation of reaching the dechurched remains unchanged: gospel proclamation of the redeeming work of Jesus. At Phillips’

former parish, Church of the Incarnation, Oviedo, it was not only gospel proclamation that drew people, but gospel culture.

“A church’s gospel culture provides a place for people to heal after being hurt in church,” he said. “We teach that we look to a perfect God, not a perfect people. God doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, but extends unmerited mercy. This allows us to have appropriate expectations of people and release unearned forgiveness.” He hopes to cultivate the same culture in his new parish, Holy Trinity, Melbourne.

Several parishes are connecting with the dechurched through the popular Alpha series, including All Saints, Winter Park; Grace, Ocala; and Christ Episcopal, Suntree Vierra. “Time and again we see that one of the best ways to bring back the dechurched is to simply invite them,” said the Rev. Cynthia Brust, rector of Christ Episcopal. “They accept our invitation because they sense that we are a place to belong even before they believe.”

Our diocese is rooted in a unique moment in history - a time in which traditionally churched cities like Orlando are now dechurched – which, Davis and Graham write, “could well be the American church’s most crucial moment and greatest opportunity.”

The mission remains unchanged: “Go therefore and make disciples of [Central Florida], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19, adapted). And surely he is with us always.

Jim Davis (L) and Michael Graham (R) listen to one of Bishop Holcomb’s questions.

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OUTREACH

what they do on their Sunday mornings.”

To further train and support clerical understanding, Holcomb also invited Davis and Graham as keynote speakers for the October 2023 Clergy Conferences.

“After learning more about the dechurched, I want our priests to think through what needs to be done in terms of word and sacrament, as well as fostering communities in their parishes to address the needs and concerns of the dechurched,” Holcomb said. “It is also my hope and prayer that deacons will take what they learned and bring that back to their churches with creative ideas about how to respond.”

“To the priest, deacon or layperson feeling discouraged, remember it is only the Holy Spirit who is going to open hearts,” Davis explained. “That’s key to not losing hope and preventing burnout.”

Davis also believes the size of the average diocesan church is a benefit, not a hindrance.

“Over the next several years, I think we’re going to see a hollowing out of middle-size churches of 150-400 because they are expensive to run,” he said. “Instead, we will see a lot of faithful churches of 100-150. There are real blessings and great kingdom value in churches that size.”

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BISHOP JUSTIN HOLCOMB Compelled by the Gospel

BY M A RT I P I E P E R

Zoe (L) and Sophia (R) Holcomb prepare to place the pectoral cross around their father’s neck during his June 10 consecration as bishop.

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o meet the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb, fifth bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida, is to meet a man compelled by the gospel. His passion for Christ drives and permeates his relationships, his conversations and every aspect of his role as “chief pastor” in the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 513).

The Holcomb family (L-R, Bishop Holcomb, Sophia, Zoe, Lindsey) on safari in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Tanzania, summer 2022

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“The one thing that is unique and distinctive about the church and Christians is that we’ve been given this wonderful message, that in Christ, God is reconciling the world to himself,” the bishop said. “John 3:16 captures it wonderfully: that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, and whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. He didn’t come to the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

His daughter Zoe, 13, may have said it best. “I’m really proud of my dad. I know how much he loves this diocese, and his passion is to proclaim the gospel to as many people as possible. My dad’s love is the result of God’s love, which is unconditional and truly inspiring.”

Family Focus From his visible respect for his parents to his unmistakable affection for his wife and daughters, to meet Holcomb is also to experience his deep love for family. His parents were “dazzled by the good news of the gospel” during the Jesus Movement in the 1970s, he said, and he is grateful to have experienced that model from his earliest days. During his teenage years, his family’s pastor was the Rev. Don Lafler, father of the Rev. Mark Lafler, now rector of St. Edward’s, Mount Dora. cfdiocese.org

PHOTOS: Courtesy the Holcomb Family

Today, he holds his passion for family second only to his love for Christ. “My first vocation and calling is as a Christian,” he said. “I’m just a redeemed sinner who has been reconciled to God because of Christ. And that’s my first calling: to God. My second calling is to my wife ... I have a deep sense of calling to Lindsey and then to our children.”

Despite his early concern during the search process that the role of bishop might impinge on his family relationships, those who know him best assured him he had set his priorities long ago.

Today, he’s confident that his callings to God and family will enrich, not supersede, his new responsibilities.

Holcomb’s oldest daughter Sophia, 14, explained, “As First Timothy 3 says, the way a bishop leads and serves at home is an indication of what kind of leader he will be in cfdiocese.org

Changes and Challenges Holcomb’s deep faith and love for family now sustain him through the challenges of his new position, first of which is the transition itself. “Some needs were waiting; some new needs emerged; some people were waiting until someone was in place,” he said. “The main question I ask myself repeatedly is, ‘What is the most loving way to lead in this particular situation?’”

But Holcomb is quick to point out what “loving” does not signify. “It doesn’t mean the nicest; it doesn’t mean what the most people will like; it doesn’t mean what will bring in the most money; it doesn’t mean the easiest way or path of least resistance,” he said. “It’s more robust than any of those.” In these first critical months, his team is helping determine the best ways to

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Dan Holcomb with an infant Justin during the Jesus Movement era.

the church. Our dad is everything described here: honorable, hospitable, respectable and more than an apt teacher. He’s one of the best leaders I know.”

The bishop’s partnership with his wife, a longtime advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, domestic abuse, and trauma, extends to ministry too. “Some see it as my ministry, because I teach and talk about it frequently,” he said. “But it’s really our partnership ministry, one where she’s taken the lead and taught me.”

Lindsey Holcomb (C, rear) and the bishop (R) discuss their books with hosts of the “FamilyLife Today” radio program and podcast.

serve the diocese.

Holcomb identified another clear challenge for the leader of an entity that serves more than 25,000 people worshipping in over 80 congregations across 15 counties: its sheer capacity.

“Thankfully, there are a lot of churches and a lot of people, but we don’t have an enormous staff,” he said.

“I want to be with as many of the clergy as possible because as Bishop Josiah Fearon said in his consecration sermon, ‘That’s your congregation. That’s your parish.’ … Healthy leaders are absolutely necessary if there are going to be healthy churches, and so I want to encourage, support and foster healthy ordained and lay leaders.”

Because the bishop has what he calls “gospel amnesia,” he will continue repeating the message that drives him, whether in visitations, sermons, personal encounters or his work with the clergy.

“I keep forgetting that God doesn’t love me because I work for him; he loves me because I’m his … I need to remember to keep telling the clergy the good news also. Each of them is related to God not as an employee or servant but as an adopt-

ed child. The more we all remember that, the better for our spiritual vitality as a diocese.”

Holcomb expressed heartfelt gratitude for the prayers that support him. “The number of people in the diocese who have walked up to my wife, daughters, and me and said, ‘We’re praying for you’ – it’s overwhelming and means so much.”

“We all have an enemy who wants harm for us, so pray for protection,” he added.

“I also feel a deep sense of the need for God to give me wisdom for the various needs, opportunities and challenges, and that he would continue to send us really good leaders who are enthralled with the gospel and want to share it.”

Holcomb’s vision for the future is, of course, gospel-focused. “Jesus said, ‘I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail,’’ he explained. “And so that’s my prayer, that he would continue to do that for each church and for our entire diocese.”

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L ID ERAZGO

OBISPO JUSTIN HOLCOMB I mpul sa do por e l evan gelio P O R M A RT I P I E P E R

El obispo Holcomb y su hija Sophia celebran su consagración chocando los puños mientras su hija Zoe y su esposa, Lindsey, observan

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onocer al Rvmo. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb, quinto obispo de la Diócesis de la Florida Central, es conocer a un hombre cuyo deseo es el evangelio. Su pasión por Cristo es lo que lo mueve e impregna sus relaciones, sus conversaciones y cada aspecto de su rol como “pastor principal” en la “Iglesia única, santa, católica y apostólica” (Libro de Oración Común, p. 513).

La familia Holcomb (desde la izquierda, el obispo Holcomb, Sophia, Zoe, Lindsey) de vacaciones en Egipto antes de su consagración el 10 de junio

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“Aquello que hace único y distintivo a la iglesia y los cristianos es que se nos ha dado este maravilloso mensaje: que en Cristo, Dios está reconciliando al mundo consigo mismo”, expresó el obispo. “Juan 3:16 lo capta maravillosamente: ‘Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que dio a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que cree en Él, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna. Porque Dios no envió a su Hijo al mundo para juzgar al mundo, sino para que el mundo sea salvo por Él’”.

Quizás su hija Zoe, de 13 años, lo haya dicho mejor. “Estoy muy orgullosa de mi papá. Sé cuánto ama esta diócesis, y su pasión es proclamar el evangelio a la mayor cantidad de personas posible. El amor de mi papá es producto del amor de Dios, el cual es incondicional y verdaderamente inspirador”.

Enfocado en la familia Desde su visible respeto por sus padres hasta su inconfundible afecto por su esposa e hijas, conocer al Obispo Holcomb es también experimentar su profundo amor por la familia. Sus padres quedaron “deslumbrados por las buenas nuevas del evangelio” durante el Movimiento de Jesús en la década de los setenta, dijo, y está agradecido de haber experimentado ese modelo desde sus inicios. Durante su adolescencia, el pastor de su familia fue el Rvdo. Don Lafler, padre del Rvdo. Mark Lafler, ahora rector de la St. Edward’s en Mount Dora.

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FOTOS: Cortesía de la familia Holcomb

L ID ERAZG O

la forma en que un obispo dirige y sirve en casa es una indicación de qué clase de líder será en la iglesia.

Nuestro papá es todo lo que aquí se describe: intachable, hospitalario, respetable y más que un maestro apto.

Es uno de los mejores líderes que conozco”.

La relación del obispo con su esposa, defensora desde hace mucho tiempo de los sobrevivientes de abuso sexual, abuso doméstico y trauma, se extiende también al ministerio.

“Algunos lo ven como Dan y Janet Holcomb con el futuro obispo mi ministerio, porque enseño y hablo de ello con frecuencia”, expresó Actualmente considera que él.

“Pero en realidad es un su pasión por la familia es ministerio de ambos, uno en superada únicamente por su el que ella tomó la iniciativa y amor por Cristo. “Mi primera me enseñó”. vocación y llamado es el de ser cristiano”, enfatizó. “Soy Cambios simplemente un pecador y desafíos redimido que ha sido recLa profunda fe en Cristo y onciliado con Dios gracias el amor de Holcomb por la a Cristo. Y ese es mi primer familia ahora lo sostienen llamado: Dios. Mi segundo a través de los desafíos de llamado es mi esposa... Tengo su nuevo cargo, el primero un profundo sentimiento de de los cuales es la transición llamado por Lindsey y luego misma. “Algunas necesidades por nuestras hijas”. estaban esperando; otras A pesar de su preocupación necesidades nuevas surgieron; inicial durante el proceso de algunas personas estaban búsqueda de que al ejercer esperando hasta que alguien el obispado pudiera afectar llegara”, dijo. “La pregunta sus relaciones familiares, principal que me hago repetiquienes mejor lo conocen le damente es: ‘¿Cuál es la forma aseguraron que había estamás amorosa de liderar esta blecido sus prioridades hace situación en particular?’”. mucho tiempo. Hoy, confía No obstante, Holcomb se en que su llamado a Dios apresura a señalar lo que no y a su familia enriquecerá, significa “amar”. “No significa no reemplazará, sus nuevas lo mejor; no significa lo que responsabilidades. le gustará a la mayoría de la La hija mayor de Holcomb, gente; no significa que generSophia, de 14 años, explicó: ará más dinero; no significa el “Como dice 1ra Timoteo 3, camino más fácil o el camino

Ministerio de colaboración: Lindsey y el obispo Justin Holcomb grabando para el programa de radio y podcast “FamilyLife Today”.

de menor resistencia”, explicó.

“Es mucho más que cualquiera de estos”. En los primeros meses críticos, su equipo de trabajo está ayudando a determinar las mejores maneras de servir a la diócesis.

Holcomb identificó otro desafío claro para el líder de una entidad que atiende a más de veinticinco mil personas que adoran en más de ochenta congregaciones en quince condados: su enorme capacidad. “Afortunadamente, hay muchas iglesias y mucha gente, pero no tenemos el personal suficiente”, añadió.

“Quiero estar con la mayor cantidad posible de clérigos porque, como dijo el obispo Josiah Fearon en su sermón de consagración: ‘Esa es tu congregación. Esa es tu parroquia’… Los líderes sanos son absolutamente necesarios si queremos que haya iglesias sanas, y por eso quiero alentar, apoyar y fomentar a líderes y laicos ordenados sanos”.

Debido a que el obispo tiene lo que él llama “amnesia del evangelio”, continuará repitiendo el mensaje que lo impulsa, ya sea en visitas, sermones, encuentros personales o en su trabajo con el clero. “Se me sigue olvidando que Dios no me ama, porque trabajo para Él; Él me ama, porque soy suyo...

Necesito recordarlo y seguir

contándole al clero las buenas noticias también. Cada uno de ellos tiene relación con Dios no como un empleado o sirviente, sino como un hijo adoptivo. Cuanto más recordemos eso, mejor será para nuestra vida espiritual como diócesis”.

Holcomb expresó su más sincera gratitud por las oraciones que lo apoyan. “La cantidad de personas en la diócesis que se acercaron a mi esposa, a mis hijas y a mí y nos dijeron: ‘Estamos orando por ustedes’, es abrumadora y significa mucho. ”Todos tenemos un enemigo que quiere hacernos daño, así que oremos por protección”, añadió. “También siento la profunda necesidad de que Dios me dé sabiduría para atender las diversas necesidades, oportunidades y desafíos, y que Él continúe enviándonos líderes buenos que estén realmente cautivados con el evangelio y quieran compartirlo”.

La visión de Holcomb para el futuro está, por supuesto, centrada en el evangelio. “Jesús dijo: ‘Edificaré mi iglesia, y las puertas del infierno no prevalecerán contra ella’’, explicó. “Y esa es mi oración, que Él continúe haciendo eso en cada iglesia y en toda nuestra diócesis’’.

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G OS PEL

Advent and the Comfortable Words

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BY T H E R E V. D R . K AT H Y H U L I N

n the season of Advent, we treasure the theme of preparing the way for our Lord. The thread of preparation for a future with Christ is woven throughout the collects for each Sunday in phrases such as “when he shall come again,” “prepare the way for our salvation,” “speedily help and deliver us” and that Christ “may find in us a mansion prepared for himself.”

We hear the prophet Isaiah harken to us this season, especially as Mark, in his Gospel, recalls: “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight’” (1:3).

So how exactly do we prepare the way? For an answer, we can turn to our Anglican practices to not only consider scripture lessons from this year’s lectionary cycle but also our tradition of Cranmer’s Comfortable Words, found in our Holy Eucharist Rite I liturgy.

The Second Sunday of Advent in Year B reminds us to embrace John’s call to confess our sins, repent and be baptized. It is a call of allurement, a call to bring sinners back to God. Recognition of sin, as well as repentance and deliverance from sin, are spiritual pathways made available to us through our Lord to prepare the way. The author of 2 Peter tells us that in this journey, the Lord is patient toward us, “not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance” (3:9b).

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God’s words of repentance, patience and forgiveness, then, should reverberate in our spirit this season as we respond to the call of allurement: “Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins” (Isa. 40:1-2).

Anglican scholar Ashley Null wrote of this allurement in his book Divine Allurement: Cranmer’s Comfortable Words. “[The English reformers] wanted the English people to know that Christ was first and foremost the Good Shepherd who allured his lost sheep back by the power of his self-sacrificing love” (p. 6). Additionally, Null described allurement as “how Christ wooed sinners back to himself” (p. 3).

Perhaps in our preparations and experience of Advent, we consider the Christ Child in such a way that we are tenderized in spirit to be wooed by him. The allurement first allows Matthew 11:28 (ESV) to call us: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Second, we remember “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15b). Third, we confess our sins, because “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate” and “propitiation for our sins” in Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1b, 2a). Finally, we trust: “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whosever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

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Chief Manuel (near L) shares a hug with Shari Kidd (far L) and Dean Kidd (R).

Dean Reggie Kidd and Family Maintain Ties With Son’s Rescuer

BY N I N A K E C K

PHOTOS: Courtesy Maitland Police Department

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hirty-three years ago, a lifesaving event bonded the family of the Very Rev. Dr. Reggie Kidd, now dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando, to Maitland Chief of Police David Manuel.

On Dec. 13, 1990, the department received a frantic 911 call for help from Kidd’s wife, Shari. Manuel – then a first-year Maitland Police Department officer – rushed to their home to find her holding her unresponsive child.

After falling into a swimming pool, the nearly 2-year-old Robert Kidd needed critical help. Taking quick action, Manuel performed CPR procedures three times before the boy showed signs of life. City firefighters soon arrived and transported him to an area hospital, where he fully recovered.

“At the time, a person in the Maitland Police Department told us how glad they were for us that our drowning story had a happy ending,” Dean Kidd said. “Most of the stories they see do not. With everything that people in law enforcement go through – with every day’s peril, with anxiety about the prospect of a split-second life or death decision, with so many sad cfdiocese.org

endings – we thought we’d do what we could to help the people of MPD continue to remember this one happy ending.”

The Kidds continue to affirm this heroic effort, celebrating the rescue anniversary each year with Chief Manuel and his officers. They bring lunch for the department, sharing photos and news about Robert, who grew up to earn a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and teaches at the State University of New York Maritime College.

Chief Manuel keeps a picture frame on his office wall with photos of Robert and a letter of gratitude from the family.

Because their son was rescued from drowning during Advent, from that day forward, the Advent and Christmas seasons took on a new level of meaning for the Kidd family.

“To think that God would send his own Son into the drowning flood of our sin to bring us up to new life became a truth that would become fresher and fresher,” Dean Kidd explained.

But this is not the only revelation of the gospel he sees in the relationship.

“In the movie ‘The Matrix,’ on receiving a

contraband package from the main character, Neo, a minor character named Choi says, ‘Hallelujah. You’re my Savior, man.

My own personal Jesus Christ,’” Kidd said.

“To be sure, it’s not exactly a pious and reverent moment in the movie, but one day, Shari and I were sitting in church shortly after its release when David Manuel slipped into the chair right in front of us,” he added. “I didn’t even know we attended the same church!

Unbidden, the line ‘my own personal Jesus Christ’ leaped to mind.

“I found myself praising God for this man’s performing a Jesus Christ-like rescue for our son,” Kidd said. “People seldom get to see such a concrete reminder of what the Savior’s redeeming work looks like. So it has seemed only natural to keep up that relationship.”

Shari Kidd (R) enjoys a grateful moment with MPD officers during the annual lunch the Kidds provide.

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Brings Community and Personal Transformation Soul in the City, the summer youth

mission/service trip for the Diocese of Central Florida, continues to transform local communities as well as the lives of the 50-plus youth and youth leaders who participate in the weeklong community service experience. Youth groups from All Saints’, Lakeland; the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando; Church of the Messiah, Winter Garden; and St. Luke and St. Peter, St. Cloud; all spent July 24-28 at St. Edward’s, Mount Dora, working on community service projects and worshipping together. This year’s theme was “Extra Ordinary,” and the experience was nothing short of that.

The youth received a visit from Mount Dora Mayor Crissy Stile, who also treated the team working at the Police and Fire Headquarters building to ice cream. When she spoke with the youth at dinner one evening, she encouraged them to keep their hearts for community involvement, explaining how great a difference these efforts can make.

PHOTO: Brian Lawson

BY D A N K I N G

PHOTO: Kirsten Knox

M IN IS TRIES

SOUL IN THE CITY

“It was a pleasure to meet the young people participating in this program,” Stile said later.

“The lessons learned by the kids and the appreciation from the local organizations that benefited from their hard work made it a win-win.”

SITC youth spent the week in smaller teams In addition to Students serving at Lake Cares Food Pantry. working on various PHOTO: Dan King the service projects around projects, the Mount Dora community. Some the youth spent time connecting served with Lake Cares Food Pantry with one another by participating in to fill “backpack bags” of food that will organized games and free time. Some go home from school with students of the best connections, however, came who need additional food over the through the worship and small-group weekend. Others did property cleanup experiences. SITC participants attended with Forward Paths, which assists young chapel throughout the week, where people who are aging out of the foster they worshipped and received a short care system. Some teams worked on campus back-to-school preparations for local elementary and high schools.

Left: Bishop Holcomb teaches SITC participants.

Right: Mayor Crissy Stile addressing SITC youth.

lesson from one of the youth ministers, including one night with the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S . Holcomb, diocesan bishop, doing the teaching.

But what makes SITC unique is the personal growth and transformation experienced by those who attend, experiences that shape who they are for years to come.

“My students have grown so much closer together as a group and in their relationships with Christ; it’s a truly amazing thing to watch,” said Brandon Phelps, youth director at St. Luke and St. Peter.

For one special week this summer, the community of Mount Dora felt the presence of the church. Opportunities like SITC not only provide incredible growth opportunities for those involved but strengthen partnerships in our communities as well.

Teams also volunteered with the Cat Protection Society of Lake County, Orphans’ Rock Thrift Store, W.T. Bland Public Library and more. One of the highlights was working with the city of Mount Dora to freshen up landscaping at the Police and Fire Headquarters building and to help with some park beautification projects.

SITC youth 2023 | PHOTO: Brian Lawson

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M IN IS TRIES

CAMP WINGMAN Sacred Space, Spiritual Transformation

PHOTOS: Courtesy Camp Wingmann

BY D I O C E S A N S TA F F

At Camp Wingmann in Avon Park, Florida, children and youth have the opportunity to encounter God in a new and transformative way.

With a range of events and activities aimed at fostering faith, building community and providing moments of reflection amid the setting of a sacred space – a place in our lives that we set apart as holy – the diocesan camp is on a mission to empower young minds and hearts with the gospel of Christ.

Camp Director Joshua “JJ” Joseph provided insights into upcoming events that promise to create lasting memories and meaningful spiritual moments. Set for Jan. 5-7, 2024, Winter Camp offers a taste of the life-changing experience typically associated with the summer sessions.

“Winter Camp was designed about a decade ago to help kids get reconnected with that community midway through the year,” Joseph explained.

The event is strategically placed to offer a boost of spiritual energy during the school year, providing campers with the motivation to maintain their connection with God and the community within the context of Camp Wingmann’s sacred space.

Joseph emphasized that Winter Camp seeks to replicate the spirit of Summer Camp while incorporating seasonal cfdiocese.org

elements such as bonfires and contemporary worship nights, keeping the experience fresh and invigorating while fostering a sense of familiarity. Campers can anticipate connecting with Campers love the peers, engaging in challenge of the meaningful activiHigh and Low Ropes Courses in the sacred ties and reigniting space of Camp their faith in the Wingmann. company of fellow believers.

In addition to these larger events, Camp Wingmann partners with the diocese to host New Beginnings, an event designed for middle In a world where the media schoolers. This event carries often portrays youth from a a unique approach in which negative perspective, these older high school students events offer hope, Johnson share their spiritual journeys said. “When you’re at camp, and experiences with middle we talk about Jesus, who schoolers, Joseph said. The provides hope. He prointergenerational connection vides purpose. He provides enables younger participants meaning. He addresses all to find relatable mentors and those things. When kids role models who can guide are at camp and those needs them in their walk of faith. A are being met, then all of a recent New Beginnings took sudden, we get to see the best place Oct. 20-22. part of them.” His staff works

Campers made the most of their 2023 Winter Camp experience on Jan. 6-8.

to encourage those positive qualities so campers can carry them forward throughout the year, thus empowering them with the truth of the gospel.

As Camp Wingmann prepares for 2024, it is evident that the staff is dedicated to creating sacred space, one where faith flourishes, community is fostered and lives are transformed. With events designed to draw campers closer to God and their peers, the camp stands as a beacon of hope in a world often overwhelmed by negativity.

Throughout the year ahead, Camp Wingmann will continue to provide youth with spiritual transformation and a lasting connection with Christ. “I get a front-row seat for that, which is very exciting,” Joseph said.

Check it all out at campwingmann.org.

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Diocesan Leadership Steps In to Chart a Path Forward

BY CF E STA F F

On June 15, 2023, five days after his ordination and consecration as fifth bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb chaired his first Diocesan Board meeting.

On the agenda: A financial crisis at Canterbury Conference Center. Canterbury was operating with a monthly deficit of $30,000-$40,000 and had a $1 million mortgage due on June 30 with no ability to pay it off.

Canterbury is a separate organization with its own board of directors on which the bishop sits as an ex officio member, but diocesan financial support has been critical to the conference center’s survival. On June 27, 2023, Holcomb attended his first monthly Canterbury Board meeting, at which board members agreed it would be impossible to recover from their fiscal crisis under the current conference and retreat center business model.

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The Canterbury Board then voted unanimously that all members resign immediately, leaving the bishop as sole board member to exercise his authority under Canterbury’s Articles of Incorporation to nominate new board members to be elected by the Diocesan Board. Executive Director of Canterbury Chalmers Morse also submitted his resignation effective June 30, 2023, which the bishop accepted.

These actions by the Canterbury Board and Morse were taken with the confidence that diocesan leadership would be able to chart a path forward for Canterbury. The Diocesan Board moved swiftly to reduce the monthly budget deficit and work with a major creditor to restructure debt. The Rev. Canon Scott Holcombe temporarily assumed the role of managing director of Canterbury with the directive

to suspend operations if the conference center couldn’t be self-sustaining. Canterbury continues to fulfill commitments to diocesan ministries and bookings with deposits in addition to some new business.

“Our aim is not to just sell and offload Canterbury,” Holcomb said. “We’re committed to finding a way to use the property for the good and mission of the diocese.” Toward that end, Holcomb consulted with the Rev. Canon Dr. Lang Lowrey III, canon for Christian enterprise for the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta.

The Executive Committee of the Diocesan Board received guidance from Mr. Walter Carpenter Jr. MAI, CRE, and the diocese also engaged Stewardship Reality to identify sustainable business models for Canterbury that will enhance the mission and ministry of the church.

At the July 20, 2023, meeting of the Diocesan Board, Holcomb nominated two previous Canterbury Board members to serve with him on the new Canterbury Board: The Rev. Tom Phillips and Mr. Arthur Evans.

“Eventually, I will nominate people who were not on the Canterbury Board,” Holcomb explained. The Diocesan Board unanimously elected both Phillips and Evans to the standard threeyear term.

Holcomb recognizes the difficulty of addressing the crisis at Canterbury, but he’s determined to do so with transparency. “The fact that this is being talked about with honesty and clarity is really healthy,” he said. “I wish we didn’t have to do this, but since we have to, I love that we’re doing it this way.”

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PHOTO: Michael Orlando

M IN IS TRIES

Crisis at Canterbury

D IOCES AN FAM IL Y

ONE DAY – JAN. 27, 2024

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A LL S AINTS, W INTER P ARK

BY CF E STA F F

he 55th Annual Diocesan Convention will be held on one day, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, at All Saints, Winter Park. The purpose of the one-day event is to conduct annual diocesan business with a focus on the effective use of delegates’ time. Clergy and lay delegates will gather for Holy Eucharist, elections, approval of the annual budget, voting on any resolutions or amendments to the diocesan canons, and the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb’s first Convention address as fifth bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida.

“This Convention will be the first time we gather as a diocese after my election and consecration, so I’m excited to step into our new reality together,” Holcomb said. “My address will lay the groundwork for years of ministry together, and I’m looking forward to that, but being in the same room to worship together, fellowship over lunch and the camaraderie as we work together to chart a course for the future of our diocese – that’s what really energizes me.”

PHOTOS: Courtesy All Saints, Winter Park

A one-day annual business meeting isn’t necessarily the new norm for Diocesan Conventions. “In future years, I envision our annual Convention expanding with breakout sessions on

a variety of topics that better equip our clergy and lay leaders, along with guest speakers and substantive general sessions,” Holcomb explained. “But whether the Convention is one day or more, I want to honor the commitment of our delegates by maximizing our time together. This year, that means taking one Saturday to gather for worship, lay a foundation and vote.”

As with recent Conventions, electronic voting will be conducted via VPOLL. Diocesan Director of Communications Erik Guzman sees electronic voting as a necessary component of a one-day convention. “Results are instant,” he said. “That’s the biggest advantage of a platform like VPOLL. Plus, it’s easy to use and secure. Voting with scantrons can be done in one day, but it could end up being a very long day, especially if we end up with multiple rounds of voting.” To vote electronically, all delegates will need a smartphone, tablet or laptop connected to the internet at the Convention site.

Additional guidance on electronic voting and Convention information is available at CFDiocese.org/2024DioCon, including official documents, forms and all current nominees for elections to the Standing Committee, Diocesan Board and trustee of the University of the South. The dates and locations for pre-Convention deanery meetings are provided as well.

Other important dates listed at the Convention landing page include the deadlines to submit proposed amendments to the diocesan canons: Nov. 27, 2023, and proposed resolutions: Dec. 13, 2023. Submission forms for amendments and resolutions are also available at CFDiocese.org/2024DioCon. “I encourage delegates to stay informed and pray for God’s direction when considering how to vote,” Holcomb said. “It’s a privilege to take part in the governance of this diocese, and I’m thankful for each person who has engaged in the process.

My goal is to ensure that process is as effective and efficient as possible.”

Campus of All Saints, Winter Park

cfdiocese.org

CFE Advent 2023

21

L AS T W ORD

Comfort Personified

F

BY ERIK G UZ M A N

(1 Tim. 1:15). He knew he had “sinned against heaven” and God required an atoning sacrifice – one he could never afford (1 John 2:1b-2). In the face of such profound discomfort, the father’s tender welcome of his broken son in Rembrandt’s work is comfort personified.

We see God’s scandalous love in response to our rebellion in the father’s embrace, but others are represented in this painting as well. There are those who watch from the shadows in varying degrees of darkness, not yet convinced to step into the light. There’s the indignant older brother, seething at the realization that his dutiful righteousness earned him no more love from his father than he already possessed by mere virtue of birth. And, of course, there’s the ragged rebel in exhausted surrender, now enveloped by his father’s robes. Each one is offering to personify our disposition to the gospel of Christ.

Comfort awaits – for those who realize they need it.

PHOTO: 90083341 © Oleksii Sergieiev | Dreamstime.com

or the cover of a magazine with the Comfortable Words as a unifying theme, Rembrandt’s renowned painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son” was an obvious choice. Inspired by Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Son in Luke 15:11-31, this 17th-century masterpiece captures the moment of homecoming: the father’s loving embrace of a rebellious son who wished him dead, snatched an early inheritance and squandered his family’s provision. Pursuing his selfish desires led him to the lowest of roles, feeding pigs while on the verge of starvation.

The prodigal son was emaciated, physically and spiritually.

He needed each of the Comfortable Words (see p. 3). The young rebel saw no coming end to his labor, save death, and he ached to hear the call home to rest (Matt. 11:28). On the verge of perishing, he held no hope of eternal life (John 3:16). As a sinner, he stood in desperate need of saving

22 Advent 2023 CFE

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CENTRAL

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EPISCOPALIAN THE RT. REV. DR. JUSTIN S. HOLCOMB Bishop THE REV. CANON DR. DAN SMITH

View Bishop Holcomb’s schedule with dates and locations for visitations, ordinations and new ministry services:

cfdiocese.org/visitations

D IOCES AN CAL EN D AR

BISHOP HOLCOMB'S CALENDAR

Canon to the Ordinary THE VEN. JULIE ALTENBACH Archdeacon THE VEN. JOHN MOTIS Archdeacon MR. ERIK GUZMAN Director of Communications MRS. MARTI PIEPER Editorial Director MRS. SUE GROSSO Subscription Manager

Celebrate

ADVENT AND CHRISTMASTIDE WITH BISHOP HOLCOMB CHRISTMAS LESSONS & CAROLS Sunday, December 17, 2023

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6 p.m.

Rembrandt’s Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando, FL ‘Return of the Livestream: facebook.com/ccslorlando Prodigal Son’

THE NATIVITY of OUR LORD Sunday, December 24, 2023

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ADVENT 2023 / ISSUE 2 / VOL 126

ONE DAY – JAN. 27, 2024

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