Central Florida Episcopalian Newspaper July-August, 2019

Central Florida

CFE EPISCOPALIAN

DENTRO: ¡El boletín de noticias español está de vuelta! Por favor, consulte la página 22

Volume 121, No. 4 / July - August 2019

MISSIONAL CHURCHES

The Diocese of Central Florida: Serving 15 counties through 82 churches

Taking the Gospel to Our Communities

CONTENTS BISHOP BREWER Post-Sabbatical Reflections.............................................................................................................. 3 MINISTRIES Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center Offers Unique Gifts........................................................... 4 International Healing Conference Comes to Orlando July 25-28 .................................................... 4

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Churches Need Vital Life Skills for Young People............................................................................. 5

Congregation Celebrates 140th Anniversary

Jesus Is Christians’ Example for ‘Beloved Community’.................................................................... 5 PEOPLE & EVENTS Rectors Express Concern for Orlando Residents............................................................................... 6 St. Augustine of Canterbury Raises Thousands for Honduran Child................................................. 8 Home Economics Stirs Up Interest in Church’s After-School Program............................................... 8 St. Luke and St. Peter Impacts Community Beyond Sunday Mornings............................................. 9 Holy Spirit Moves Through Good Shepherd.................................................................................. 10 MISSION Answering the Call to Be a Deacon................................................................................................ 11

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Church of the Incarnation’s Priest-in-Charge Earns Coveted Preaching Award

Deacons Are the Spark to Ignite the Fire for Christ........................................................................ 11 No One Hungry Receives $3K Grant............................................................................................... 12

The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, Bishop

‘Deacon Glorious’ Leaves Enduring Impression ............................................................................. 15

The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb Canon for Vocations

Institute for Christian Studies Classes Open to All Eager Learners.................................................. 16

The Ven. Kristi Alday, Archdeacon

DIOCESE IN-DEPTH

Mr. Earl Pickett, Diocesan Administrator Mr. Erick Perez, Subscription Manager

Deacons in Action........................................................................................................................... 14 Learning About Their Calling at Conference on Ministry................................................................ 16

SPOTLIGHT The Rev. Stuart Shelby Begins a New Phase of Ministry ................................................................ 20 The Rev. Trey Garland, ‘Truly Blessed’ in His Calling....................................................................... 21 CFE EN ESPAÑOL Obispo Brewer: Reflexiones del Sabático ...................................................................................... 22 DIOCESAN CALENDAR/BISHOP BREWER’S VISITATIONS.......................................... 23

Want to know what this Sunday’s Scripture readings are all about?

Well, check out Lectionary Living, the new weekly online feature on CFEOnline in which you can be inspired by a short devotion written by one of our local spiritual leaders and coordinated with the upcoming Sunday’s Lectionary Scripture reading.

Go to Lectionary Living on the home page of cfdiocese.org

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Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN The Rt. Rev. John W. Howe Retired The Rt. Rev. William H. Folwell Retired

Hope Exists for Trafficked Victims .................................................................................................. 18

Church of the Messiah Deacon Helps Set Prisoners Free

The Diocese of Central Florida The Right Reverend Gregory O. Brewer, Bishop Serving 15 counties through 82 churches and 30,000 members

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

Lakeland Police Honor The Rev. Bob Johnson................................................................................ 12

Spiritual Gifts Inventory................................................................................................................. 17

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Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN is published by the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. Submissions are welcome, but are subject to editing and use at the discretion of the Central Florida Episcopalian.

Please submit event notices three months prior to the event to: The Central Florida Episcopalian 1017 E. Robinson St. Orlando, FL 32801-2023 Wendy Leech, Communications Coordinator wleech@cfdiocese.org / 407-423-3567 Erick Perez, Subscription Manager eperez@cfdiocese.org / 407-423-3567

www.cfdiocese.org

BISHOP BREWER

Post-Sabbatical Reflections

By Bishop Gregory O. Brewer

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ou can expect to be shaken, to have your life changed.” With those words, Bishop William Folwell addressed a Special Convention of the Diocese of Central Florida in October of 1970, speaking about what he saw as a needed process of renewal. And with those words humming in the background of my spirit, I embarked on a three-month sabbatical, from which I have only just returned.

Mine and Yours

Full and Empty

But what you may not realize is that our ever-purposeful God meant this sabbatical for the diocese, too. A rested, refreshed, revived (“brought back to life”) bishop means a renewed focus for the days ahead. And because we know he is a Father who gives “every perfect gift” (James 1:17b), we can place our full confidence in his purposes and plans.

I return full in both heart and spirit. The photos I posted on Instagram could not come close to capturing the beauty and serenity my wife and I experienced in Ireland, England and here in the United States as we spent time in some of our favorite places with some of our favorite people.

A road sign in Ireland captured my attention: “Traffic Calming 200m.” I can safely say that for both of us, this called-apart time has helped calm our inner traffic. Whether making friends with the sheep that dotted the English countryside, worshipping in churches so far from home yet so much the same or breaking bread with dear friends and family, we found ourselves at peace – the deep and abiding peace that can only come as God’s gracious gift. Prayerful worship, intensive study in Scripture and deep conversations with friends and mentors in the faith both calmed and energized me for the days ahead.

And so I also return to you emptier: emptier of stress and emptier of self. Empty of those things that seem urgent but are often less than important. Empty of those elements in my life that looked too much like the world and not enough like the Savior.

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I know it may have looked from the outside as though God meant this sabbatical just for me.

I’m the one who traveled. I’m the one who walked the Pilgrim’s Way. I’m the one who didn’t show up at the office for nearly three months. I’m the one who stayed away from my phone (most of the time). I’m the one who didn’t preach a sermon (not in a Central Florida pulpit, anyway). You get the picture.

Over my time away, I considered, contemplated and communicated my ideas around those plans to some trusted wise counselors. Perhaps because God has, in fact, quickened my heart with a burden for the brevity of the days before my mandatory retirement, I carry a burden for the work he is calling us to do. “Night is coming when no man can work,” Scripture tells us, so “we must work the works of him who sent me while it is day” (John 9:4).

Work and Rest And so what are these works? Again, I echo Bishop Folwell’s words: “I am committed to the belief that our program must be designed for spiritual renewal, out of which can grow a joy-filled love for one another, (different races) loving one another and together loving God above all else.” In the months and years ahead, our churches will focus on three primary goals:

1.

We will move forward with the gospel of Christ, caring more about our neighbors outside the church walls Bishop Greg Brewer than we do about a museumlike preservation of the traditions we maintain within. Do our lives and our churches reflect this type of radical commitment?

2.

We will embrace the multiculturalism of one of the most diverse cities in the world.

Our churches should reflect the communities they serve. When they don’t, the church becomes an exclusive country club rather than a warm and welcoming home.

3.

We will provide excellent pastoral care for our clergy. In his reflection in the May/June issue, The Rev. Dr. James Sorvillo wrote about rest, renewal, refocus and reconnection. Our clergy need these four R’s, wheth-

er they come via sabbatical, pastoral retreat or other “times of refreshing … from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:20a).

As we move forward, let us recommit to practicing our Lord’s presence in work as in rest, and to allowing him the freedom to change our lives, our churches and the world to which he calls us each day.

Grace to You,

Bishop Gregory O. Brewer

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Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center Offers Unique Gifts Improvements and additions raise the bar for hospitality

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By Marti Pieper

Canterbury also offers a variety of holiday activities for both children and adults, so join the fun and book your holiday adventure now. For more information or to make reservations for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter, go to www.canterburyretreat.org or call (407) 365-5571. Book six months prior to your visit and receive a 20% discount!

hat if there were a quiet place where you could take a deep breath – or a nap?

What if there were a sacred place where you could enjoy the tranquil beauty of God’s creation – or the glory of his presence in worship?

What if there were a welcoming place where you could spend a day, a weekend, a week – or longer?

The Diocese of Central Florida has some good news for you. Such a place exists, right here in the heart of our diocese. If you’re not familiar with the Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center, allow us to introduce you.

And even if you’re well-acquainted with the joys of Canterbury, we invite you to take a fresh look.

Discover the Wonder You’ll find Canterbury nestled on 48 beautiful wooded acres in Oviedo with Lake Gem as its centerpiece.

The restful venue includes 45 modest guest rooms, each with its own bathroom and each intentionally free from the distractions of televisions or telephones.

But rustic Bible camp, this isn’t. Canterbury offers five meeting rooms ranging in size from boardroom to banquet hall, each fully equipped with Wi-Fi and a full audiovisual complement.

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giving, Christmas and Easter are special times for family and friends to gather. Spend your holidays at Canterbury and let our friendly staff take care of your every need!” During Holidays at Canterbury, your family can feast on sumptuous seasonal fare with no hassle or fuss.

Although Canterbury has long received acclaim for its hospitality to clergy and church groups, many don’t realize the venue is also available for personal and vestry retreats, corporate conferences, weddings or getaways for family and friends.

Celebrate the Change Summer 2019 marks a season of change at Canterbury. “Our primary focus will be to make improvements to the Bishop Folwell Center, which is the heart of activity at Canterbury,” said Chalmers Morse, Canterbury’s executive director. “The lobby, restrooms, St. Paul’s Conference Room and the dining room will all be renovated. In addition, we’ll begin the process of giving our guest rooms a makeover.” Additional overnight parking closer to the guest rooms will also be added.

But the changes don’t stop with summer – or renovations. This holiday season will bring the first-ever opportunity to experience “Holidays at Canterbury.” Morse said, “Thanks-

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Enjoy Summer Deals Right now, Canterbury is offering a Summer Deals program for everyone. Guests will receive 15% off a three-night stay, 20% off a minimum of five nights and 25% off seven nights or more. Clergy members of any denomination receive 25% off their stay plus daily breakfast for two per reservation, while clergy from the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida receive 25% off the already-low diocesan rate. Finally, as a thank-you to those vital servants who educate our future generations, Canterbury offers a Teacher Appreciation Special of 15% off accommodations.

International Healing Conference Comes to Orlando July 25-28

The International Order of St. Luke

sponsors this historic event

By The Rev. John Clark, Deacon

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he International Order of St. Luke (OSL) 2019 International Conference, “Power & Authority,” will be held July 25-28 at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista resort in the Disney Springs area. Every three years, the OSL holds its international conference in locations across the globe. This year marks the first time in more than 20 years that the conference has been held in the United States.

As a member of the OSL North American Board of Directors, The Rev. John Clark, deacon of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal, Titusville, serves as the general chair for this conference. Three more deacons in the Diocese of Central Florida join him on the conference committee: The Rev.

Canterbury invites you to take a break from the heat and enjoy its Summer Deals as you focus on what matters most. “Our Lord said, ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest’” (Matt. 11:28),” Morse explaind.

Experience Canterbury soon —and enjoy your own season of rest.

MacNutt

www.cfdiocese.org

PEOPLE & EVENTS

Becky Chapman, St. Francis Episcopal Church, Bushnell; The Rev. Kay Ruhle, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Winter Haven; and The Rev. Rose Sapp, Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando.

Keynote speaker for this historic event is Judith MacNutt, president of Christian Healing Ministries in Jacksonville, Florida. Judith and her husband, Francis, have dedicated

their lives to helping those bound by hurt, pain and trauma to find freedom and wholeness through inner healing prayer. Judith is known and respected for her wisdom, love and compassion.

OSL, founded in 1932 as the Fellowship of St. Luke by John Gaynor Banks, an Episcopal priest, is an ecumenical religious order dedicated to the Christian healing ministry. A Christian community of faith, prayer and service, OSL consists of clergy, laypersons and health professionals who believe healing in Christ’s name is still available to receive and to share with others.

The conference is open to anyone, clergy or laity, regardless of denomination, with an interest in the Christian ministry of healing. OSL invites anyone who longs to become a vessel for Christ’s healing power to attend the conference and experience the Holy Spirit’s presence through worship, teaching and workshops on a variety of topics. The conference includes speakers and facilitators from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand with attendees expected from across the globe.

Online registration is available at www.OSL2019. org or contact Deacon John Clark at (321) 567-4408. www.cfdiocese.org

Churches Need Relevant Youth Ministries, Vital Life Skills for Young People Youth panel discusses various ways to reach out and relate

By Eric Tiansay

C

hurches need to do a better job reaching out and relating to young people, according to a youth panel held during the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) Southern Regional Conference in Orlando.

“We’ve become like the Rotary Club, where it’s all about us,” The Rev. Charles Myers, rector of The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist in Orlando, told UBE attendees. “We

Henry (left), Douglas (right)

need the wisdom of the elder generation sitting with the zeal of the younger generation.”

Myers was part of a panel for “Workshop: Youth: A Key to the Beloved Community,” which also included Avery Douglas, 17; Tara Henry, a kindergarten teacher at Washington Shores Elementary School in Orlando; and The Rev. Pat Roberts, deacon – all active at Myers’ church. “We need mentors, fathers and mothers in the church,” said Myers. … “Authority is based on relationship, not just position.”

Jesus Is Christians’ Example for ‘Beloved Community’

Douglas said churches need youth ministries to which young people can relate. Henry added that churches must provide vital life skills for children. “Our children are angry,” she said. “I have kindergartners coming to school crying, ‘Why? Miss Henry, they took my dad last night, and I haven’t seen my mother.’” So our children deal with so many things that we didn’t have to deal with. Our parents sheltered us from that. These parents, they don’t shelter. It’s all or nothing.”

St. John the Baptist’s Vacation Bible School this summer will address those issues, Henry said. “We’re going to have arts and crafts,” she added.

“We’re going to have a Bible study.

We’re going to have activities there.

We’re going to work on behavior management because that’s the main thing. My kids are angry, and we need to give them some tools that help them in the classroom and out of the classroom.”

focus on multicultural unity “Embracing Beloved Community.”

leading voice for racial healing says the body of Christ A leading voice for racial healing says the body of Christ must combat racial discrimination with love and a commitment to unity as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached, said Dr. Catherine Meeks, 72, director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing in Atlanta.

“If we want to work for beloved community in the United States of America as Dr. King was imagining it, blacks and whites and browns together, the first thing we have to do is to create beloved community in our own community,” said Meeks, who is also a lay preacher in The Episcopal Church. Jesus is Christians’ example, and following his example will lead believers to a beloved community, she added.

Meeks, keynote speaker for the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) Southern Regional Conference on June 1 in Orlando, noted that the civil rights leader first coined the phrase “beloved community” in reference to his belief that racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood. The Episcopal Church calls its

“If we’re going to be examples of what it means to be beloved community, we have to start with building that in the places where we are. And let me tell you where it starts. It starts inside of every person,” Meeks said. She encouraged UBE attendees to read Backs Against the Wall by K. D. McGregor and Disciplines of the Spirit and Deep River: An Interpretation of Negro Spirituals by Howard Thurman.

Advocate for racial healing says “love and unselfish concern for one another” start inside every person

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

Congregation Celebrates 140th Anniversary

Rectors Express Concern for Orlando Residents Caught in

Housing Crunch

Christ Church Longwood looks to ‘blossom and grow’

By Eric Tiansay

T

he first version of the light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison

in 1879. Albert Einstein was also born that year. Also in 1879, Christ Episcopal Church (CEC), which still stands on Church Avenue in Longwood, was founded. The small congregation is the oldest church in continuous use in Seminole County. A celebratory service was held on June 23 to mark its 140th anniversary.

An early settler to Central Florida from Boston, Frederic Rand, organized the first Episcopal mission in Longwood in 1877, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Rand, treasurer of the diocese at the time, persuaded his parents, who lived in Boston, to raise the money to build the church and donate money for stained glass over the altar. Carpenters John and James Searcy, sons of John Neill Searcy, one of Longwood’s first per-

manent settlers, built the church in 1880, according to the Sentinel.

Central Florida has many old churches, but CEC, located at 151 W. Church Ave., is one of the few listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Sentinel reports.

With its red front door, the church is a city landmark along the bricked section of Church Avenue in the historic district. The small wooden church with a bell tower is in the Carpenter Gothic style, the Sentinel reported. The style suited congregations that didn’t have a lot of money but still wanted the sanctuary to look like a church, according to historical records of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. Judy Dearolf, CEC member since 1962, reported that her father, Pete Bowersox, built the center pews.

PHOTOS: Wendy Leech

“We [had] fellowship afterwards. ...There will be pockets of celebration throughout the year. I could see us doing something next year to celebrate,” explained The Rev. Michelle Roach rector of Christ Church for the past 18 months.

CEC draws approximately 50 attendees for weekly services, which feature food and fellowship after Sunday service. The congregation offers a weekly Scripture art class, led by Dearolf, which draws a handful of people. Blossom Academy

The youngest parishioner of Christ Church, Longwood

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Plans to demolish public housing complexes would displace 1,000 low-income families

Mother Michelle prepares with pride for the anniversary service.

rents part of CEC’s building, and Ascension Presbyterian holds services in the sanctuary following CEC’s Sunday morning service.

“I would love for this church to go back to again being a parish,” Roach says. “I would love to see the attendance increase. I would love to see a thriving children’s and youth program.”

“I am willing to do whatever it takes to get anyone into this property,” Roach says. “We are a vibrant congregation here, and we are ready to see the church take off. It has survived over the years. Through the 140 years it has survived. It can blossom and grow.”

In 2016, Bishop Gregory Brewer of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida visited CEC and said it was a beacon to the community. The CEC congregation looks forward to strengthening and expanding its light now and in days to come.

By Eric Tiansay

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wo inner-city rectors from the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida are expressing strong concern for hundreds of Orlando residents who may be displaced if their affordable housing homes are demolished.

Father José Rodriguez, rector of Iglesia Episcopal Jesús de Nazaret in Orlando, and Father Charles Myers, rector of The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist in Orlando, have been working together to monitor a housing crunch for low-income families in Central Florida.

Because of pressure from the federal government, the Orlando Housing Authority (OHA) plans to tear down more than 1,000 aging public housing units across the city and switch residents to a voucher system, sparking fears that susceptible families will be displaced, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) notified OHA in late 2018 that it did not www.cfdiocese.org

PEOPLE & EVENTS have the money to fix public housing complexes that need major refurbishing, including Orlando properties affected by mold, deteriorating roofs, termites and antiquated electrical systems.

“They’re not renovating, they’re just displacing them, and there’s no assurance,” Rodriguez said. “If you’ve been around this community long enough, [you know] everything is [based upon budget], and who’s to say they’re not going to just get displaced families?”

Rodriguez and Myers are part of an organization called Pa’Lante por Mas, which is working with approximately 1,000 families who will be impacted by the closing of these developments.

After tearing down the units, the local housing agency hopes to rebuild utilizing state tax cred-

C O N TACT: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio

402 South Monroe St., Suite 2105E Tallahassee, FL 32399 Phone: (850) 599-9100 or (202) 224-3041

U.S. Senator Rick Scott 111 N. Adams St., Suite 208 Tallahassee, FL 32301 Phone: (850) 942-8415 or (202) 224-5274

U.S. Representative Stephanie Murphy 225 E. Robinson St., Suite 525 Orlando, FL 32801 Phone: (888) 205-5421 or (202) 225-4035

www.cfdiocese.org

residents, including children and the elderly, the newspaper reported.

its and other financing that are supposed to be less costly for the long term, the Sentinel reported.

“Would we be good stewards if we looked at this [federal notice] and did nothing?” Vivian Bryant, OHA’s president and CEO, told the newspaper.

“If we don’t do something [different], these public housing units are going to continue to deteriorate, and we won’t have the money to fix them up. … We believe we can do better.

“We don’t have the capacity to do this [demolition] all at one time,” Bryant added.“Thismaybea10-yearprocess.”

Orlando has the nation’s worst market for availability of extremely low-income housing. OHA has filed notice that it plans to seek federal approval to demolish six of its public housing developments: Lorna Doone Apartments, Ivey Lane Homes, Reeves Terrace, Murchison Terrace, Griffin Park and Lake Mann. Those complexes are home to thousands of

Bryant said OHA hopes to get government approval sooner than later to move residents to a voucher-based system, which they can use with private landlords. HUD’s housing choice voucher program is the federal government’s major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly and the disabled to afford decent, safe and sanitary housing in the private market.

However, Rodriguez said the voucher-based system is not the answer, noting vouchers have proven ineffective for families seeking affordable housing because many landlords and apartment owners discriminate against voucher-carrying potential tenants.

“We in The Episcopal Church know firsthand from our Hurricane Maria work that there isn’t housing for these families to find,” he explained. “The voucher system doesn’t work, and so we know from experience that (having) 1,000 families on the voucher system is not going to work.”

The diocese reached out to Puerto Rican families displaced by Hurricane Maria, a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated Dominica, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in September 2017.

“That’s why I’m hoping that the diocese uses whatever influence it has at the local church level to press for affordable housing,” he added. “We need to take action beyond well wishes and offering to pray. It’s time for the church to get involved. Write to your local politicians, county and state, and our U.S. senators to put pressure on the federal government to change these cutbacks of funding to renovate and keep current affordable housing.”

Housing Choice Vouchers Facts What are housing choice vouchers?

The housing choice voucher program is the federal government’s major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly and the disabled to afford decent, safe

and sanitary housing in the private market. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments. The participant is free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program and is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects. Housing choice vouchers are administered locally by public housing agencies (PHA). The PHA receives federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to administer the voucher program. A family that is issued a housing voucher is responsible for selecting and finding a suitable housing unit where the owner agrees to rent under the program, which may include the family’s present residence. Rental units must meet minimum standards of health and safety as determined by the PHA. The PHA will be a housing subsidy directly to the landlord on behalf of the participating family. The family then pays the difference between the rent the landlord charges and the amount subsidized by the program. Under certain circumstances, if authorized by the PHA, a family may use its voucher to purchase a modest home.

Source: www.hud.gov

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

St. Augustine of Canterbury Raises Thousands for Honduran Child By Nina Keck

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PHOTOS courtesy of El Hogar

he children of El Hogar de Amor y Esperanza (The Home of Love and Hope) Episcopal home and school in Honduras never take food, clothing, parents, a roof over their heads or clean water for granted. They are dependent on the generosity of others.

The church has been sponsoring Julio for three years. He is currently in sixth grade, and the church will sponsor him through the end of junior high school. Three fundraisers are held annually to fund the outreach. ​ “Two weeks before Christmas, we have a cookie walk. Parishioners bake lots of delicious cookies that they can then buy. It’s a new take on a cookie exchange,” said Neely. “It’s a popular fundraiser, and we make between $700 and $800 each year.” ​ he week before Easter, Bruns Chocolate Factory T in Fort Pierce donates decorated chocolate eggs.

“Our parishioners love them and buy up all of them! This year, they bought $400 worth of Easter eggs!” said Neely. ​ n April 28, after the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. services, the O Sunday school began its final push to raise money for Julio. Items for sale are placed in an area called the Marketplace. “We made $1,400!” said Neely. ​

By Jeff Gardenour

K

ids in the Emmanuel Episcopal

Church after-school program are

having a lot of fun these days, thanks to a home economics class. Instead of undertaking an academic lesson, they are learning how to sew a button and even to prepare a snack.

Members of St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Vero Beach are among those who show this generosity.

Every year, the Sunday school at St. Augustine of Canterbury sponsors a boy at El Hogar, explains Sunday school teacher and organizer Brooke Neely.

“The Sunday school children love receiving letters from Julio, the sponsored child.”

Home Economics Stirs Up Interest in Church’s AfterSchool Program

Students at El Hogar proudly display the green beans they grew and harvested while learning about the nitrogen cycle.

​ he Marketplace has also been very popular with T the children at St. Augustine’s. “Their parents can give a child $3 to spend, and the kids know they have helped in some way,” said Neely. “I teach Sunday school, and I teach them that they need to give to others.” Additionally, adult parishioners donated cash and gift certificates at the Marketplace. ​ ​ his year, however, members of St. Augustine’s did T things a bit differently. “Instead of buying items for (themselves), they bought supplies needed by the children in El Hogar,” said Bunny Frey, a member of St. Augustine’s. “We really will not be sending these items to Honduras (the cost of that is very expensive), but rather, we will be sending them a check so they can purchase these items themselves.” ​

“I feel that schools are so focused on academics these days that real-world skills are often overlooked,” said Molly Carrera, children’s ministry coordinator at Emmanuel in Orlando. “I try to marry this with my philosophy that children learn best through play. They have no idea how much is being learned while having fun!”

The children are having so much fun, in fact, that they have expanded their thinking process. “At one point, three of my girls [Reagan Sacha, Emily Fuller, and Charlotte Goodin] decided they wanted to help during snack time,” Carrera said. “From there, they created a business name, REC Cafe [their first initials] , and a menu from our snack options. Then

​ he Marketplace began in 2005, a year after Frey T joined St. Augustine’s. “I became involved through my mom’s parish of All Saints in Winter Park, which has supported El Hogar since it began in 1979. The mission captured my heart when I went on a trip with her to Honduras in 1987.” Frey went on to become an El Hogar board member for 10 years. ​ If you’d like to sponsor a child or becomepart of the 2020 work team, please call Father Michael Goldberg at 552-770-3494 or email info@ elhogar.org for more information.​ Work teams helped with the construction of the original Technical Institute (ITSM) campus at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Tegucigalpa. ​

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From left to right, Charlotte, Emily

www.cfdiocese.org

St. Luke and St. Peter Impacts Community Beyond Sunday Mornings

Reagan they went around taking everyone’s order.

“Once orders were complete, they assembled each order and served it to their friends,” Carrera said. “While this started with three of my girls, many of the other kids wanted to take part in this, so a work schedule was created, and the kids were taking turns!”

Along the way, the kids learn about entrepreneurial drive, decision-making, confidence-building, organizational skills and accuracy, communication skills, and patience and respect, Carrera said. It’s proved a winning formula that has helped the after-school program grow from five children (four full-time and one parttime) to 19 enrollees (10 full-time and nine part-time). Emmanuel, which serves kindergarteners through fifth-graders, averages 15 kids per day, with a capacity of 30.

The after-school program serves the Audubon Park School children who are in kindergarten through fifth grade. The school, a K-8 institution that serves approximately 840 students, is located directly across the street from Emmanuel.

“I truly believe my kids love the program,” Carrera said.

For more information, call Emmanuel at 407-894-1641. www.cfdiocese.org

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ow do you measure the success of your church when 60% of the U.S. population doesn’t attend Sunday morning services? Father Rob Longbottom, rector of Church of St. Luke and St. Peter in St. Cloud, does so by examining the church’s impact on the local community the other six days of the week.

St. Luke and St. Peter’s biggest impact comes through its preschool.

Director Victoria Reich is grateful the church emphasizes the importance of students experiencing Jesus’ love through the teachers’ individual attention. “When people know their leader loves them, they will follow him or her,” Longbottom said.

One way Reich’s teachers express their love is by taking time to learn details about each student such as that child’s favorite color or pet’s name. This kind of personal interest is more possible with a small student-to-teacher ratio, she said. “We know the ratios that work,” explained Reich, who insists on having fewer students per teacher than the standards set by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF).

The preschool runs at 5 students to 1 teacher for 2-year-olds, 10:1 for 3-year-olds and 12:1 for 4-year-olds.

DCF accepts 11:1 for 2s, 15:1 for 3s and 20:1 for 4s.

PEOPLE & EVENTS 20 hours for the school and 10 hours for the church. The financial health of the preschool allowed Reich to answer God’s nudge to gift the church by sharing Rohde’s time while fully covering her salary from the preschool budget.

One of Rohde’s church-life responsibilities included starting a Wednesday-night youth group for preschool

through fifth grade. Utilizing Dig In Bible curriculum from Group Publishing, youngsters are challenged with Bible study questions that occasionally stump the teachers.

From left to righ, Reich, Longbottom, Rohde

Though Reich submits to DCF standards at the certified school, making it subject to unannounced DCF visits, her tighter student-to-teacher ratios reflect her priority to provide the children with specialized focus. And that individual attention may be one of the reasons the preschool has a waiting list for the 80-student school nestled on the 20-acre church grounds.

Reich credited the school’s success to answered prayer, recognizing that when she hasn’t waited on God, the results have been unsatisfactory.

When she followed God’s lead, however, the answer was an exact match for the situation. But, she warned, “If you wait for the perfect time, it won’t come.”

One answer to prayer arrived when the church needed a children’s worship director but didn’t have the money to pay a salary. Reich hired Rose Rohde, whose responsibilities include organizing all “activities for the church such as Sunday’s children’s worship, VBS and Dig In on Wednesday nights,” Reich said. Rohde works

An estimated 50% of students who attend the Bible study do not attend services at St. Luke and St. Peter. Some belong to other churches, but for most of these community kids, this challenging study is the only spiritual gathering they experience during the week. Since its inception in October 2018, the study, which meets the first and third Wednesdays each month, has grown from seven attendees to 30.

To attract neighbors to this midweek meeting, St. Luke and St. Peter serves dinner the first and third Wednesday of the month. The first hour includes grilled cheese and tomato soup, followed by an hour of Dig In Bible study where middle- and high-school youth group members assist with the kids.

Longbottom plays board games with the parents while they wait for their children, and the older students attend their own Bible study later at the local Starbucks or Tijuana Flats.

Reich attributes the success of St. Luke and St. Peter’s Preschool to her mantra: “Roll the dice. You have to trust God to determine how they’ll fall.” Don’t hold back out of fear; “you have to let go of the dice.”

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

Church of the Incarnation’s

Priest-in-Charge Earns Coveted Preaching Award Asbury Seminary’s Florida Dunnam campus honors The Rev. Tom Phillips

By Marti Pieper

T

he Rev. Tom Phillips, priest incharge at Church of the Incarnation in Oviedo received a special surprise at his graduation from Asbury Seminary in Orlando on Saturday, May 11. Not only did he earn his Master of Divinity degree as anticipated, but the faculty also honored him with the Harry Hosier Preaching Award, given to one student annually at each of Asbury’s two campuses.

Calling the award “a tremendous blessing,” Phillips said, “the seminary mentioned that I was the first Episcopal priest ever to receive this award from the campus in Orlando, which made it even more meaningful.”

Bob Grosso, current member of Incarnation’s vestry, agrees with the faculty’s choice of Phil-

lips. “The award is well-deserved,” he said. “He’s one of the best preachers I’ve ever heard. His knowledge of the text is far more advanced than I would expect for someone his age.” He added, “I look forward to his sermons every Sunday.

I’ve learned so much from him.”

Phillips has long placed a high value on preaching. “There’s nothing that excites me more than seeing the church become more and more grounded in a knowledge and love of God through the sound preaching of his Word,” he said. “Biblically faithful preaching and teaching are an integral part of the call of a pastor and an essential part of the healthy development of the church.”

Because of his role as priest in-charge at Incarnation, Phillips has the privilege of witnessing the regular impact of his preaching. “I think one of the contributing factors to the growth of Incarnation over the past year has been engaging teaching and preaching … both from me and from our growing team of lay leaders,” he said.

Although Phillips and his family rejoice that the long hours of study associated with his seminary education have now ended, “it was very meaningful to receive recognition for excellence in preaching,” he said. “Sound preaching is such an integral part of success as a pastor, and it was very encouraging to be affirmed in that area.”

Fr. Tom with wife Julia and children Anna and Luke

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Holy Spirit Moves Through Special Pentecost Service

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he special Sunday night Pentecost event “Come, Holy Spirit: A Worship Service” at Church of the Good Shepherd in Maitland on June 9, 2019, wasn’t your parents’ Episcopal

service.

A rector sharing the message without his customary vestments and collar, people raising their hands while singing popular worship songs and a prayer team available throughout the event made the evening feel more like a revival than a traditional liturgical service.

And yes, that was the point. “Tonight was sort of an experiment,” said The Rev. Cameron MacMillan, who wore blue jeans and a black T-shirt as he shared his recent experience with the Holy Spirit.

Guest worship leader Josh Head led a full house through a program that included traditional hymns “Holy, Holy, Holy” and “Come Down, O Love Divine” and contemporary worship songs “Holy Spirit” by Francesca Battistelli and “Revelation Song” by Kari Jobe.

“Tonight was definitely out of our comfort zone for a lot of us,” said MacMillan. “Even for me, getting up in front of my congregtion in a

T-shirt was kind of weird.” Weird or not, the presence of the Holy Spirit was obvious. As is normal in a service led by the Holy Spirit, MacMillan surrendered to the leading early on. “I had a plan to do something different, and I felt the Holy Spirit already moving, so I decided to just let it go and continue,” he said. “I think tonight showed people have a hunger that they need permission to express,” MacMillan said. “The traditional liturgy that is rooted in the practices of the historical church is powerful and important. But I also think our traditional liturgical churches should be having other services with a more informal environment.”

With the success of the Pentecost event on the heels of the Keep Saying Yes to Jesus Revival earlier this year, MacMillan and Good Shepherd may have witnessed the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit blowing through the Diocese of Central Florida.

“My hope and prayer are that it will,” MacMillan said, adding that healing and gifts of the Spirit could be the focus of future services. “My prayer is a revival for the diocese.”

Fr. Cameron and prayer ministers prayed for people that requested individual ministry.

www.cfdiocese.org

MISSION

Answering the Call to Be a Deacon

O

Becoming a deacon is not a choice. Instead, it’s a calling.

ne thing I have learned in my own experience and also in knowing others, when God puts this on your heart, you can’t run away,” said The Ven. Kristi N. Alday, archdeacon.

A deacon is “the Indiana Jones of ministry,” said Alday.

“You are out there in the world, and you have no idea what you will encounter. I love being in the world. I think it’s the greatest call God can ever give you. Even as a layperson, living to serve him is a great call, whatever form that takes.”

That form could be just about anything, like The Rev. John Clark, a trained chef in the Diocese of Central Florida who has a passion to feed people. He took what he knew and started a food pantry, No One Hungry, in Titusville. Whatever the passion, whatever the gift, God calls people in the body of Christ to use their gifts to serve him.

“So many tell me they don’t have gifts,” said Alday. “I always say, ‘Yes, you do.’ God has given all of us gifts.

Every gift is important, and every gift is needed by the body.” To help readers assess their gifts, a spiritual gifts inventory appears on page 17.

The two-year diaconate ordination process begins with the Conference on Ministry meeting, August 24, at Church of the Messiah, 241 N. Main St., in Winter Garden. For more about the meeting, see the story on page 16.

“I believe that [to be a deacon] people think they have to memorize a lot of Bible verses, have to be perfect, have to be holy,” said Alday. “What it really takes is discerning what you are passionate about that’s a God-given thing, and think, ‘How can I use this for the kingdom?’”

So if God is calling a layperson to become a deacon, Alday encourages that person to pray about it, talk with their rector and call her. She’ll be delighted to join the conversation.

“When God calls you into the ministry, you will know it, and he will equip you,” she said.

The only requirement? Answer the call.

www.cfdiocese.org

Deacons Are the Spark to Ignite the Fire for Christ

By The Rev. Jonathan French

Y

French

our church is unique for lots of reasons.

The building. The people. Its mission in your community.

sadors for the congregation and the world. They are privileged to narrow their vision, specifically focusing on those “not yet in the room.”

But one of my favorite reasons the church exists is for those not here, for those outside our buildings. We exist for them to know and to be known. We are here for them to enjoy and to be enjoyed. And we are spiritually healthiest when reaching out to our friends, neighbors — everyone who needs the love and joy of Jesus Christ. We are at our very best when we are living missionally.

Sometimes, these ministries are about mercy, other times, about gospel-centered advocacy, and still others focus on particular segments of the community.

But every type of diaconal ministry is about evangelism. Seeing the lost become found. Pointing the broken toward the ultimate healer. Speaking the truth of Jesus Christ that the whole world might know salvation.

Unfortunately, reaching out is not as easy as it sounds. It takes time, resources, energy, leadership and listening to the Holy Spirit while in action. Considering all the other things we do as a church, outreach and mission often feel overwhelming, maybe even impossible.

Several years ago, Grace Church started a new chapter in Ocala. Part of that new chapter was becoming more intentional about being a missional church with a consistent approach toward outreach and evangelism. One way we chose to do that was by promoting and raising up deacons. And, if our prayers are answered, one day, Grace will have 12 or more deacons serving throughout the Ocala area. That means 12 ministers actively sharing the good news with a world desperately in need of good news. Deacons are the spark to ignite the fire for Christ, helping his church be the “city on a hill” and “light to the world.”

In Acts 6, we see the early church experiencing a similar problem. The fledgling church was growing, but juggling all the details was overwhelming.

Then God led the leadership to a new solution.

“So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, ‘We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.’

“Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them” (Acts 6:2-6, NLT).

The solution was the diaconate! And it still is the solution. Because deacons are called to minister outside the church, they become natural ambas-

Does your church have a vision for missions? For evangelism? For the kingdom of God today? I pray so! And I think you’d be crazy to not include the diaconate. With deacons — many, many deacons — we’ll see the kingdom become healthier, more vibrant and more alive than we could possibly imagine.

Maybe God has called you to be one of them. Maybe you need to explore being a deacon. A sure sign would be your heart to lead those not yet in the kingdom into a relationship with Jesus.

For more information on the diaconate, please access : icscourses.org.

—The Rev Jonathan French is rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Ocala.

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MISSION

No One Hungry Receives Lakeland Police Department $3K Grant from Jess Parrish Honors The Rev. Bob Johnson as Chaplain of the Year Medical Foundation

A

go hungry.

By Jeff Gardenour

s the Rev. John Clark goes about his day, he is always looking to provide food for others. He never wants anyone to

For years, executive chef Clark has run two highly successful food pantries out of the nonprofit corporation No One Hungry, in Titusville. But he soon noticed another need: helping newly discharged hospital patients with food insecurity.

Clark The deacon at St. Gabriel’s Church in Titusville began planning a program, and No One Hungry subsequently received a $3,000 grant from the Jess Parrish Medical Foundation. As a result, No One Hungry launched “Giving Hope” in partnership with the Parrish Medical Center’s Partners in Healing program, Clark said.

“Giving Hope supports food needs of patients with high-risk medical needs when discharged from the hospital to assure they have proper nutritional foods when returning from a stay in the hospital,” Clark said.

It’s the latest grant for the No One Hungry organization, which has provided food for scores of individuals, families, homeless and seniors in North Brevard.

Last year, No One Hungry received a grant from Walmart for holiday food-giving. The organization also received gift cards from Save-a-Lot to disperse at Christmas.

No One Hungry also recently established a community partnership with Astronaut High School in Titusville, helping students and their families with food needs through the “Eagles Market,” Clark said. In August, No One Hungry will partner with nearby Madison Middle School to open a pantry for those students and their families.

Currently, No One Hungry operates a pantry at 428 Julia St. in Titusville Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon for seniors, homeless and supporting the Giving Hope project. A second pantry, called the Bethlehem Food Pantry, operates at 811 Dummitt Ave. in Titusville Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for individuals 55 and under and families.

For information on how to help, please email info@noonehungryfl.org or visit www.reducinghunger.org.

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or the past three years, The Rev. Bob Johnson, deacon of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Lakeland, has spent a lot of time working with numerous community outreach programs. That work was honored earlier this year when the Lakeland Police Department (LPD) named him Chaplain of the Year.

Right, Johnson “They [officers] are a very tight group, and outsiders are not allowed in. So I feel extremely privileged to be accepted into the department,” said Johnson. “Chaplains take the role of calming and consoling so the officers can concentrate on the work that needs to get done during a crisis. Once the crisis is over, officers can discuss and vent about the events to the chaplain. We are covered by a legal exemption from testifying in court about what the officers tell us, so they have freedom to discuss their true feelings without fear of retribution. If you fail to honor that trust, officers will never discuss anything with you again.”

Since being ordained, Johnson has been active in the Lakeland community through The Soul in the City “Family Edition,” a spinoff from Home Grown Mission Week, and the Dream Center, an organization that provides outreach into the poorest neighborhoods in Lakeland. All Saints’ has also adopted the North Lake Wire neighborhood.

“A sergeant with the Neighborhood Liaison Office told me that he has been amazed at the improvement in the neighborhood of North Lake Wire since All Saints’ has been working in the neighborhood,” Johnson said. “The visibility has made his men feel safer in performing their duties. He thanked me over and over for all the work we had done.”

A total of 195 volunteers work with the LPD, “so any award carries with it a lot of consideration of the many hundreds of hours the volunteers work to serve the LPD and the victims of crimes,” said Johnson. “It shows not only the many hours of volunteering but also drips of integrity and faithful fulfilment of the work the volunteers complete. You can do the work, but without the respect and integrity in the task, you will not only not be awarded but will be ostracized and not asked to come back.”

After being ordained, Johnson worked with others at All Saints’ and restructured the outreach committee to refocus on the Lakeland community.

“The former chief of police told me the police’s job is to weed the garden, and our job is to seed the garden,” Johnson said. “I pray for God to water the garden to produce an abundance in the neighborhood.”

—Jeff Gardenour contributed to this article. www.cfdiocese.org

MISSION

Church of the Messiah Deacon Helps Set Prisoners Free The Rev. Tim Wetherington is making a difference for Christ

O

n April 26, 2019, 10 incarcerated men experienced the truth of Jesus’ words: “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). The Rev. Tim Wetherington, deacon of Church of the Messiah in Winter Garden, baptized the inmates of Lake Correctional Institution (LCI) in the Cler mont prison’s chapel baptismal pool.

The men have “demonstrated that they have turned their lives around and have now committed themselves to Christ,” Wetherington said proudly. When he asked one man, “Why do you want to be baptized?”, the man responded, “Jesus gave everything for me, and I gave him nothing. Today, I give him everything.”

Wetherington’s involvement in prison work began when he was introduced to Kairos Prison Ministry seven years ago by Deacon Beth Bellner and her husband, Joe. Since then, Wetherington has witnessed many changed lives. One Kairos weekend,

he observed a 21-year-old man with horns tattooed on his head, a swastika on his neck and flame tattoos covering scars on both arms where “Satan told him to set himself on fire.” At the end of the weekend, the young man gave his life to Jesus. Another man then declared, “If he is giving his life to Jesus, I can give my life to Jesus too.”

The two men hugged and committed to supporting each other in their new life with Christ.

But the Kairos ministers didn’t know that these new converts were leaders of opposing gangs. Wetherington remembered the ministry’s goal to reach imprisoned gang leaders: “If you get the leaders, you get the followers.”

Wetherington furthered his prison work through Xodus Prison Ministry, birthed from Kairos in 2012 and focusing on prisoners with a year or less left until their release. Xodus grew out of a warden’s concern: “If we don’t get them now, we’re only going to get them back.” The two-and-a-half day Xodus weekend exposes men to God’s forgiveness coupled with life skills for reentry to society, focusing on how to act productively in today’s society, how to get a job, how to live a Christian life,” Wetherington explained.

Previously, the same warden had told Kairos leaders, “You can’t possibly see the impact this has on the men in prison. They are different men (after the weekend).”

“Anthony is serving a life sentence. He is nearly crippled and blind. Today, he sees,” observed Wetherington.

www.cfdiocese.org

Wetherington said, “If you look closely at the tattoo under Andrew’s left ear, you’ll see it’s an upside-down cross. Today, we claimed him back from Satan!”

The program’s success is evident. The typical 85% recidivism rate has been flipped, according to follow-up research done on Xodus participants.

After three years, 87% of men who attended Xodus No. 1 through No. 6 are still free.

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

(Phil. 1:6, NIV).

These impressive results grow from presentations that stress the importance of connecting to a church family upon reentry into society. They also cover numerous practical life-skill topics, such as “sexuality, money, drugs and how you treat the women in your life, both young and old,” Wetherington said. In addition, Xodus attendees have the opportunity to see healthy

www.xodusprisonministry.com

and

couples who serve together – including Wetherington and his wife, Terri – interacting in a godly way.

After the weekend, the men are encouraged to attend weekly Bible study and praise and worship services provided by Cornerstone, a ministry of Family Christian Center, a church in Clermont, and other “inside” prison ministries. They receive no special perks, no reduced sentences for attending Bible studies or services but still attend willingly, often eagerly.

Wetherington said he “seeks only to get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit do what he does.” He follows this prompting from the Holy Spirit: “You catch ’em. I’ll clean ’em.” He stresses one verse to every Xodus participant and encourages even those who can’t read to memorize it: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6, NIV).

www.kairosprisonministry.org

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MISSION

namuh rehto gnilles dna gniyub tsniaga swal evah snoitan lla tsomla hguohtla taht egdelwonk on dah I ,elpoep tsom eki L

.gniworg yllautca si dna stsixe llits smrof ynam sti ni yrevals ,sgnieb

Deacons in Action Take Gospel Outside the Four Walls

Editor’s Note: These quotes, supplied by deacons and deacon candidates from the Diocese of Central Florida, have been edited for length, grammar and clarity.

Mr. Gordon Sims

The Rev. Nancy Oliver, Deacon

Candidate for Holy Orders

Church of the Good Shepherd, Maitland

Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando

T

he inspiration to begin the journey to the diaconate began after nearly five years of active service as lay minister and facilities coordinator at Good Shepherd, Maitland. I felt there was something more God was calling me to do. I met with The Rev. Sarah Bronos, who said, “Have you ever thought of being a deacon?”

Sims

The Institute for Christian Studies (ICS) class that most impacted my learning was Introduction to Inductive Bible Studies led by The Rev. Tom Phillips.

I am teaching an addictions class at ICS this fall that will cover various faithbased solutions for ministry and recovery.

I

am a full-time chaplain at the Brevard County Jail in Cocoa Beach, where we have 360 women and 14 juveniles. I teach Bible study, provide one-on-one counseling and bring Eucharist to the women.

I also have a business where I help both people with disabilities and felons find Oliver employment. The disabled clients are referred by the state vocational rehabilitation office. The felons find me, and I help them pro bono. My clients can be schizophrenic, bipolar, suffering from PTSD, profoundly deaf, physically disabled, autistic or intellectually disabled.

In each of these ministries, I feel God is leading me to help his people be the men and women he has created them to be and to know him in a real way.

The Rev. Kay Mueller, Deacon Church of Our Saviour, Okeechobee Sims lead a group from the Cathedral Church of St Luke to clean a yard for a fellow parishioner.

The Rev. Mary Delancey, Deacon Grace Episcopal Church, Ocala

L

ike most people, I had no knowledge that although almost all nations have laws against buying and selling other human beings, slavery in its many forms still exists and is actually growing. … Grace Church has organized a Human Trafficking Awareness Group that seeks to keep our church and the broader community aware of the issues of human trafficking and other forms of slavery.

Our goal is to arm people with the tools they need to recognize and report human trafficking, as well as information about who is at risk to become a victim Delancey and how to reduce that risk. … For more information about human trafficking and modern-day slavery, or the work to end it, please contact me at deaconmary@graceocala.org

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ince God has blessed Church of Our Saviour, Okeechobee, with members from the Hispanic community, we now host quinceañera services in English. In Hispanic and Latin American culture, quinceañera is a coming of age ceremony that celebrates a girl’s 15th birthday (the honoree is known Mueller as a “quinceañera”) and generally includes both Eucharist and a party. It also reaffirms the quinceañera’s personal faith before her church. The celebration combines traditional customs with contemporary trends and includes family, friends and others who have made an impact on the honoree’s life.

We have celebrated two quinceañeras in 2019, with two more scheduled.

From left to right, are Fr. Jim Shevlin; Deacon Kay Mueller; the honoree, Ceci Carran; and her parents, Cecilia and Frank Carran.

www.cfdiocese.org

MISSION

egdelwonk on dah I ,elpoep tsom eki L tsniaga swal evah snoitan lla tsomla hguohtla taht sti ni yrevals ,sgnieb namuh rehto gnilles dna gniyub .gniworg yllautca si dna stsixe llits smrof ynam

‘Deacon Glorious’ Leaves Enduring Impression

The Rev. Dorothy Spencer, Deacon Church of St. Luke and St. Peter, St. Cloud

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od has given me a varied ministry. I’ve started a Bible study group immediately after our Wednesday morning service at St. Luke and St. Peter. In addition to our own parishioners, I minister to individuals in health care facilities who either do not have a church family or are not receiving care from their own congregation.

Spencer

My participation in the diocese’s Becoming Beloved Community has been eye- opening. We conducted a valuable Lenten series.

In today’s world, fear and doubt will cause us to forget our real purpose stay focused on our Lord and be kind and loving to each other.

Mr. Rusty Hazelrigg,

Candidate for Holy Orders

Church of the Ascension, Orlando

H

aving grown up in the church, I have always had an interest in serving the Lord. As a college freshman, I attended a Bible study on campus. After one of the meetings, the minister told me, “Rusty, you should consider the ministry. You have a gift.” That stuck with me my entire adult life.

Hazelrigg

The more I learn, the more I thirst for more.

The Institute for Christian Studies (ICS) classes have provided needed training for what I will encounter. Those that will help me in future witnessing opportunities are The Universe Next Door: Comparative Views and Know the Heretics. Learning more about the different worldviews and religions has prepared me for some of the tough questions I will encounter in the days ahead.

www.cfdiocese.org

T

hose who grew up in The Cathedral Church of St. Luke in Orlando during the 1970s and 1980s smile instantly when they hear one name: Deacon Glorious.

Known to adults as The Rev. Gloria Wheeler, Deacon Glorious, who passed away on March 2, 2013, left an indelible mark on many children from that era, including Bishop Gregory Brewer’s executive assistant, Sarah Caprani. “We hung on her every word,” said Caprani.

Along with Deacon Glorious’ words of encouragement and empowerment, her appearance remains strong in Caprani’s memory. “I thought she was the most fabulous thing, walking around in her vestments, her stoles artistic and bold. She had striking black hair, great glasses and fantastic makeup all the time,” she said.

But it was the words and actions of the deacon with a heart for the youth of the church that most captured Caprani’s heart. “She made sure Jesus had a hold on us whether or not we knew it was happening,” she said. “She made us young leaders, young representatives of Jesus.”

During the weekslong process of preparing the group of 10 first

Wheeler

graders for their First Communion, Deacon Glorious “taught us what every vessel was and the importance of Holy Communion. She got us so comfortable with what was coming that when the day arrived, we felt like VIPs.” She also taught the youngsters “the importance of camaraderie and family. We looked out for each other, and we still look out for each other to this day,” said Caprani. “She made church a positive experience.

She made it feel like home for people, a fun place that people wanted to go.”

And left an impression that has lasted more than three decades.

Just ask Sarah Caprani.

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MISSION

Learning About Their Calling at Conference on Ministry

By Jeff Gardenour

O

rman Kimbrough likens the Conference on Ministry to “the front door,” a place where people can enter and learn all about the path to the priesthood or diaconate or about Licensed Lay Ministry.

ing a call to diaconate — to learn more specifically about their possible calling.

Kimbrough said usually, more attendees are seeking the diaconate path rather than priesthood. “There are varying reasons for this, but primarily diaconal ministry is simply the type of call more people sense,” he said.

Approximately 35 to 40 are expected to attend the annual diocesan event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 24, at Church of the Messiah, 241 N. Main Street in Winter Garden. Presented by the Commission on Ministry, the Conference on Ministry is required for all individuals seeking ordination.

“Everyone who is seeking information gets all of their questions answered, and I think comes away with a much better understanding of the process,” Kimbrough said. “We stress that we are all in this together on that day and through the discernment process for those entering it. We want people at all steps of the discernment process to feel support from us whether it involves applications, interviews, field work or academics and to dispel the idea that ‘there is no one here to help me,’” Kimbrough said.

“The bishop speaks and gives his vision for our diocese in the service of our Lord and how best we can touch people,” said Kimbrough, who is chairman of the Commission on Ministry and will emcee the event. “This includes explanation of what it is to serve in our diocese as an ordained person so people gathering information have a glimpse of what it is about.

The annual Conference on Ministry precedes the BACAM (Bishop’s Advisory Committee for Aspirants to Ministry) Conference, which takes place in March of the following year. BACAM is a gathering for people well into the information-gathering process and includes opportunities for in-depth discussions with members of the Commission on Ministry and more.

“There will also be a priest and deacon speaking, giving their real-life experiences as well as other reflections to help people understand the ‘real world’ of the ordained. Archdeacon Kristi Alday also presents information for attendees not called to ordination but who are called to various licensed lay ministries. There is time for questions and answers.”

To register for the Conference on Ministry, please call the diocesan office at 407-423-3567 or 1-800299-3567, ext. 317, or email Ellen Ceely at eceely@cfdiocese.org.

The conference will be split into two sessions. Following introductions and talks in the morning, attendees will break into two groups after lunch — those discerning a call to priesthood and those discern-

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Institute for Christian Studies Classes Open to All Eager Learners

C

ome one, come all!” The old carnival barker’s call rings true today for anyone interested in the Institute for Christian Studies (ICS). Although all courses are approved and run by the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, anyone is eligible to take live or online classes.

The Diaconate Path is for anyone in The EpisAlday copal Church interested in that calling. See our story about the two-year program on page 11. The General Courses are for anyone interested in learning.

The online classes are like 7-Eleven: always open when you need or want them.

“We have people from all over the world accessing our online classes,” said The Ven. Kristi N. Alday, archdeacon.

Details for the live classes and new online classes for both Diaconate Path and General Courses can be found here: www.icscourses.org/courses.

Unless otherwise noted, live courses will be held at the diocesan office, 1017 E. Robinson Street, Orlando, FL 32801.

The first of eight live classes, Grace, Law and Covenants in the Old Testament, will be held Saturday, Sept. 14.

This year, at least nine new online courses will be added to the 100plus already available since the online program began in 2015. The first new course will be up for viewing by the end of October.

“It’s exciting for us to offer quality teaching,” said Alday. “A number of our priests and deacons have extraordinary credentials. And we tap into that and offer this level of teaching to anyone who wants to watch in their bathrobe at midnight. Or you maybe do it as a study group in the beauty salon on Wednesday.”

ICS was formed in the late 1970s as a response to the Faith Alive movement, as people were looking for sound, mature, higher education for laypeople. In the late 1980s, the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida asked ICS to help train its deacons and prepare them for the ordination process. As it website states, ICS expanded to offer coursework that could be used specifically for this purpose.

Step right up – and prayerfully consider participating in ICS.

www.cfdiocese.org

MISSION

Spiritual Gifts Inventory

Scripture makes it clear that spiritual gifts are given to believers by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:11) for the purpose of “building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12b). Check out the following to learn more about the gifts and help determine which ones God has given you.

Administration: The divine ability to plan and execute procedures that accomplish the goals of the ministry.

Apostleship: The divine ability to start and oversee the development of new churches or ministries.

Craftsmanship:

The divine enablement to creatively design and/or construct items to be used for ministry.

Creative Communication: The divine enablement to communicate God’s truth through a variety of art forms.

Discernment: The

divine enablement to distinguish between truth and error, to discern the spirits, differentiating between good and evil, right and wrong.

Encouragement:

The divine enablement to present the truth so as to strengthen, comfort or urge to action those who are discouraged or wavering in their faith.

www.cfdiocese.org

Evangelism: The

divine enablement to effectively communicate the gospel to unbelievers so they respond to faith and move.

Faith: The divine enablement

to act on God’s promises with confidence and unwavering belief in his ability to fulfill them.

Giving: The divine enablement to contribute money and resources to the Lord with cheerfulness and liberality.

Helps: The divine enablement

Shepherding: The

to attach spiritual value to the accomplishment of practical and necessary tasks that free up, support and meet the needs of others.

Leadership: The divine

Hospitality: The divine

Mercy: The divine enablement Teaching: The divine

enablement to care for people by providing fellowship, food and shelter.

Intercession: The divine enablement to consistently pray on behalf of and for others, thus seeing frequent and specific results.

Knowledge: The divine

enablement to bring truth to the body through revelation or biblical insight.

enablement to cast vision, motivate and direct people to harmoniously accomplish the purposes of God.

to cheerfully and practically help those who are suffering or in need.

Prophecy: The divine

enablement to reveal truth and proclaim it in a relevant manner for understanding, correction, repentance or edification.

divine enablement to nurture, care for and guide people toward ongoing spiritual maturity and Christlikeness.

enablement to understand, clearly explain and apply the Word of God, thus causing greater Christlikeness in the lives of listeners.

Wisdom: The divine

enablement to apply spiritual truth effectively to meet a need in a specific situation.

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DIOCESE IN-DEPTH

Hope Exists for Trafficked Victims This month: Two victims tell their stories

By Larry J. Leech II

I

n the final installment of this three-part series on trafficking, two women share their experiences of being traf ficked in Central Florida.

Both were lured into a billion-dollar industry with the hope of a better life. Sadly, Kim and Megan ended up living through an unbelievable hell—all for the profit of others.

Reports put the number of people trafficked between 25 million and 40 million worldwide. Eighty-one percent are trapped in forced labor, 25% are children, and 75% are women and girls, according to the International Labor Organization. In 2017, an estimated 1 of 7 endangered runaways reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were likely child-sex trafficking victims. In the sex industry, most victims begin before age 15 and are forced, usually in a subtle manner.

The stories of Kim and Megan, like many others, are horrific and heart-wrenching. But unlike some, each of these women has a positive, yet ongoing, ending to her ordeal.

Here are their stories.

TRAFFICKING Kim

M o d e r n - day S lav e ry About This Series March: An in-depth look at the definition of trafficking and its widespread impact. The article is available in the March/April edition of CFE.

May: How to raise awareness through programs and practical tips for parents/grandparents to help to combat trafficking. The article is available in the May/June edition of CFE.

This Month: Two victims tell their stories.

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Kim was prostituted all around the United States starting at age 13. She has been sexually abused and assaulted more times than she can count. Her first abuser and rapist was her father, followed by her brother, two of her mother’s boyfriends and a new stepfather.

She ran away from home at 13 to live with her 18-year-

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Stock photo: © Kantver

In the U.S., more than 8,500 human trafficking cases, nearly one per hour, were reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline last year alone. This number represents more than 10,000 individual victims, almost 5,000 potential traffickers and more than 1,500 businesses involved in human trafficking, according to Polaris, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating and preventing trafficking. Cases increased 13% compared to 2016. Florida stood third, behind

only California and Texas, in the number of reported cases.

old boyfriend, who groomed her for prostitution through his friends, the start of being trafficked. He abused Kim and then sold her to another pimp when she was 14. Soon after, she became pregnant with his child.

He gave the baby to his family, forcing Kim to stay with him and do whatever he demanded so she could see her child.

Over the next few years, paying men forced themselves on her every night. Kim has been kidnapped, tortured and on more than one occasion, threatened with death. Underneath it all, the guilt, shame and sense of defilement overwhelmed her. She admitted she often considered suicide, and the only thing that kept her alive was the thought of never seeing her daughter again.

Kim’s story is not uncommon. Traf-

fickers coerce women and children to enter the commercial sex industry through a variety of recruitment techniques, such as the lure of love, protection, wealth, designer clothes, fancy cars and exclusive nightclubs.

Pimps move from city to city looking for children and young women who are easy prey—the lonely, desperate and alienated. They particularly target runaway, homeless and foster-care children, who have often run away from home in order to flee incest and other forms of abuse.

When a pimp moves a victim from her hometown into a strange city, he can easily force her to work as a prostitute. Thousands of children and women are victimized in this way every year.

Many of their stories do not have a happy ending.

www.cfdiocese.org

DIOCESE IN-DEPTH

“I BELIEVE I WILL THINK ABOUT THE THINGS I HAVE BEEN THROUGH UNTIL I DIE.” But Kim’s does. After meeting volunteers at Cathedral Church of St. Luke in Orlando, she started attending church and getting connected to healthy community. Through these

relationships, she was offered a safe place to stay where she could begin healing. Though she struggled on and off with going back into prostitution, she has found freedom and hope in Jesus for the first time.

She is now actively involved in reaching other girls trapped in the sex industry with the message of Jesus and the freedom of the gospel.

Megan

Megan struggled with drugs on and off most of her life. While in Gainesville to attend Santa Fe College, her best friend was murdered back home in Orlando. The event triggered another downward spiral into drugs.

Soon after, in 2010, through someone Megan, 21, thought was a mutual friend, she met Rick, a kind older man who offered her gifts. Balancing school and a drug addiction became too much for her. When Rick invited her to stay with him, she fell right into the setup. He provided a place where she had no responsibilities and could spend her days and nights getting high.

But things quickly changed. A week into her stay, Rick became violent and beat Megan nearly every day for what stretched into four and a

www.cfdiocese.org

half years. The only respite came when she would run away from the house, its windows covered by bars, and enter rehab to battle her heroin addiction. Each time, though, Rick sent money, and Megan ended up back in his house.

the good news of the tumor’s continued shrinkage awoke something in Megan—that God had different plans for her. She had been through a lot in her young life. Instead of throwing in the proverbial towel, she shifted into a fight to live.

There, her job was to keep Rick happy. She washed his cars, cooked his meals and did anything else he wanted. In return, he kept Megan high on huge amounts of drugs. He didn’t allow her to make eye contact with other men or talk with the other women, whom he was sex trafficking, in the house. She learned to survive by isolating and being as compliant as possible. If she pleased Rick and kept him happy, Megan considered it a “good” day and knew she might not get beaten.

She learned about Samaritan Village, a safe place in the Orlando area where, its website says, “sexually trafficked women can heal from trauma, recover from addiction and reclaim their lives to become catalysts for change in their communities.” The rehab center helped Megan kick her drug addiction, and Samaritan Village helped her deal with the often-unmentioned psychological issues a trafficked victim endures. In her 18 months there, true healing from the trauma began.

Because of the drugs, Megan lost herself, unable to feel or think. Despite her desire to please Rick, no matter what she did, it was wrong, and he used the beatings as an example to keep the other girls in line.

While in rehab for the third time, Megan finally got away from Rick in September 2014 when the FBI stormed the house in a highly publicized raid and subsequent trial.

But Megan still wasn’t free. That came later. Much later.

She entered another drug-treatment program but relapsed 17 months later in 2015 after learning she had brain cancer. She underwent chemotherapy and radiation until she decided to stop chemo.

Despite her suicidal tendencies,

Rick’s emotional beatdown had made Megan feel like nothing, less than a person. Breaking the mindset of constantly pleasing him so she could survive proved extremely difficult. Even four years after Rick’s arrest. Megan still heard his voice in her head. Undoing his lies took a long time. She needed to rebuild herself, and she needed lots of love.

Now, Megan works full time at Chick-fil-A, where she has been promoted twice since starting in August 2018. She recently bought a car without the help of her parents, is financially stable and has committed to finish the five classes needed to complete her first two

years of a master’s in social work.

She also attends Action Church and will be part of the leadership team of a new recovery program there. Reading a devotional in the morning and her Bible most nights has become routine for Megan, who admits she couldn’t have overcome the years of atrocities without God in her life.

Nearly five years into freedom, Megan understands recovery will be a lifelong journey.

“I believe I will think about the things I have been through until I die,” she said. “I now choose joy and to live my life again.”

The stories of Kim and Megan are two of thousands of success stories. But not all end that way. According to various reports, only 2% to 4% of trafficked victims are rescued. Raising awareness about modern-day slavery and getting involved, either by working with a rescue organization or by donating to one, are both key to helping more people enjoy a happy ending like Kim’s and Megan’s.

Kim’s story was featured in the article “Facing Up to Sex Trafficking” by The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb. It has been edited to fit this publication and reprinted with permission.

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SPOTLIGHT

Devoted to Christ and to All Saints

The Rev. Stuart Shelby begins a new phase of ministry

By Ellen Ceely

L

ong before The Rev. Stuart Shelby was ordained, he was working to serve God’s people.

Born in Mobile, Alabama, Shelby now lives in Winter Park, where he is rector at All Saints Episcopal Church. After graduating in 1997 from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, he served as a young adult minister at Dayspring, a Baptist church plant in Mobile.

But he missed worship at Birmingham’s St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and Cathedral Church of the Advent, where he attended while at Samford, so he found a nearby Episcopal church where he would pray the Evening Office. Here, a friend introduced him to The Rev. Robert Seawell.

Work at Dayspring had just started, and the leadership was ready to ordain Shelby and send him to seminary. But instead, he felt called to join Seawell in ministry at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Monroeville, Alabama.

Within six months, Seawell and Bishop Charles Duvall began talking with Shelby about planting Church of the Apostles in Daphne, Alabama.

Here, he assisted Seawell as lay minister for fam-

ilies and students. Their principal service, Shelby said, “was a 5 o’clock jam band [a jam band plays music characterized by long improvisational passages] experience. Think Widespread Panic [a well-known Southern jam band] but at the Lord’s Table; one Alpha Course and Crown Financial Ministries after the next, and regional and local mission immersions.”

During Shelby’s time at Church of the Apostles, he volunteered for Young Life, where his team ministered to young people who, he said, had “fallen through the cracks” and were now responding to Christ. “We discipled them, introducing spiritual disciplines like lectio divina and centering prayer,” he said. “We grew exponentially as a community of people who had left or distanced themselves from church.”

Seawell and the community at Apostles next approached Shelby about seminary and ordination. “They called me out, directed me to discernment,” he said. He sensed a call to the ministry in high school but had never seriously considered pursuing it. Recognizing his mentors’ wisdom and feeling God’s call afresh, Shelby attended Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) from 2002-2005.

His time at VTS helped graft Shelby back into more traditional expressions of worship in The Episcopal Church. The regular daily disciplines of prayer, study and meals together were formative. “I’m grateful for all my professors and mentors at VTS,” he said.

Since seminary, Shelby has served in the following positions: curate of St. James Church in Fairhope, Alabama, 2005-2007; associate for family

Shelby, center.

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Shelby, second from left.

Fr. Stu with his wife, Crissy, and children from left, Sam, Jane Ellen, Mac and Lucy

ministry and evangelism at St. Martin’s Church in Houston, 2007-2011; and rector at St. Richard’s Church in Round Rock, Texas, 2011-2018.

Shelby married Crissy in 2002, and the couple has four children: Lucy (14), Sam (12), Mac (9) and Jane Ellen (6). The family’s favorite things to do are camping, hiking, swimming, movie nights and enjoying live music.

Shelby is excited to be a part of the community of All Saints. “Since starting in January, I’ve spent a solid hour of individual time with almost 150 of our brothers and sisters,” he said. “Their stories about our past as a parish and their hopes for our future reveal we are a congregation completely devoted to Jesus Christ and the mission God has entrusted to our diocese.” www.cfdiocese.org

SPOTLIGHT

Rector ‘Truly Blessed’ in His Calling

Meet The Rev. Trey Garland, Church of the Resurrection

By Ellen Ceely

W

hat do winemaking, law school and the priesthood all have in common? The Rev. Trey Garland! Born and raised in Houston, Garland now lives in Longwood and serves as rector at Church of the Resurrection.

God’s call first came to Garland during his eighthgrade year at St. Francis Episcopal Day School in Houston, “a clear moment of hearing and knowing God’s will for you,” he said. But this experience seemed “a bit surreal,” so he received guidance from the school chaplain.

However, Garland soon left his call experience behind. While in public high school, he realized something was missing. He attended different churches with friends but couldn’t find it.

One day, a classmate invited Gar land to nearby St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church. Attending with his grandmother, he found part of what he had sought and was baptized at 16 and confirmed at 17.

But not until Garland’s senior year of college at St. Chad’s College in Durham, England, did God solidify his call. “Any running I was going to do wasn’t going to be tolerated,” Garland said. When he surrendered, “all the doors opened.”

Garland

After college, Garland served in youth ministry in the Diocese of Texas for two years before entering The School of Theology at The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. “Sewanee was, for me, a wonderful formation period in community living, theology and music,” he said.

Next Garland served as curate at Church of the Good Shepherd in Tomball, Texas; chaplain while doing doctoral work at Durham University; assistant rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Marble Falls, Texas; and rector at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Greeneville, South Carolina. After five years in Greeneville, Garland returned to Texas in 2012 as rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Georgetown, where he became friends with The Rev. Stu Shelby (see article on page 20), who was the rector of neighboring St. Richard’s.

In mid-2015, Garland discerned what he believed was God’s call to enter The Roman Catholic Church. After taking Roman Catholic formation with a spiritual director, Garland left The Episcopal Church on Jan. 1, 2016, entering Pontifical College Josephinum (PCJ) in Columbus, Ohio, to

www.cfdiocese.org

study canon law and moral theology.

But by late March, God had convicted Garland for his lack of obedience. “I was called to be an Episcopal priest, and I needed to be faithful to that call.” He left PCJ, returned home and began law school at South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas, while waiting to serve a congregation again. Halfway through the first semester of his second year, he received the call from Church of the Resurrection, so he left law school and moved to Florida.

When not busy with pastoral duties, Garland enjoys cooking, which he said necessitates frequent workouts at the gym. “Beer- and winemaking are some of the ways I work on the virtue of patience,” he said. Spending time at a family home in Colorado, hiking, photography, shooting, reading and music round out his list of hobbies.

Garland’s favorite aspect of serving at Church of the Resurrection? “The people. The people are absolutely some of the warmest and friendliest I’ve ever been with. I am truly blessed to be called as their rector.”

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Central Florida en español

CFE EPISCOPALIAN Volumen 121, Núm. 4 / Julio-Agosto 2019

Reflexiones del Sabático Por Obispo Gregory O. Brewer

Mío y Tuyo

U

no puede esperar ser sacudido si quiere cambio en su vida”. Con estas palabras, el Obispo William Folwell se dirigió a una Convención Especial de la Diócesis de Florida Central en Octubre de 1970, hablando sobre lo que consideraba un proceso necesario de renovación. Con estas palabras en el fondo de mi espíritu embarqué en un tiempo de sabático, del cual acabo de regresar.

Lleno y Vacío Regreso lleno en corazón y espíritu. Las fotos que publiqué en Instagram no pudieron captar la belleza y la serenidad que mi esposa y yo experimentamos en Irlanda, Inglaterra y Estados Unidos.

Una señal de tráfico en Irlanda me llamó la atención: “Tráfico tranquilizando a 200 m”. Puedo decir con seguridad que este tiempo separado nos ha ayudado a calmar nuestro tráfico interno. Ya sea haciendo amistades con las ovejas de Inglaterra, adorando en iglesias alejadas de nuestro hogar, pero a la vez partiendo pan con queridos amigos y familiares, nos encontramos en paz; paz profunda y duradera que llega como un regalo lleno de gracia de Dios. Oración intencional, estudio intensivo de las escrituras y conversaciones profundas con amigos y mentores en la fe me tranquilizaron y me energizaron para el futuro.

También vuelvo a ustedes vacío: de estrés y de mismo.

Vacío de aquellas cosas que parecen urgentes pero que a menudo son menos importantes. Vacío de aquellos elementos en mi vida que se parecían demasiado al mundo y no lo suficiente como al Salvador.

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Sé que se pudo haber visto que Dios destinó este sabático solamente para mí, ya que, yo fui el que viajó, el que caminó el Camino de los Peregrinos, y el que no se presentó en la oficina diocesana por casi tres meses. Me mantuve alejado de mi teléfono (la mayoría de las veces) y no prediqué un sermón (al menos no en un púlpito de la Florida Central).

Pero quizás de lo que no se den cuenta es que nuestro Dios, siempre intencional, también destinó este sabático para la diócesis . Un obispo descansado, renovado, revivido significa un enfoque renovado para los próximos días.

Y porque sabemos que Dios es un padre que da “todo don perfecto” (Santiago 1: 17b), podemos confiar plenamente en sus propósitos y planes.

Durante mi tiempo fuera, consideré, contemplé y comuniqué mis ideas acerca de esos planes a algunos consejeros sabios de confianza. Tal vez porque Dios, de hecho, ha acelerado mi corazón con una carga por la brevedad de los días previos a mi jubilación obligatoria, llevo una carga por el trabajo que nos pide que hagamos. “Viene la noche cuando nadie puede trabajar”, nos dicen las Escrituras, así que “debemos trabajar las obras de aquel que me envió mientras es de día” (Juan 9: 4).

Trabajo y Descanso ¿Y cuáles son estas obras? Nuevamente, hago eco las palabras del Obispo Folwell: “Estoy comprometido con la creencia de que nuestro programa debe ser diseñado para la renovación espiritual, a partir del cual puede crecer un amor lleno de alegría el uno por el otro, (diferentes razas) amarnos unos a otros y amar juntos a Dios por encima de todo “. En los próximos años, nuestras iglesias se centrarán en tres objetivos principales:

July - August 2019

1.

Seguiremos adelante con el evangelio de Cristo, cuidando más de nuestros vecinos fuera de los muros de la iglesia que de una preservación de las tradiciones que mantenemos como un museo. ¿Nuestras vidas y nuestras iglesias reflejan este tipo de compromiso radical?

2.

Obispo Greg Brewer Abrazaremos el multiculturalismo de una de las ciudades más diversas del mundo. Nuestras iglesias deben reflejar las comunidades a las que sirven. Cuando no lo hacen, la iglesia se convierte en un club exclusivo en lugar de un hogar cálido y acogedor.

3.

Brindaremos excelente cuidado pastoral a nuestro clero. En su reflexión en la edición de Mayo / Junio, el Reverendo Dr. James Sorvillo escribió sobre descanso, renovación, reenfoque y reconexión. Nuestro clero necesita estas cuatro cualidades, ya sea que regresen de un año sabático, un retiro pastoral u otros “momentos de refresco ... de la presencia del Señor” (Hechos 3: 20a).

A medida que avanzamos, volvamos a comprometernos a practicar la presencia de nuestro Señor en el trabajo y en el descanso, y a permitirle la libertad de cambiar nuestras vidas, nuestras iglesias y el mundo al que nos llama cada día.

Gracia a ti,

Obispo Gregory O. Brewer

www.cfdiocese.org

DIOCESAN CALENDAR July 19, 2019 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Anti-Racism Training 1:30-4 p.m. – TEC Canons/ Title IV Training Diocesan Office, 1017 E. Robinson St., Orlando Participants are asked to bring a lunch. Drinks will be provided.

Interested persons are asked to register and confirm their attendance by emailing The Ven. Kristi Alday, dean of ICS, at kalday@cfdiocese.org or Marilyn Lang at mlang@cfdiocese.org

July 19, 2019 6:30-8 p.m. – Cursillo Ultreya

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 216 Orange Ave., Daytona Beach

July 21-26, 2019 Camp Wingmann Summer Camp No. 6

3404 Wingmann Rd., Avon Park This session if for students entering grades 3-5. Register online at www. campwingmann.org.

July 23, 2019 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. – Deep Roots and Wild Branches

All Saints Church of Winter Park, 338 E. Lyman Ave., Winter Park Sponsored by Fresh Expressions.

This seminar will deliver not just wishful thinking based on what’s worked in the past, but proven strategies for innovative church mission practices that are working in other churches (much like yours) around the country and the world. Bring your teams, friends, staff, and please share this within your networks. Cost is $25.

For more information, contact The Rev. Jon Davis at jon.davis@ freshexpressionsus.org or 321-4368006 (call or text).

www.cfdiocese.org

July 25-28, 2019 OSL International Conference

Hilton Orlando, Lake Buena Vista The International Order of St. Luke Conference will bring keynoter Judith McNutt along with special guest speakers on healing to the Orlando area Thursday, July 25 through Sunday, July 28. Register online at www.OSL2019.org/registration or email: info@OSL2019.org.

Aug. 10, 2019 9 a.m.-2 p.m. – DOK Diocesan Assembly of Central Florida Quarterly Meeting The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist, 1000 Bethune Drive, Orlando Registration/Continental Breakfast 9 – 9:40 a.m.

Celebration of Holy Eucharist 10 a.m.

Box Lunch Meeting Register and order lunch by email: drlharris08@att.net

by August 5

Aug. 24, 2019 10 a.m.-3 p.m. – Conference on Ministry

Church of the Messiah, 241 N. Main St., Winter Garden Commission on Ministry is hosting annual conference for those who have demonstrated leadership skills and a passion for leading and equipping God’s people. Conference is for those who might have a call for the diaconate or the priesthood and is required for all aspirants to ordained ministry. To register, contact Ellen Ceely at eceely@ cfdiocese.org or 407-206-4434.

Sept. 21, 2019 DOK Diocesan Assembly of Central Florida Annual Fall Assembly Christ the King Episcopal Church, 26 Willow Drive, Orlando 8:45 – 9:30 a.m. – Registration/ Continental Breakfast/Call to Order 10:30 – Celebration of Holy Eucharist Lunch and Meeting to follow Register early by August 21 ($15) after Aug. 21 ($20) by contacting Sue McIlrath, treasurer Email: mcilrathsuemac@cfl. rr.com or call (386) 788-4438

Bishop Brewer Visitation Schedule

Aug 18 Aug 25 Sep 8 Sep 15 a.m.

Sep 15 p.m.

Oct 20 Oct 27 Nov 3 Nov 10

Clermont, St. Matthias Mount Dora, St. Edward’s Longwood, Resurrection Palm Bay, Our Savior Orlando (Lake Nona), Bethesda Leesburg, St. James Lake Wales, Good Shepherd Ormond Beach, Holy Child Kissimmee, St. John’s/San Juan

Bishop Brewer’s visitation dates are subject to change.

Please refer to www.cfdiocese.org for the most current visitation listing.

Ordination and New Ministry Services Schedule Priesthood Ordinations

Jul 21 10:30 a.m.

Aug 3 10 a.m.

Aug 10 2 p.m.

Aug 16 7 p.m.

Sep 5 10:30 a.m.

Sep 22 5 p.m.

Geneva, Illinois, St. Mark’s Winter Garden, Messiah College Station, Texas, St. Thomas Orlando, Ascension Melbourne, Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy Upper School Ormond Beach, St. James

Deacon Ordinations

Sep 7 11 a.m.

Orlando, Cathedral

Oct 13

The Rev. Marcus Johnson The Rev. Rich Gonzalez The Rev. Becky Watts The Rev. Sara Oxley The Rev. Jared Jones The Rev. Jesse Lassiter Sam Katulic Gordon Sims Kim Spear Michael Switzer

Celebration of a New Ministry

10:30 a.m.

Eustis, St. Thomas

The Rev. Kathryn Jeffrey

Events and dates subject to change. Please check website of event location, or contact person, for the most current listings.

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Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN 1017 E. Robinson Street Orlando, FL 32801-2023

Non-Profit Organization

U. S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 4111 ORLANDO, FLORIDA

The ladies of All Saints Episcopal Church invite you to an evening of good food, good wine, good friends and a little shopping.

LEAH RICHARDSON, interior designer and author, will be the guest speaker. In her book, Interior Wisdom: Designing Your Home and Heart for the Lord, she illustrates how to use Christian inspiration to transform a home into a peaceful, beautiful haven. Bring your girlfriends as we come together to replenish and restore our hearts.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 6-8 p.m.

All Saints Episcopal Church 338 E. Lyman Avenue Winter Park, Florida 32751

The cost is $35 per person.

To make a reservation contact Beth Davis: 407-398-3798 or bethd@allsaintswp.com

Central CFE Florida

EPISCOPALIAN Volume 121, No. 4 / July - August 2019

“We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day.”

(John 9:4)

5 ‘Love and Unselfish Concern for One Another’ Start Inside Every Person 7 Rectors Express Concern for Orlando Residents 9 St. Luke and St. Peter Impacts Community Beyond Sunday Mornings 11 Deacons Are the Spark to Ignite the Fire for Christ 12 Lakeland Police Honor The Rev. Bob Johnson