Central Florida Episcopalian Newspaper May-June, 2018

CENTRALFLORIDAEPISCOPALIAN NEWS FROM THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA • WWW.CFDIOCESE.ORG • Volume 120, No. 3 • May-June 2018

Let the Holy Spirit Empower Something New on Pentecost Canterbury Director Departs for Fresh Expressions Movement Well-Traveled Presbyterian Finds Home in Episcopal Church

Vacation Bible School

Diocesan Contingent Prepares for 79th General Convention Auburndale Church Feeds Thousands in Polk County

Camp Wingmann

VBS Recommended Reading

Summer Camps

Bringing Children to Christ

The Diocese of Central Florida The Right Reverend Gregory O. Brewer, Bishop Serving 15 counties through 84 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 over 85 million Christians in over 165 countries around the world

Central Florida Episcopalian The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, Bishop The Rt. Rev. John W. Howe Retired The Rt. Rev. Hugo Pina-Lopez Retired The Rt. Rev. John Said Retired The Rt. Rev. William H. Folwell Retired The Rev. Canon Timothy Nunez Canon to the Ordinary The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb Canon for Vocations The Ven. Kristi Alday, Archdeacon

Table of Contents Bishop Brewer’s Column – ‘You Are What You Love’.................................................................3 Let the Holy Spirit Empower Something New on Pentecost.......................................................4 Easter Services in Pictures.....................................................................................................5 Canterbury Director Departs for Fresh Expressions Movement............................................. 6-7 Ordination Is a Homecoming of Sorts for Tom Phillips......................................................... 8-9 Bishop Brewer Travels 900 Miles for Duncan Ordination..........................................................9 Well-Traveled Presbyterian Finds Home in Episcopal Church..................................................10 Summer Spiritual Enrichment..............................................................................................11 Vacation Bible School (VBS) Camps Taking Registration................................................. 12-13 Middle-Schoolers Off to Great Start With ‘New Beginnings’...................................................14 Camp Wingmann to Offer Plenty of Fun This Summer............................................................15 Diocesan Contingent Prepares for 79th General Convention............................................ 16-20 79th General Convention Schedule......................................................................................21 Trio Represents Diocese at Deputies of Color Convention................................................ 22-23 Auburndale Church Feeds Thousands in Polk County.............................................................23 BACAM Conference Helps People Discern Their Calling.........................................................24 Same-Sex Marriage Task Force Begins Its Work....................................................................25 Bishop Brewer Visitation Schedule, Diocesan Calendar of Events..........................................27

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:3-5 (NRSV)

Mr. Earl Pickett, Diocesan Administrator Mr. Erick Perez, Subscription Manager LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Canon Tim (Nunez): I read the article sent to the Communications Dept. on me (St. Mark’s, Haines City, Organist Selected as Fellow for Prestigious Gould, on the cfdiocese.org website).

Very good article. I am very happy; and thanks for referring me to Mr. Gardenour.

I will email to my relatives and friends.

Joslyn Williams I just received the Central Florida Episcopalian (March-April 2018 issue). It is fantastic!! You included all my edit suggestions and the articles are super!

Thanks for doing such a great job! I like the paper’s new style. It is updated and clean and attractive. Good job!!

Father Bill Yates (interim director, Camp Wingmann, Avon Park)

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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

The Central Florida Episcopalian is published by the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida through the cooperative efforts of HigherLife Publishing & Marketing in Oviedo. Submissions are welcome, but are subject to editing and use at the discretion of the Central Florida Episcopalian.

Please submit notices two months prior to event, and follow-up information as soon as possible to: The Central Florida Episcopalian 1017 E. Robinson St. Orlando, FL 32801-2023 Email: eperez@cfdiocese.org • www.cfdiocese.org Tel: (407) 423-3567 • Fax: (407) 872-0006 Or HigherLife Publishing & Marketing Editorial Director: Jeff Gardenour / editorial@ahigherlife.com Project Manager: Will Hadley / whadley@ahigherlife.com website address: www.ahigherlife.com

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BISHOP BREWER

‘You Are What You Love’

By Bishop Gregory O. Brewer

T

he teenager who has attended church with her family since childhood but often escapes reality via a brisk razor slice to her forearm.

The faithful vestry member whose boss expects him to lie to a client.

The silver-haired leader of her church’s Altar Guild whose oncologist just suspended her chemotherapy, saying, “There’s nothing more I can do for you.”

We may attend church alongside any one of these people. We may be any one of these people. All three are facing the identical challenge you and I encounter every day: How do we live out our faith in the real world?

How Do I Live?

As the school year ends and temperatures soar, we adults think of little more than putting our feet up and escaping. Whether we enjoy a staycation, spend extra time at the beach or connect with family members, we want rest, not activity.

To us, “enrichment” may sound more like a burden than a blessing.

But our children and teenagers? Overflowing with energy, they look for outlets to expend it.

And (as you will read elsewhere in this issue) the Diocese of Central Florida offers multiple, meaningful avenues: summer camp experiences, Vacation Bible Schools, youth retreats and more. These children and teens want to grow, to have something new, something wondrous, happen in their lives.

We adults may avoid the activity, but as Christfollowers, we have the same profound longings.

This summer, you may take time to relax and read a book—or, if you’re like me, several.

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Reading allows you to rest your body but engage your mind.

Of course, this can only happen with the right kind of book. This summer, I recommend “You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit” by Dr. James K.A. Smith, the speaker for this October’s annual diocesan Clergy Conference.

Smith has written several high-level works that require some heavy theological background.

But this is not that. Instead, “You Are What You Love” contains substantive content in an accessible format. And it also speaks to the profound problem of living as Christians in an increasingly secular culture.

Smith explains that many churches design discipleship around the acquisition of information, as if we could somehow learn our way into being more effective Christians. But the real story is that we are more effective Christians to the extent that our hearts have been changed.

What Do I Love?

That idea of changed hearts relates directly to the book’s title. What do I love? What are my desires? And how can those desires be shaped in a way that draws me closer to Christ and allows me to become more of the person God intended me to be?

interact with others both inside and outside the Church. The book helps us examine Bishop Greg Brewer how we’re being discipled by the rhythms, rituals and assumptions in our culture, those factors that often put us at odds with our Christian faith.

If you read this and think, “Oh, this is all about rules,” you’ve missed it. Instead, Smith offers us the opportunity to see our culture through the lens of our Christian faith rather than the other way around.

As God works to bring my heart together, I move toward a deeper connection between what I live and what I believe. I move into a deeper sense of purpose in my life. I move into joy.

So this summer, when you start your stay-

cation or slip away to the beach or visit your family in what I hope is a cooler climate, take “You Are What You Love” along. You don’t have to read it all at once. Try a chapter or even part of a chapter at a time. Read it. Reflect on it. And then read some more. You may find that in the process, God shapes your heart in fresh ways.

I know He’s shaping mine.

Smith helps us examine these profound questions. In fact, he helps us ask, “God, how will you shape my heart?” I think that’s a much more fundamentally important issue than “God, what can I learn?”

Grace to you,

This is especially true today, where we have some deeply held beliefs but often lack a way to translate those beliefs into everyday decisions about what we read, what we watch or how we

Bishop Gregory O. Brewer

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

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DAY OF PENTECOST

Let the Holy Spirit Empower Something New on Pentecost

By Jim Sorvillo

They devoted themselves to the

apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42

W

hen it comes to the Day of Pentecost, we are usually so overwhelmed by the event, the details, the thought of having “a sound like the blowing of a violent wind from heaven” blow into our lives that we often forget about the result. One result of this new movement of the Holy Spirit was to empower the people who were open to its reception, to become the church. Acts 2 gives us insight into how this new group of people acted, how they “lived out” this new Holy Spirit life. They devoted themselves to it. They opened themselves to this new teaching. They found a common fellowship of people who were also “cut to the heart” by the eloquent words that, somehow, came out of this uneducated fisherman named Peter. They were moved to reinterpret the Seder through the lens of the Resurrection in a way that, not only honored their past, but also gave new hope to their future! And they prayed. I bet they did!

What is our response to this Pentecost? Does it make a difference in our lives, or is it just a day to wear our best red shirt or blouse to church?

Do we, as the Church, open our hearts and lives to a new movement of the Holy Spirit in a way that moves us to action, to grace, to love and to a message of redemption? Does it move us to risk a new way of living that allows God’s love to

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shine in and through our hearts?

Only you can answer that.

The Crucifixion, obviously, is about death, and we don’t like death. A room once called the “parlor” is now called “the living room.” We sequester ourselves from the experience of death, and not just physical death, but spiritual death, emotional death, relational death. We often ignore those dynamics in our lives that are dying because we can’t imagine what might be on the other side of it. So how do we get our minds around the fact that “we were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life?”

Try this: I invite you this year to allow that which does not work in your life, that which does not add but only subtracts from a Holy Spirit-driven life; I invite you to risk letting that die so that something new can be born in you. Through Christ’s death and resurrection and through the power of the Holy Spirit, God gives us the opportunity to live new lives. But you have to be willing to step out and risk something new, something different.

“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” … imagine that!

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

Fr. Jim Sorvillo Rector, Church of the Ascension, Orlando

Pentecost (Greek for 50 days)

commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, 50 days after the resurrection of Christ.

This year, the Day of Pentecost falls on Sunday, May 20.

—The Episcopal Church

Acts 2 New Revised Standard

Version (NRSV)

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

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EASTER 2018

Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Wales

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Auburndale

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Cocoa

Easter 2018 Around the Diocese Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Melbourne

a

St. Augustine of Canterbury, Vero Beach

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Lake Mary

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DIOCESE CHURCHES

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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

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DIOCESAN FAMILY PHOTO BY JEFF GARDENOUR/CFE

Canterbury Director Departs for Fresh Expressions Movement The Rev. Dr. Jon Davis leaves Oviedo retreat after 9 years at the helm

By Jeff Gardenour

The Rev. Dr. Jon Davis loves talking history and how the

Episcopal Church relates to important moments, even great American pioneering events such as the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

D

avis likens the decline in traditional church membership – a 20 percent drop from the late 1930s to 2016, according to a recent Gallup Poll – to the challenges that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark faced when crossing the western portion of the U.S. for the first time.

“All of a sudden, they get out west and they run out of water,” said Davis, referring to the expedition that began by water in St. Louis, Missouri. The expedition ran into the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass, a two-mile mountainous span covering the current border between Montana and Idaho. “They thought they were going to paddle all the way to the Pacific.

“They had a choice to make,” Davis said. “Either they could turn around and go back or adapt to an uncharted

territory. They were off the map. They stopped being rafters and river men and they became mountain climbers. And I think in some ways, we are running out of water in the traditional church, not just Episcopal.

“We have to adapt to an uncharted territory to something we don’t know,” Davis said. “It’s going to require different kinds of skills and different kinds of models for ministry. And a lot of those will be church, but it won’t be what Sunday morning looks like.”

One of those models in the post-Christendom area is Fresh Expressions, an innovative worldwide movement in which members create new forms of church alongside existing congregations to make contact with an ever-changing world. Fresh Expressions members go to a variety of places, including pubs, parks and other venues to share Christ’s message.

Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center executive director Jon Davis, second from right, accepts a $20,000 donation from Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Melbourne in April 2015.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CANTERBURY RETREAT & CONFERENCE CENTER

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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

The Rev. Dr. Jon Davis stepped down as executive director of Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center in May. He will be working in the Fresh Expressions movement in Seminole County.

Following 1 ½ years of research and reflection, Davis has decided to join that movement after nine years of working as the executive director of Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center in Oviedo. He said April 30 was the transitional date in which he formally planned to leave Canterbury.

Canon Tim Nunez of the Diocese of Central Florida said the Canterbury Board would like to have someone in place by June.

“I’m very excited,” said Davis, 58. “I’ve always had a passion for people to come and know and love Jesus. This is fueling those passions once again.

I want to get back to seeing people come to faith and being formed in faith. It taps a lot of my excitement around the mission of the church.

Canterbury has that mission, but it expresses it differently than a mission of community.”

Davis, who is married with two grown daughters, will be the first diocesan priest to run a Fresh Expressions movement in Seminole County. He will work virtually, reaching out from his home in Oviedo, as well as venture to places like Starbucks, Panera Bread, and other venues to share the Word of God. “I’m framing it as an Abbey Mission,”

Davis said. “An Abbey is a mission of community that does life together.”

Davis said his idea for an Abbey Mission came from book reading and a liturgical phrase: “Always and everywhere. In our liturgy in any joyful thing, always and everywhere you give thanks. I want this mission to be an always-and-everywhere thing. It’s a nice little way to think about how the kingdom grows.”

A native of Atlanta, Davis said he will work with John Motis, a deacon at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Lake Wales who is the diocesan chairman for Fresh Expressions. “I’m doing what a Christian might do with Campus Crusade for Christ,” Davis said.

Although he has been intrigued by Fresh Expressions for more than a year, Davis said his interest peaked when he attended the National Fresh Expressions Conference in March in Reston, Virginia.

“One of the very best conferences I’ve been to in a long time, in probably 20 or 30 years,” Davis said. “It was just top-notch. It was kind of reaffirming in a lot of ways. I’ve been working with the national director for Fresh Expressions, Chris Backert, as well as with some of the other staff.”

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DIOCESAN FAMILY Davis’ enthusiasm for the movement was noticed, and he was invited to join a team meeting before the conference started. “I really felt that these folks are doing the kingdom work that I want to be a part of,” he said.

Through Fresh Expressions, research and contacts, Davis has learned that people need to think of church in different ways in today’s society: a mission of community, highly relational, life to gether, and always and everywhere.

“It’s a highly relational model that I feel like God is calling me to,” Davis said. “We have had these movements over the past few years. Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter. But I really like what our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said: ‘Of course, all lives matter. But when there’s a house that is burning down, like in Ferguson, Baltimore, Chicago, where do you send the fire truck?’

“There’s been some injustice in our culture,” Davis said. “There has been some racism. There have been some problems out there. But even in that, All Lives Matter … we need to do some things about these things. But, ultimately, what it comes down to is – your life matters.”

Davis said there is a pronounced need for movements such as Fresh Expressions. Some religious scholars

have categorized two types of people – “Nones” and “Dones” – that spiritual leaders are trying to reach today. “‘Nones’ are people who have never had any connection with the church,” Davis said. “‘Dones’ are people who are fed up with the church – have walked away for whatever reason.

Fed up with the politics of the church, the theology of the church.”

Davis said one study showed that there are 14 million “Dones” out there, further justifying the need for Fresh Expressions. His decision to parlay his work into an Abbey Mission is based on how Abbeys worked in the Middle Ages to help people, most notably in hospitals and health care. Abbeys also worked in commerce and education, among other fields.

“Abbey Mission is one of a sense of living in community, this very intense relational community where your lives are shared, where you’re connected, where you’re growing in faith in the eyes of the Lord,” Davis said.

“And their purpose is to invite others to be a part.”

Davis said he tentatively has about 10 The Rev. Dr. Jon Davis, right, spends time with icon writer Theresa Harrison after a noonday Eucharist in 2016.

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The entrance to the Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center in Oviedo is a welcome sight to the many people who visit each year.

Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center in Oviedo is famous for offering visitors a sacred space for meetings and much more.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CANTERBURY RETREAT & CONFERENCE CENTER

to 15 lay people, some from the diocese, to help him in the Fresh Expressions movement in Seminole County.

“It’s a mission of community that can meet at Starbucks, Panera or Tijuana Flats,” he said. “We can figure some of that out. It’s a fluid kind of thing.”

The Fresh Expressions movement seems like a natural fit for Davis, who worked in youth ministry for 30 years.

He also served as vicar of the Church of the Incarnation in Oviedo for eight years (2006-14), which included a five-year overlap as executive director at Canterbury.

“My track hasn’t been typical,” Davis said. “But I don’t know if anyone’s life is typical. I’ve done a variety of different things that are kind of outside the norm for an Episcopal priest. I’ve been on the diocesan staff, I’ve planted a church and have run Canterbury, those kinds of things.

“Having been in youth ministry for 30 years, Fresh Expressions kind of feels like youth ministry to me,” Davis said. “It’s highly relational, it’s entrepreneurial, it’s about people coming to faith, and growing in their faith and being made disciples. That’s what

youth ministry always was to me.

That felt natural. I sensed for a while that my time at Canterbury was coming to an end.”

Davis oversaw a period of regrowth at Canterbury, taking over at a time when the economy was bad and unemployment was high. Today the retreat and conference center hosts diocesan events, community organizations, national events, a variety of missionary groups and much more.

“I feel like Canterbury has ministry as its driver,” Davis said. “Our distinction is that we offer people the idea of sanctuary, that sacred space. There are places around here that have spas and shopping and golf courses and all kinds of amenities. Our one single amenity that we really have that separates us is sacred space. I think we have seen Canterbury prosper under that over the last few years.

“It’s time for someone else to take the reins and take Canterbury to the next phase,” Davis said. “We brought the operation to health and sustainability.

We brought it to a way that is fruitful for the mission that Canterbury has.”

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

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DIOCESAN FAMILY

Ordination Is a Homecoming of Sorts for Tom Phillips Former Emmaus director hears calling to priesthood in Oviedo

By Jeff Gardenour

I

n many ways, the ordination of Tom Phillips to the priesthood felt more like a homecoming

than an official introduction into the priesthood. After all, it was just three years ago that Phillips’ school of biblical studies, Emmaus Ministries, was in danger of losing its home in North Carolina.

“We moved here in June 2015, surprisingly,” recalled Phillips after being ordained by Bishop Greg Brewer before an estimated crowd of 200 on a gorgeous Palm Sunday at Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center.

“We had intended to rent the facility in North Carolina. We had a verbal contract on the place in April of 2015 and it fell through in May and so our students were arriving in August. It took three months to find a spot.”

Much to his relief, Phillips found a spot at Canterbury, whose mission and ministry of fostering spiritual growth through its sanctuary, retreats and conferences have made it a welcome destination for many. A previous meeting with Canterbury executive director, the Rev. Dr. Jon Davis, helped set the wheels in motion.

“We met Jon a few months before when (he) had opened his conference room to us,” said Phillips, one of the founders of Emmaus Ministries, which established its first school in 2006. “We decided to come.

When we came here, it became pretty clear to me

that God had given us an opportunity for me to be me as a leader of Emmaus and for me as an Episcopalian to bring those two things together; it was pretty special.”

It was a special moment for many of the folks in attendance. Some cried, some shouted with glee after the ordination. Many stood in a line to thank him and receive a blessing.

“It’s been an amazing journey,” said Caleb Ives, a fifthyear Emmaus staff member who will become the ministry’s new director. “I remember Emmaus from years ago … I came in as a student and then when I came in on staff soon after that, Tom was talking about his heart. He grew up in the Episcopal Church.

“He had this passion for scripture and discipleship, and seeing people grow in relationship with Christ,” Ives said. “And he said, ‘Man, I’d love to see how God can bring these things together.’ When we were in North Carolina, it seemed impossible. So, now, five years later, God moves us to Florida, sends me to Canterbury.”

Ives was of one of multiple Emmaus staff members to witness Phillips’ step into the priesthood. Many lingered after the ordination to snap photos with and congratulate their former director.

For Phillips, it seemed like an easy decision to be-

Tom Phillips, left, kneels before Bishop Greg Brewer during his ordination to the priesthood on Palm Sunday, March 25, at the Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center in Oviedo.

come a priest. After all, it’s in his blood.

“I grew up in the Episcopal Church,” said Phillips, 38. “My dad was a priest, my grandfather was a priest; so, it’s the third generation. Having grown up in the Episcopal Church, I have a deep love for it.”

Phillips said his grandfather was a priest in New York for nearly 40 years. His father was ordained in the 1970s in New York, but moved the family to Oregon, Montana, and then to Charlotte, North Carolina.

But Phillips didn’t immediately feel the calling to be an Episcopal priest. He spent eight years in a non-denominational church in North Carolina while toiling to make Emmaus Ministries a success.

God intervened in 2015 when Emmaus needed a new home and Phillips and company trekked to Oviedo. “When I actually got down here, and began to see people in this Diocese, I began to love the leadership,” Ives said. “I got to know Canon (Tim) Nunez, Bishop Brewer.

“We saw these hearts, these leader hearts, that had a passion for the Gospel,” Ives said. “I think then that Tom started to have this awakening of desire to serve the church in the way that we at Emmaus do (because) we work at a lot of different parishes where you start to have a growing for the priesthood. It’s been really great walking alongside him.”

It was indeed the leadership of the Diocese of Central Florida that sparked something in Phillips’ heart for the priesthood. Coming to Canterbury and then meeting the diocesan leadership was the watershed moment for him.

“It was the theological climate of the Diocese and the leadership of Bishop Brewer,” Phillips said. “Bishop Brewer’s character and his love for the Gospel and his love for the Lord was really astounding to me.

Quite honestly, it changed how I felt about leadership in the Episcopal Church; it really did.”

Bishop Greg Brewer preaches during the ordination ceremony of Tom Phillips.

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An estimated 200 people crowded into Canterbury to watch the ordination of Tom Phillips.

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

PHOTOS BY ERICK PEREZ/CFE

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DIOCESAN FAMILY

Bishop Brewer Travels 900 Miles for Duncan Ordination Approximately 200 people turn out for celebration in Louisiana

Bishop Greg Brewer, center, prepares to celebrate the Eucharist. Flanking him are deacon Becky Chapman, left, and Tom Phillips, right.

By Jeff Gardenour

Tom Phillips, kneeling at right, prays behind Bishop Greg Brewer.

After spending some time as a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lake Mary, Phillips now will become priest-in-charge at Church of the Incarnation in Oviedo.

“I want to see that Church grow as the Lord leads it,” Phillips said. “I want to see people come to know Jesus. I’d love to see new people come to church who are non-churched.”

Phillips takes over a congregation of 40, with many being as young as he is. “One of the things that’s really neat about Incarnation is it’s a lot younger than the average Episcopal church,” he said. “Quite a few young people. Even the parishioners are largely working moms and dads. So, we absolutely want to reach out to the new, young demographic we have here in Oviedo. So, we want to see the church grow.

I’d love to see it outgrow the chapel there as quick as possible.”

Fellow clergy like Davis are more than happy to see Phillips finally become a priest. “With someone like Tom Phillips whose journey has Episcopal roots and has this experienced ministry mission outside of the Episcopal Church, and then he came home, and he found a home in the Diocese of Central Florida, I don’t know if he would have found that Episcopal home somewhere else,” Davis said. “He has a heart for the gospel. He is the right kind of people that we need here in ministry.”

Phillips and his wife, Julia, and children, Anna and Luke, reside in Chuluota.

Tom Phillips, left, cuts the first slice of his cake after being ordained into the priesthood.

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Sean David Duncan had the party of a lifetime in March when he was or dained to the priesthood, especially after learning that Bishop Greg Brewer would travel 900 miles to preach and celebrate the occasion.

D

uncan was one of three people to recently be ordained into the priesthood

by Bishop Brewer, joining Gregory Emanuel Favazza on March 18, and Tom Morgan Phillips on March 25.

However, Duncan’s ordination on March 10 was held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Shreveport, Louisiana – the only one outside of the Diocese of Central Florida.

A former part-time worker at Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center in Oviedo, Duncan was confirmed in the Episcopal Church (TEC) by Bishop Brewer in 2016 and entered the discernment process in the Diocese of Central Florida working toward possible ordination in the TEC. Duncan did additional work in Anglican Studies through Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Jacksonville and completed all of TEC’s canonical requirements for ordination.

lina to Oviedo a few years ago.

For Duncan, it was a move from Presbyterian to Episcopalian that caused him to reflect on ministry and realize Duncan his true calling. “I first heard the call to the priesthood when I was still in seminary at a Presbyterian school,” he said. “After I graduated, I began to talk with some Episcopalians and realized that my misconceptions about full-time ministry were unfounded. I was admitted to the discernment process in Central Florida in 2016. From there, it was a time of many transitions and difficulties, but by the end of the process, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that God’s call was there. All that was left was the ordination!”

Duncan’s current assignment is at St. Paul’s in Shreveport and he is ready for the challenge. “My goal is to be a faithful steward of the people and gifts God has entrusted to me,” he said. “This will work itself out in a number of different ways I think, but the overall aim and desire is the same.”

– Marilyn Lang contributed to this story.

“My ordination was wonderful!” said Duncan, who earned his Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree from Covenant Theological Seminary, a Presbyterian seminary, in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2015. “The people of St. Paul’s really know how to put on a party. Having Bishop Brewer come such a long way for it was a real honor for both myself and St. Paul’s. I could not have asked for a better ordination.”

A huge crowd of 200 people turned out for the ordination, rivaling Phillips’ ordination at Canterbury.

Phillips is the former Executive Director of Emmaus Ministries, which moved its base from North Caro-

Sean David Duncan, second from left, celebrates his ordination into the priesthood with Father Fred Manalas, far left; Bishop Greg Brewer, second from right; and Father Paul Martin, far right.

Sean David Duncan celebrates his ordination with son, Owen, far left, and wife, Amber Duncan, far right.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SEAN DAVID DUNCAN

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

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BRINGING CHILDREN TO CHRIST: LEADERSHIP

Well-Traveled Presbyterian Finds Home in Episcopal Church

Carol Clark is new Director of Youth & Family Ministry at St. Alban’s

By Jeff Gardenour

Z

igzagging from the Midwest to the Southeast to the Dominican Republic and back to the U.S. again proved to be the perfect spiritual journey for Lakeland’s Carol Clark.

Two decades after working with John Gullett at Covenant Theological Seminary in Missouri, Clark is working with Gullett again – this time at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Auburndale. Gullett, who is the rector at St. Alban’s, hired Clark as the church’s Director of Youth & Family Ministry in December 2017.

The full-time ministry position is the latest stop for Clark, who also

has worked as a nursery coordinator, pre-K teacher and in multiple administrative positions in Presbyterian churches in TenClark nessee and Missouri before spending a year at an international school in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

“We conducted a very thorough search for this position, working with the Youth Ministry Institute, and Carol was highly recommended for this position,” Gullett said.

“As it turns out, I have known Carol and her husband, Chris, for over 20 years since the three of us attended Covenant Theological Seminary to-

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Auburndale

gether. We are thrilled to have Carol and her family at St. Alban’s, and are excited to (serve) God at work in and through Carol’s ministry.”

Familiarity certainly played a hand in Clark’s hiring. Clark said Gullett was her boss when she was the seminary receptionist at Covenant.

She graduated from Covenant in 1998 with a Master of Arts in General Theological Studies. Her husband, Chris, graduated from Covenant with a Master of Divinity.

“During my time in seminary, I worked as an intern in youth and children’s ministry,” Carol Clark said. “Since having our oldest child, I have spent time working with our children in whatever class/age group that needed teachers/helpers.”

After work stops in Missouri, Tennessee and the Dominican Republic, the Clarks moved to Lakeland three years ago. Chris Clark currently teaches film at Southeastern University in Lakeland, which is just 11 miles from Auburndale.

Youth enjoy Easter egg hunting at St. Alban’s.

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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

Carol Clark’s interest in St. Alban’s began when the family visited the church for the first time on Ash Wednesday 2017. The couple and their five children – Bennett, 15; Wilson, 13; Mae, 11; Anne, 9; and Alice, 7 – quickly became regular attendees.

“We especially loved the richness of the liturgy and came back a number of other times for special services,” Carol Clark said. “Last fall we were praying about becoming more regular attendees at St. Alban’s, and during a lunch with the Gullett family, Father John talked about this position.

“We talked briefly about ideas to rebuild and renew the youth group and reach out to the young people in Auburndale,” Carol Clark said. “St. Alban’s was working with YMI (Youth Ministry Institute) to find a youth director. When the first set of candidates did not work out, I was able to interview with Steve (Schneeberger) at YMI and the vestry at St. Alban’s.”

St. Alban’s has become like the last piece of the spiritual puzzle for

www.cfdiocese.org

BRINGING CHILDREN TO CHRIST: LEADERSHIP

SUMMER

SPIRITUAL

ENRICHMENT

By Jeff Gardenour

H

undreds of youth, even adults, across the Diocese of Central Florida will stay busy this summer – thanks to Vacation Bible School (VBS), summer camps, and more.

There are even two great books to check out – “Start with the Why” by Simon Sinek and “Growing Young”

by Kara Powell, Jake Wilder & Brad Griffin – that will help Christians pass the time on rainy or sunny days here in Greater Orlando. The Rev. Canon Tim Nunez highly recommended the books.

Members of St. Alban’s Youth & Family Ministry enjoy a night out bowling. Kneeling far left is Father John Gullett, rector at St. Alban’s, and far right, Carol Clark, director of Youth & Family Ministry.

Many VBS camps begin in June, but some start in July and stretch into August. There are biblical-themed camps for everyone, with plenty of fun to be had indoors and outdoors.

The same can be said about the summer camps at Camp Wingmann, a popular pastime for youths across the Diocese. The spacious retreat in Avon Park will once again offer six camps for various age groups.

The one-week Wingmann sessions begin June 10-15 with Camp St. Mark and conclude July 2227 with Camp St. Mary.

Carol Clark, in orange-and-white striped shirt, coordinates and directs the children’s Christmas program at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Auburndale.

Carol Clark, the new Director of Youth & Family Ministry at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Auburndale, far right, stands with members of her youth ministry prior to the Bishop’s Event at Camp Wingmann in January,

Clark, who said she is enjoying the opportunity to serve the Lord in her ministry.

“It truly felt and still feels that God just fit it all together,” Clark said. “I am really thankful for the opportunity to get to know the young people at

St. Alban’s. I am praying that God would use me to get them more excited about growing their own relationships with Jesus! Our family has been welcomed by the warm people of St. Alban’s, and it’s a real joy to get to know them and to serve them.”

To help kickstart the summer spiritual season, the Central Florida Episcopalian interviewed the new Director of Youth & Family Ministry at St. Alban’s Episcopal in Auburndale: Carol Clark. She brings a wealth of experience to the Polk County church and we hope our readers enjoy this month’s feature story on her.

For more information on registering for VBS and summer camps, please go to the corresponding pages for details on how to sign up. Enjoy the summer and blessings to all.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ST. ALBAN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

www.cfdiocese.org

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

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BRINGING CHILDREN TO CHRIST: VBS

Vacation Bible School (VBS) Camps Taking Registration Bible-themed events feature loads of fun for youth

By Jeff Gardenour

S

ummertime is almost here and that means preparation for a very popular activity for Episcopal churches across Central Florida: Vacation Bible School (VBS).

Open to youth of various ages and featuring biblical themes such as “Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus” and “Babylon: Daniel’s Courage in Captivity,” among others, VBS camps begin in June, with some offered in July and August.

Following is a partial list of VBS camps in the Diocese of Central Florida. Events are subject to change with updates available online at the Diocese of Central Florida website at: http:// www.cfdiocese.org on the internet.

All Saints’ Episcopal Church 202 S. Massachusetts Ave. Lakeland, FL 33801 863-688-4502 June 11-15, 8:45 a.m.-noon.

Theme is “Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus.” Ages 2 and up. Special activities for toddlers and preschoolers, as well as stories, games, activities, and snacks for grade-school children. Teens register as volunteers to help as a big brother or big sister to younger students. Registration open at: https://www.allsaintsweb. org/289-vacation-bible-school-june-11-15 on the internet.

All Saints’ Episcopal Church 338 E. Lyman Ave. Winter Park, FL 32789 407-647-3413 June 18-22, 8:45 a.m.-noon

Theme is “Babylon: Daniel’s Courage in Captivity.” Cost of $40 includes T-shirt and CD. Friday is a designated “Water Day” for campers. For ages and more information, contact Dolly Dunnam at 407-617-6097 or Dollyd@allsaintswp.com via email.

Cathedral Church of Saint Luke 130 Magnolia Ave.

GE T MORE CFE NEWS ONLINE! Readers can get more news from the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida by accessing our online site:

www.cfdiocese.org

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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lake Mary is once again offering VBS (Vacation Bible School) and summer camps for kids. The Seminole County church is holding registration for seven weeklong camps and one VBS camp.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ST. PETER’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, LAKE MARY

Orlando, FL 32801 407-849-0680 July 16-20, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Theme is “Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus.” Open to youth who will be 4 by Sept.

1 through rising fifth-graders. Email Susie Dunlap at sdunlap@stlukescathedral.org for more information.

child after June 3 is $25, maximum $50 per family. Payments after June 3 are nonrefundable because of material costs for the camp. To volunteer and get 50 percent off, or register by June 3, go to: www.vbspro.events/p/ascensionorlando on the internet.

Church of the Ascension

Church of the Good Shepherd

Theme is “Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus.” Open to 3-year-olds, trained, through sixth-graders. Cost is $20 per child, maximum $40 per family. Cost per

Theme is “A Wrinkle in Time” from Madeleine L’Engle’s classic book. Lunch on Friday is at noon and parents and guardians are invited. Open to Kindergarteners through rising fifth-graders. Call the

4950 S. Apopka-Vineland Road Orlando, FL 32819 407-876-3480 July 30-Aug. 3, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

221 South Fourth St. Lake Wales, FL 33853-3856 June 4-8, 9-11:45 a.m.

www.cfdiocese.org

BRINGING CHILDREN TO CHRIST: VBS

VBS 2018

church office at 863-676-8578 for more information. To volunteer, go to: http:// www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b44adac23a20-vacation to sign up.

Church of the Messiah

241 N. Main St. Winter Garden, FL 34787 407-656-3218 June 25-29, 5:30-8:30 p.m., with free dinner at 5:30 p.m. for registered students.

Theme is “Babylon: Daniel’s Courage in Captivity.” Registration is being taken online at: www.vbspro.events/p/COTM2018 on the internet.

Episcopal Church of St. Mary 5750 SE 115 St. Belleview, FL 34420 June 25-29, 5:30-8 p.m.

Theme is “Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus.” Open to Kindergarteners through eighth-graders. Older youths will serve as leaders. Register at www.stmarysbelleview.org or call 352-347-6422.

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church 50 W. Strawbridge Ave.

www.cfdiocese.org

Melbourne, FL 32901 321-723-5272

June 18-22

Theme is “Hero Central.” Who’s a hero?

With God’s help, we all can be heroes for God. Come and join us explore ways to be God’s hero each and every day. We’ll explore the stories of five Bible heroes through a variety of creative outlets; enjoy snacks, games, music, and more! VBS is for children who are 3-years-old by January 2018 and through rising sixth-graders.

The cost is $15 per child, $40 per family max. Cost includes T-shirt. Online registration begins in May at http://holytrinitymelbourne.org on the internet.

St. Augustine of Canterbury 475 43rd Ave. Vero Beach, FL 32968-1836 772-770-3494 June 25-29, 9 a.m.-noon, with free light lunch daily at noon for students and their families.

Theme is “Babylon: Daniel’s Courage in Captivity.” Open to 3-year-olds through rising fifth-graders. Lunch will be served in the parish hall. Go to: https://vbspro. events/p/events/vbs2018staugustines/ details for more information.

St. Jude’s Episcopal Church 815 E. Graves Ave. Orange City, FL 32763 386-775-6200 June 11-15, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Theme is “Odyssey in Outer Space.”

Games, songs, lessons, crafts, food. Free.

Rector is Rev. Phyllis Bartle. Call the church for more information.

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church

2499 N. Westmoreland Drive Orlando, FL 32804 407-843-8448 June 18-22, 9 a.m.-noon.

Theme is “Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus.”

Open to pre-school children, trained, through Pre-K. Cost is $25 for elementary school kids who have completed Kindergarten through fifth grade; 50, for others. Go to: https://vbspro.events/p/events/cd0db3 for more information.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church 700 Rinehart Road Lake Mary, FL 32746 407-444-5673

SUMMER WEEKLY CAMPS Early bird pricing ranges from $120 to $140 based on week selected.

May 29-June 1: Theme is Star Wars Camp.

Open to 4-year-olds through sixth graders.

June 25-29: Theme is Choose Your Adven-

ture Camp. Open to 4-year-olds through sixth graders.

July 2-6: Theme is American Decades

Camp. Open to 4-year-olds through sixth graders.

July 9-13: Theme is World Cup Camp.

Open to 4-year-olds through sixth graders.

July 16-20: Open to 4-year-olds through

sixth graders. Early bird registration is $50.

For more information and to register, go to: https://stpeterslakemary.org/camps/ on the internet.

July 23-27: Theme is Game Show Camp.

Open to 4-year-olds through sixth graders.

July 30-Aug. 3: Theme is Lights, Camera, Action Camp. Open to 4-year-olds through sixth graders.

Aug. 6-9: Theme is Imagineering Camp.

Open to 4-year-olds through sixth graders.

Kids Games VBS: Heroes Helping Others (H20).

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

13

BRINGING CHILDREN TO CHRIST: MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMP

Middle-Schoolers Off to Great Start With ‘New Beginnings’

By Jeff Gardenour

Based on turnout and feedback, the latest “New Beginnings” helped middle-schoolers get off to a great spiritual start in 2018.

N

ew Beginnings 110 drew a whopping 85 youth, adult sponsors and team members on March 9-11 at Camp Wingmann in Avon Park.

Sponsored by the Diocese of Central Florida, the event is one of the most popular youth retreats held at the spacious camp in northern Highlands County.

“It was one of the best weekends ever in my opinion,” said the Rev. Phyllis Bartle, the rector at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Orange City and one of the organizers of New Beginnings. “Also, based on the weekend summary sheets that students and sponsors completed, they were touched by the talks, the interactions in their ‘family groups’ and their opportunity to grow.”

The talks were very popular with campers. “Each of the leaders is given an outline to guide their talks,” Bartle said. “Our married couple, Justin and Joy Butler; our spiritual director, Sonia Sullivan-Clifton; and our junior weekend advisor, Elizabeth Nunez; took those outlines and personalized them depending on the relationship.”

Discussions led to contemplating many aspects of Jesus, and campers provided some feedback.

“The discussion about our relationship with Jesus was started with a short skit that illustrated God’s willingness to send His Son to free His people from Satan and to pay the price for their

14

Natalie Miller makes a presentation during the New Beginnings camp in March at Camp Wingmann in Avon Park.

The Rev. Phyllis Bartle, one of the organizers of New Beginnings, enjoys a moment with staff member Nick Dwyer, right.

freedom,” Bartle said. “The talk continued to forgiveness and our need for it. We had each participant write something for which they needed forgiveness on a piece of paper, then they went to the chapel and placed that paper in a large, clear container where they were able to see the sin disappear.”

In addition to spirituality discussions and listening, youth participated in games, a talent show, hands-on prayer, poster making, letter writing and swimming when weather permitted.

New Beginnings was established by the Diocese of Central Florida more than 30 years ago. Designed for middle school students ages 12-15 but run by high school students and supervised by youth leaders, clergy and other adults, the retreat has helped scores of youth grow in love for themselves, for others and for Jesus.

Joy Butler and Elizabeth Nunez, right, ham it up during New Beginnings.

“New Beginnings has become a favorite weekend retreat for many students because it allows them to experience the love of God in the pristine setting of Camp Wingmann,” Bartle said. “They make lifelong friendships with those who come from all over the diocese.

“The teens are allowed and encouraged to come to the weekend again and again to the point that many go on to become weekend leaders themselves and serve as small-group leaders, prayer team members and in many other roles,” Bartle said.

For more information about New Beginnings, call Bartle at 386-775-6200, or email her at phlealess@aol.com on the internet.

The uniqueness of Camp Wingmann also has played a hand in the success of New Beginnings. The retreat has an old-time Florida feel that inspires visitors time and again.

The acoustic set delivers a performance on a Saturday afternoon during New Beginnings. Father Deke Miller, second from left with guitar, is the former Camp Wingmann director.

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

www.cfdiocese.org

BRINGING CHILDREN TO CHRIST: SUMMER CAMPS

Camp Wingmann to Offer Plenty of Fun This Summer

Individuals can register online at:

https://www.campwingmann.org/register/ on the internet. For more information, call 863453-4800 or email camp leaders at campwingmann@gmail.com via the internet.

Tubing, sailing, kayaking, swimming planned for youth

By Jeff Gardenour

C

amp Wingmann will feature a little of the old and the new in summer camps this year when youth flock to the popular retreat for plenty of fun.

Returning as director – albeit in an interim fashion – is Father Bill Yates, who, along with his wife, Joanie, helped revive the camp in 1998 before leaving about 3 ½ years ago when Bill became vicar at Church of the Redeemer in Avon Park.

One of Yates’ first managerial decisions was hiring former Wingmann camper and counselor J.J. Joseph as summer camp director. Joseph, 30, is a 2005 Sebring High graduate who has experience with many churches throughout Florida.

Joseph has an associate’s degree from Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne and a two-year certificate in youth ministry from YMI (Youth Ministry Institute). A vibrant, charismatic leader, he currently is working toward his bachelor’s degree in youth ministry through Southwestern College’s online program.

Yates also is working wonders in bringing back some of the old charm from Wingmann camps of yesteryear.

On Feb. 13, he announced that a beautiful 17-foot Malibu ski boat had been donated to the retreat in Avon Park.

The boat will allow camp leaders to take four youths at a time for tubing on Trout Lake.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CAMP WINGMANN

www.cfdiocese.org

“It’s wonderful,” Yates said in an interview earlier this year. “The kids will have a blast riding the tube this summer.”

Yates said this will mark the first time in a while that campers will enjoy tubing as part of the water activities during Wingmann’s summer camps. Other water activities will include sailing, kayaking and swimming.

Water activities will be one of many fun things for youth to enjoy when Camp Wingmann kicks off its summer camp season on Sunday, June 10. Camp St. Mark, which runs June 10-15, is for senior high youth entering grades 9-12, and is the first of six weeklong camps for various age groups. Registration opened March 1.

Through the years, hundreds of youth from around the Diocese of Central Florida and beyond have participated in the annual camps. The camps are so popular that many former campers return and serve as counselors once they have graduated high school and turned 18.

“We have had good turnouts for years,” Yates said. “They love the whole experience. It’s a lot of fun and games. But we also do some serious things. We spend time at the chapel. They (the campers) ask questions about God that maybe they wouldn’t be comfortable asking a parent.”

CAMP WINGMANN

Registration for summer camps opened March 1, and closes one week prior to the start of each camp session. Here are the camps as listed by Camp Wingmann: A youth has a blast during an outdoor activity at a Camp Wingmann summer camp.

to near capacity (120), especially the camps for middle schoolers. “With the middle schoolers, we will get 85 to 90 campers,” Yates said. “Then, when you factor in 24 staff, volunteers, two clergy, myself, and others, we easily go over 120. We pack it in.”

Yates said Camp Wingmann draws many returnees for spiritual reasons.

“For many, it becomes a spiritual habit,” he said. “Every year, they come back.

They are ready to come back and get pumped up again. Many of them go on to be counselors, themselves.”

Camp Wingmann also sees familiar clergy. Leaders like Canon Tim Nunez, the Rev. Brian Garrison from St. Barnabas Church in DeLand, and the Rev. Alison Harrity from St. Richard’s Episcopal Church in Winter Park – to name a few – come and serve as chaplains for one of the sessions. Additionally, Bishop Greg Brewer usually attends one of the camps, Yates said. “They enjoy it,” Yates said.

June 10-15 Camp St. Mark

First session of summer camp is open to senior high age campers entering grades nine through twelve.

June 17-22 Camp St. Barnabas

Second session of summer camp is open to middle schoolers entering grades six through eight.

June 24-29 Camp Trinity

Third session of summer camp is open to elementary school age campers in grades three through five.

July 8-13 Camp St. Peter

Fourth session of summer camp is open to senior high school age campers entering grades nine through twelve.

July 15-20 Camp St. Francis

Fifth session of summer camp is open to middle school age campers entering grades six through eight.

July 22-27 Camp St. Mary

Sixth session of summer camp is open to elementary school age campers in grades three through five.

– Compiled by Jeff Gardenour

Some of the sessions traditionally push the camp Kids enjoy some canoe time during a summer camp.

Camp Wingmann in Avon Park will offer six summer camps with biblical themes for youth of all ages.

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

15

2018 GENERAL CONVENTION of THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Diocesan Contingent Prepares for 79th General Convention Bishop Brewer, 10 clergy and lay people, will head to Texas

By Jeff Gardenour

Some spiritual leaders describe it as one of the biggest legislative bodies in the world in which thousands of Episcopalians converge on one city for the glory of God.

T

he 2018 General Convention of The Episcopal Church is expected to be just as enthusiastically attended as previous years when the 79th annual event is held July 2-13 in Austin, Texas. Bishop Greg Brewer and 10 clergy and lay deputies from the Diocese of Central Florida will attend the convention, which is the governing body of the Episcopal Church.

The convention’s main venue is the Austin Convention Center. But there also will be meetings at the nearby Marriott and Hyatt hotels.

The General Convention, which is a bicameral legislature that is composed of the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops, consisting of deputies and bishops from each diocese, meets every three years, according to the generalconvention.org website. Attendees examine and discuss a wide variety of significant issues facing the Church.

Work matters accomplished are implemented by committees, commissions, agencies, boards and task forces established by General Convention in be-

16

tween each triennial meeting.

Seven members of the Diocese of Central Florida contingent received deputation assignments for the 2018 General Convention. They are: Bishop Brewer, Evangelism and Church Planting; the Rev. Phyllis Bartle, vice chair of Stewardship & Socially Responsible Investing; Sonya Shannon, Christian Formation and Discipleship; Krisita Jackson, secretary of Privilege and Courtesy; the Rev. Jim Sorvillo, Congregational and Diocesan Vitality; Tom Alday, Evangelism and Church Planting; and Erick Perez, Prayer Book, Liturgy and Church Music.

Also representing the Diocese of Central Florida are the Rev. Canon Tim Nunez, Canon to the Ordinary; the Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb, Canon for Vocations; the Rev. Jose Rodriguez; and Heather Rodriguez.

The Central Florida Episcopalian reached out to the diocese’s representatives for their thoughts on being a part of the 2018 General Convention. Here is what they had to say:

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

The Rev. Phyllis Bartle

time discussion.

Church: St. Jude’s Episcopal Church, Orange City

How is the General Convention important to the Episcopal Church at large?

Convention position: Clerical Deputy Is this your first trip to the General Convention? If so, what are your thoughts on attending this event for the first time? If not your first time, how many times have you attended, and what was your general reaction?

I am a Clergy Deputy, serving in the House of Deputies. This is my fifth time as a deputy and second time serving as the Chair of our Deputation. I have served as secretary on the Stewardship Committee for the past two conventions and have been asked to serve this time as the vice chair of the committee.

What do you figure will be the most important thing discussed at this year’s Convention?

I expect this convention to be much like those in the past, with over 800 resolutions passing through committees as they make their way to the floor of the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. Prayer Book revision is one issue I expect will draw much floor-

General Convention is the body that regulates our Church. It is made up much like our Congress with a House of Deputies and a House of Bishops. The democratic process of election of deputies assures that voices from around the country are represented and heard. The hours are long – committee meetings many times begin as early as 7 a.m., and other meetings require late-night gatherings.

The Rev. Dr. Canon Justin Holcomb Church: Diocese of Central Florida, Canon for Vocations; associate priest for the Cathedral Church of Saint Luke, Orlando Convention position: Clerical Deputy Is this your first trip to the General Convention? If so, what are your thoughts on attending this event for the first time? If not your first time, how many times have you attended, and what was your general reaction?

I’m a first-timer. For over four years, I have

www.cfdiocese.org

2018 GENERAL CONVENTION of THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH served as Canon for Vocations for the Diocese of Central Florida and as an associate priest for the Cathedral Church of Saint Luke. Before serving in this diocese, I was a priest in the Diocese of Virginia, where I was ordained to the priesthood in 2006.

In my role of Canon for Vocations, I focus on developing and training leaders with missionary vision to lead and serve in local congregations. Lots of my time and energy is given to the discernment process for ordination to the priesthood, where I work closely with the Commission of Ministry and Standing Committee. The continued nurture and developing of our clergy is also a high priority as I oversee ministry, leadership and mission for newly ordained priests or priests new to the diocese; assist with continuing education opportunities for clergy; and work closely with Clergy Event Committee and the Congregational Development Commission.

What do you see as the most important challenge facing General Convention 2018?

There are numerous challenges, such as the presiding bishop’s call and focus on evangelism, the challenge of declining attendance in TEC (The Episcopal Church) churches, and more. However, I see the most important challenge is the need for wisdom regarding how to walk together in unity as the Episcopal Church in light of significant and important doctrinal disagreements, and also how TEC relates to the global Anglican Communion. At the invitation of the presiding bishop and the archbishop, Bishop Brewer and our diocese have served as a bridge in the midst of disagreement both in the Episcopal Church and the global Anglican Communion. I think this General Convention is an important opportunity to continue that ministry.

www.cfdiocese.org

The Rev. Canon Tim Nunez Church: Diocese of Central Florida, Canon to the Ordinary Convention position: Clerical Deputy Is this your first trip to the General Convention? If so, what are your thoughts on attending this event for the first time?

If not your first time, how many times have you attended, and what was your general reaction?

This is my first General Convention.

I’m curious what it will be like to participate in the “Councils of the Church” at this level.

What do you figure will be the most important thing discussed at this year’s Convention?

The possibility of beginning the process of Prayer Book revision.

How is the General Convention important to the Episcopal Church at large?

It sets canon law that the church must follow.

How will our deputies talk about the importance of Bishop Greg Brewer’s message of “Evangelism – Embracing Our Neighborhoods” at the General Convention?

We’ve got quite a witness to share about how Jesus is reinvigorating our life and work. We hope to be of help and encouragement to others.

What do you hope to learn from this year’s event?

While much of the work of the General Convention may seem mundane or controversial, we are blessed with an effective organizational structure for our

Church that has been formed over the years. We tend to disregard it – until we need it. I’m looking forward to taking part in it.

The Rev. Jim Sorvillo Church: Rector, Church of the Ascension, Orlando Convention position: Clerical Deputy Is this your first trip to the General Convention? If so, what are your thoughts on attending this event for the first time?

If not your first time, how many times have you attended, and what was your general reaction?

This will be my third time to General Convention. In my opinion, it takes a couple times to go through General Convention in order to get an idea of how it works, and how one can work in it. Between morning committee meetings and resolution hearings to time on the floor of the House of Deputies to evening hearings and meetings, each of the 12 days can run from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. It can be both grueling and exciting to be a part of such a process.

What do you figure will be the most important thing discussed at this year’s Convention?

Early conversations indicate a move to begin the revision process for The Book of Common Prayer in order to accommodate gender-neutral language and make space for same-sex marriage. At the same time, in regard to the same-sex marriage trial-use-rites which are currently available to those dioceses who wish to use it, there is a move to remove what is called the “conscience clause” from the legislation, which, in essence, forces a bishop to allow such rites in all

dioceses without exception. This directly challenges the theological authority of the diocesan bishop, which should be concerning to all.

How is the General Convention important to the Episcopal Church at large?

Beside the Bible, The Book of Common Prayer, and the Constitution and Canons, the General Convention is the authoritative canonical apparatus available to us to make decisions as the Episcopal Church. It gives us a chance to bring all of our differences and commonality into one place in order to discern God’s desire for our churches present and future.

How will our deputies talk about the importance of Bishop Greg Brewer’s message of “Evangelism – Embracing Our Neighborhoods” at the General Convention?

As elected deputies, we are called to represent the Diocese of Central Florida and use all available means to move legislation forward which align with the vision and mission of our diocese.

In regard to the bishop’s specific call to evangelism, as a denomination whose current trend is to lose more parishioners than it’s gaining, it would serve us well to find new ways to reach out to our communities in order to invite them into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. If we ignore this call, we do so at our own peril.

Are you serving on any special committees at the convention?

I have been asked to serve on the Committee for Diocesan and Congregational Vitality.

Please see GENERAL CONVENTION page 18

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

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2018 GENERAL CONVENTION of THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH GENERAL CONVENTION … continued from Page 17

What do you hope to learn from this year’s event?

“Hope” is the key word in this question. I hope that the members of General Convention will seek God’s leading over societal trends. I hope that General Convention will make decisions which bring people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ instead of dividing people based on identity politics. I hope to learn that the members of General Convention will follow the call of the Holy Spirit, humbly and obediently, over following their own political goals and desires.

The Rev. José Rodríguez Church: Interim rector, Iglesia Episcopal Jesus de Nazaret, Orlando Convention position: Clerical Deputy (1st Alternate) Is this your first trip to the General Convention? If so, what are your thoughts on attending this event for the first time? If not your first time, how many times have you attended, and what was your general reaction?

This is my first trip. I am very much looking forward to attending this Council of the Church. I very much believe that when the church gathers the Holy Spirit is present and moves. I very much believe that the Holy Spirit still speaks to the Church and look forward to us gathering together to listen.

How will our deputies talk about the importance of Bishop Greg Brewer’s mes-

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sage of “Evangelism – Embracing Our Neighborhoods” at the General Convention?

As a Latino member of the neighborhood who is underrepresented in the life of the Church, I am very much bringing our bishop’s charge to us into convention. Evangelism is about spreading the good news of God in Christ. Many of us see evangelism as saving souls – which is our major push – but evangelism also reveals hope and the good news that in Christ we find freedom from a variety of things that hurt, bind, and bring us and our communities down.

For those of us of a different people group in the Episcopal household of faith, evangelism also gives us hope that there is room for us at the table as we are and that those things that make us unique have equal footing in the life of the Church. Often we talk of the dignity of persons as individuals, but I will speak of evangelism also reaching out and welcoming people in as a people group. I will communicate that our evangelistic efforts must respect the dignity and integrity of people groups.

I take the evangelical embrace of our neighborhoods to include an embrace of people and the culture they bring into the church. I also hope that in reaching out to our neighborhoods, we configure our local congregations to adapt and embrace our neighbors by encouraging them to grow into the full stature of Christ in the fullness of the God-given diversity the Almighty has given each and every one of us.

What do you hope to learn from this year’s event?

I hope to find a convention that is

open to issues of diversity not merely of the black-and-white binary, but in the shades that interracial marriage has in-

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

troduced into the conversation; interracial marriage, and it ever becoming more and more common, forces conversations to happen that often get put to the back burner. I hope to find these conversations at Convention.

Tom Alday Church: Because my wife (Kristi Alday) is the archdeacon, I have the privilege of accompanying her – visiting and worshipping in many of our congregations in Central Florida.

Convention position: Lay Deputy Is this your first trip to the General Convention? If so, what are your thoughts on attending this event for the first time? If not your first time, how many times have you attended, and what was your general reaction?

Yes, this is my first convention. I am excited to represent the Diocese of Central Florida. I am also humbled by the people of the diocese that elected me to speak on their behalf to the national church at large.

What do you figure will be the most important thing discussed at this year’s Convention?

Not having a crystal ball, I cannot say.

However, I know there are several critical and divisive issues that will come before General Convention. I welcome the opportunity to speak to and have dialogue with others who may not embrace the Orthodox faith and hopefully come to an understanding, while never sacrificing the truth of the Scripture.

How is the General Convention important to the Episcopal Church at large?

Hopefully, General Convention can bring us together to build unity and address diversity issues as we walk together in faith. Reestablish firmly that our faith is the platform for any issue that confronts us.

How will our deputies talk about the importance of Bishop Greg Brewer’s message of “Evangelism – Embracing Our Neighborhoods” at the General Convention?

It is my prayer that the deputies, not just from Central Florida, but also from the Church at large, will employ evangelism as the lenses through which we all approach General Convention.

Are you serving on any special committees at the convention?

Yes, I am. I was asked to serve on Evangelism and Church Planting.

What do you hope to learn from this year’s event?

This is my first convention, so I want to learn as much as possible so that I can be a positive voice for the Diocese of Central Florida and the Episcopal Church.

Krisita Jackson Church: St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Orlando Convention position: Lay Deputy Is this your first trip to the General Convention? If so, what are your thoughts on attending this event for the first time? If not your first time,

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2018 GENERAL CONVENTION of THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH how many times have you attended, and what was your general reaction?

I was honored to have served for the first time as a deputy to the General Convention in 2015. Serving as a deputy was an exciting and educational experience.

It was educational to see the process of the convention unfold legislatively – two houses working concurrently to make decisions which would determine the direction of the Episcopal Church in the short and long term.

In 2015, the presiding bishop election was held. We had an opportunity to hear the candidates field questions from the body prior to a vote. The House of Deputies decidedly voted to elect Michael Curry on its first vote. There was excitement in the air as we waited to learn of the vote in the House of Bishops. Joy filled the air as Presiding Bishop-Elect Michael Curry processed into the House of Deputies following a short deliberation of the House of Bishops.

What do you figure will be the most important thing discussed at this year’s Convention?

I have been following some discussions online regarding the revision of the Prayer Book. There are many opinions and perspectives on what changes should be made, if any. The status of same-sex unions and liturgies I think will also be a priority for some members of our Church. Budget, of course, is always a high point of General Convention.

As an African-American, and descendant of parents who attended Historically Black Colleges and Universities, I have an interest in continuing support of these institutions. The Episcopal Church has a checkered history regarding race but has played a significant role for over 150 years in supporting edu-

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cation. Some of these institutions have raised up and educated priests, some of whom still serve among us.

How is the General Convention important to the Episcopal Church at large?

I believe the decisions made at General Convention largely determine the face our Church presents to the world – and to all of its members in our own communities. The Jesus Movement preached by our Presiding Bishop Curry must be supported by the leaders of our convention and Church in word and deed.

How will our deputies talk about the importance of Bishop Greg Brewer’s message of “Evangelism – Embracing Our Neighborhoods” at the General Convention?

Bishop’s Brewer’s message is the way in which we in our parishes support the Jesus Movement and evangelize. We are called wherever we may be to share the good news of the gospel and make disciples.

Are you serving on any special committees at the convention?

I am excited to have been appointed to serve for the second time as secretary of the Privilege and Courtesy Committee. It is mandated to receive and propose resolutions that commend individuals or organizations and propose resolutions that express the House’s appreciation for groups or persons.

What do you hope to learn from this year’s event?

I pray to walk away from the 2018 General Convention with my faith reaffirmed that this Church (in) which I was raised and continue to serve in is committed to living out Matthew 25:3540. “For I was hungry and you gave me

food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me ... just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

Erick Perez Church: Church of the Incarnation, Oviedo

message of “Evangelism – Embracing Our Neighborhoods” at the General Convention?

Prayer Book revision will definitely be the “hot topic” at convention.

Are you serving on any special committees at the convention?

I have been appointed to committee #12, which is the Prayer Book, Music, and Liturgy Committee.

Sonya Shannon

Convention position: Lay Deputy Is this your first trip to the General Convention? If so, what are your thoughts on attending this event for the first time? If not your first time, how many times have you attended, and what was your general reaction?

This will be my first General Convention.

What do you figure will be the most important thing discussed at this year’s Convention?

Other than legislation of topics and discussions with different points of views, I do not know what to expect. I do feel honored to be serving as a deputy for the Diocese of Central Florida.

How is the General Convention important to the Episcopal Church at large?

From what I’ve gathered, it is as big a deal as when the (U.S.) Congress meets. Resolutions are put forward to vote in order to amend how the Church can keep moving forward into the future.

How will our deputies talk about the importance of Bishop Greg Brewer’s

Church: The Cathedral Church of Saint Luke, Orlando Convention position: Lay Deputy Is this your first trip to the General Convention? If so, what are your thoughts on attending this event for the first time? If not your first time, how many times have you attended, and what was your general reaction?

This is my fourth convention. The process is amazing.

What do you figure will be the most important thing discussed at this year’s Convention?

Marriage is always the hot topic.

Are you serving on any special committees at the convention?

I will be serving on Formation and Education.

Please see GENERAL CONVENTION page 20

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2018 GENERAL CONVENTION of THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH GENERAL CONVENTION … continued from Page 19

Heather Rodríguez Church: Minister of Music, Church of the Incarnation, Oviedo Convention position: Lay Deputy (1st Alternate) Is this your first trip to the General Convention? If so, what are your thoughts on attending this event for the first time? If not your first time, how many times have you attended, and what was your general reaction?

Yes, this is my first trip to the General Convention. I am going open-minded as to what to expect. There’s been a lot of talk about a variety of issues, but I am hoping to get past all the “noise” and focus on our sacred duty to hear God’s voice in all of this.

What do you figure will be the most important thing discussed at this year’s Convention?

My best guess for the most discussed points would be Prayer Book revision and gay marriage; that’s different than the most important thing discussed.

To me, the most important discussions deal with our unity as a Church.

I’ve been very concerned over how some dioceses and entire provinces have been marginalized. I am hoping that some of our most important discussions focus on our life together and moving forward together.

How is the General Convention important to the Episcopal Church at large?

It is important for the whole Episcopal Church to be united, understand

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each other’s differences, and establish relationships with each other. In my prayers, I’ve focused on Jesus’ prayer, “That they may all be one.” I hope we can look beyond our own wants and desires to focus on moving forward as one body.

How will our deputies talk about the importance of Bishop Greg Brewer’s message of “Evangelism – Embracing Our Neighborhoods” at the General Convention?

When evangelizing, it is important to look at the neighborhood you are trying to reach. You cannot reach someone if you are unwilling to understand their point of view, whether that be culture, language, or life experiences. If we are going to effectively evangelize and reach others, we must remember that communication isn’t just talking. We need to have difficult conversations.

We need to hear difficult things. We must be willing to try to understand difficult things. If we truly are going to (be) like Jesus, we have to experience the lives of others and not expect them to live the way we live our lives.

What do you hope to learn from this year’s event?

I want to learn how to make a difference in the Episcopal Church’s legislation. One cannot stand on the sidelines and hope to make change. So many people call this “politics.” This doesn’t have to be a negative thing. This can be a very positive thing. Labeling the church’s legislative processes as politics and “bad” discourages people from fully participating in this very important gathering. When we walk away from wrestling through difficult conversations because they are too “political,” we silence our own voice, discourage others from participating and being heard, and cause the hurt we are trying to avoid.

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

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79th GENERAL CONVENTION SCHEDULE

Resolution Filing Deadline 5:00pm

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DIOCESAN FAMILY The diocesan trio of, from left, Erick Perez, Jose Rodriguez and Krisita Jackson participated in the Deputies of Color Convention.

Trio Represents Diocese at Deputies of Color Convention The Rev. Rodriguez, Jackson, Perez encourage diversity at event

By Jeff Gardenour It has been 50 years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister who championed civil rights for more than a decade in America. King’s reliance on advocating civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience were based on his Christian background.

A

half-century later, King’s efforts to make society more diverse and inclusive for all are still being felt. One such example is the Episcopal Church’s Deputies of Color Convention, held recently in Austin, Texas. The event brought minorities together for purposes of discussing issues and priorities, and electing officers to represent them in the Church.

General Convention, and even becoming acquainted with the convention site.”

Jackson said the purpose of the convention is twofold: caucus and debate. “Minorities have played a significant role in the life of our Church throughout its history,” she said. “For many years, these contributions have been ignored, and we have been relegated to separate meetings and spaces. We have been disenfranchised in terms of having a place at the tables where decisions were being made.

Three individuals from the Diocese of Central Florida attended the Deputies of Color Convention on March 2-4: Krisita Jackson, the Rev. Jose Rodriguez, and Erick Perez.

It marked the second time for Jackson, who attended the 2015 convention in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“We believe as minorities of African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Indigenous-American descent that it is important that we be present and offer our many skills to the wider communities,” she said. “We strive to chair committees, volunteer, and participate in all of the councils of the Church because it makes our Church a better place.”

Rodriguez echoed that statement.

As a first-time attendee, the convention was especially meaningful.

“It was a valuable experience both for my personal spiritual life and

ministry,” said Rodriguez, who is priest-in-charge at Iglesia Episcopal Jesus de Nazaret in Orlando, and served as a 1st alternate in the clergy order at the convention. “One of the realities of being a person of color in our tradition is that often you are the only person of your ethnicity in any given congregation. In my first two Episcopal congregations, I was always the only other Latino in the pews. The last congregation I served in, there was much more noticeable diversity, but that isn’t typical of our churches across the board.

“This event brings voices that otherwise wouldn’t be together in corporate worship and witness unless you serve or worship in an ethnic congregation,” Rodriguez said. “That said, those in ethnic congregations also often feel marginalized and not represented in the larger life of their diocese and church.”

Jackson said attendees had the privilege of listening to multiple speakers. The welcome address was presented by the Rev. Gay Clark The Deputies of Color Convention in Austin, Texas, drew representation from across the country.

“I (was) honored to be a deputy and hope to lend a diverse voice from the Central Florida Diocese to the Church,” said Jackson. “The Deputies of Colors meeting is constructive in that it helps to prepare the deputies of the convention on issues and priorities, structure of the (upcoming) COURTESY PHOTOS

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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

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DIOCESAN FAMILY Jennings, president of the to live in holiness in regards to House of Deputies. Byron equal access to the life of the Rushing, vice president of Church, there is much work the House of Deputies, “led a that still needs to be done!” discussion of key issues proThe diocese’s three represenjected to be part of convenJennings tatives also discussed Bishop tion deliberations, including Greg Brewer’s ongoing message churchwide leadership, Prayer Book of “Evangelism – Embracing Our and hymnal revisions, elections, and Neighborhoods,” and supported legislative committees,” Jackson said.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s The Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe, priorities. executive officer of the General Con“The presiding bishop’s priorities are vention, discussed the agenda and threefold: 1. Evangelism; 2. Reconcilplans for the convention and the viriation and Social Justice; and 3. Care tual binder, which will be assigned to of Creation,” Jackson said. “Our prievery deputy, Jackson said. orities focus on ways to restore conAdditionally, N. Kurt Barnes, the gregations to be thriving and fully chief financial officer of the Epis- involved in the life of their individual copal Church and treasurer to the parishes and the diocese. We supGeneral Convention, presented the port the welcoming and nurturing proposed budget for the next trienni- people from surrounding commual (2019-2021). nities, investing in new church plants “There was time for caucuses, i.e., and congregational redevelopment, black, Asian, Hispanic and Indige- and support lay/clergy collaborative nous-Americans, to meet to develop leadership and missional ministry.” a list of their priorities and issues,” Jackson said. “The groups came together again to present these priorities and discern where our common interests lie.”

“There is a lot of disparity within the experience of people of color in our pews and the dominant culture of our Church,” Rodriguez said. “I was inspired by the commitment the group had to the Episcopal Church and was moved by seeing a place for us at the table across our Church. It can be very isolating being the only person of color in our churches and having a gathering with the breadth of diversity within our Church was reinvigorated (to) me in a way I was not expecting. Within the diocese, I have been fortunate to have a great support system, and our current bishop is committed to the full participation of all of God’s children in the life of the Church. Still, there are many challenges ahead of us. Even in the places like our diocese, where the leadership is striving and succeeding

To see participants in Deputies of Color express themselves in a national setting was encouraging for Rodriguez. “There are so very few of us,” he said. “It was great to get together, but our size was sobering. We are a drop in a legislative ocean. Still, we are organized and empowered to raise our voices!

Jackson, who was a full delegate in the lay order, made her presence known in multiple ways. A member of St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Orlando, she served as secretary of the Black Deputies Caucus. In 2015, she was appointed to serve on Legislative Committee 24 as privileges and resolutions secretary at the General Convention. She will serve in the same capacity at the 2018 General Convention in July.

Perez, who works for the Diocese of Central Florida, also was a full delegate in the lay order.

Auburndale Church Feeds Thousands in Polk County By Jeff The Pantry Shelf served 137K pounds of food in 2017

Gardenour

For more than 120 years, St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Auburndale has served Jesus in many ways. But its mission to feed the hungry may be this Polk County church’s greatest godly contribution.

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or 45 years, the church’s food pantry, named the Pantry Shelf, has served the East Polk community, according to Father John Gullett, rector of St. Alban’s. Open the first and third Fridays of each month from 9 to 11 a.m., the Pantry Shelf served a whopping 137,549 pounds of food to 3,979 families representing 13,538 individuals in 2017, according to a St. Alban’s news release.

“In 2017, the Pantry Shelf received $18,210 in restricted gifts,” Gullett said. “St. Alban’s also spent $10,613 from our own budget to support this ministry.”

The staggering numbers are necessary as the Lakeland-Winter Haven metropolitan area has a food hardship rate of 23.2 percent, the second-highest in the country behind Bakersfield, California, according to the Food, Research & Action Center’s National, State, and Local Index of Food Hardship Report released in June of 2016. Auburndale sits between Lakeland and Winter Haven.

Gullett said St. Alban’s is an FDA distribution center and purchases product from area food banks such as Feeding Tampa Bay. “We also receive product from food drives conducted by local businesses and communities,” he said.

Helping to compile, organize, store, and serve that food are 10 to 15 church members who form the Pantry Shelf Ministry. “The 10 to 15 church members are consistently volunteering, and they are supported by other volunteers from other churches and the community,” Gullett said.

Ministry members stay busy. Although there are new faces who come through the line every other Friday, most recipients are regulars. “They are our friends and neighbors,” Gullett said.

The Pantry Shelf Ministry team prepares donations at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church.

(Top Right) St. Alban’s rector Father John Gullett presents a Christmas gift to a child.

People line up to receive food at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church’s Pantry Shelf in Auburndale.

Outreach folks use established guidelines to keep the pantry flowing smoothly and available to many. Families of five or less receive a bag of dry goods and a bag of perishable goods including frozen meat and whatever fresh vegetables, fruit, bread and eggs the pantry has that week. Families of six or more receive an additional bag of dry and perishable product. A two-bag order is usually 30 to 35 pounds, while a three-bag order is approximately 45 pounds, Gullett said.

Such generosity and community service have benefits for parishioners, as well. “St. Alban’s vision statement is ‘Seeking the spiritual, social, and cultural good of our community in the name of Jesus,’” Gullett said. “In Matthew 25 Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

“We believe that the Pantry Shelf ministry at St. Alban’s is one way to serve Jesus as we serve our friends and neighbors in need,” Gullett said. “Before we open the doors to the Pantry Shelf, all of the volunteers gather for prayer.

Each time as I lead us in prayer, I pray thanking God for blessing us so immensely through the person and work of Jesus, and then I ask God to make us a blessing to our friends and neighbors. The needs in Polk County are legion, but food is certainly a huge need.”

The church is located at 202 Pontotoc Plaza, Auburndale. For more information, call 863967-2130.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ST. ALBAN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

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LEADERSHIP

BACAM Conference Helps People Discern Their Calling

The BACAM Conference follows up on the Conference on Ministry, held the last Saturday in August, in which those who are discerning a call to serve God – as lay ministers or possibly as ordained ministers in the diaconate or priesthood – meet with, hear from and have the opportunity to ask the bishop, the canons and archdeacon, and members of the commission questions about what discernment and training is required. After this conference, aspirants, in consultation with their rector or vicar, submit a nomination/application form to enter the diocesan discernment process.

By Jeff Gardenour

“Each person on the committee is assigned to someone,” Kimbrough said. “I, for example, might have three or four people I am assessing. At our regularly scheduled commission meetings, we report on what that person is doing.”

Event draws 19 aspirants to Canterbury Retreat & Conference

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hen dozens of people meet annually for the BACAM (Bishop’s Advisory Committee for Aspirants to Ministry) Conference, there is no weeding out of potential candidates for the diaconate or priesthood. Instead, committee members reaffirm what’s best for the people who have questions about their calling.

Orman Kimbrough This positive-style approach is exactly what has made the BACAM Conference so successful since it first began in 1996. This year was no exception, as 19 aspirants along with their spouses attended the 2018 BACAM Conference on March 22-23 at the Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center to further discern their calling to ministry in the Episcopal Church.

“It’s not a weeding-out process,” said Orman Kimbrough, the chairman of the Commission on Ministry (COM), whose members constitute the BACAM committee that assesses candidates. “It’s to help people identify the call they have. For some people, the best service to the Lord is through lay ministry. It’s (the BACAM Conference) actually an affirmation of what they do well. We’re looking to affirm someone’s calling.”

Approximately 55 to 60 people were a part of that process this year. A total of 24 people sat on the committee at the BACAM Conference. Of those individuals, about half were ordained and half were lay people, Kimbrough said. The ordained committee members are split fairly evenly between priests and deacons. The variety of committee members is important for an accurate assessment of the aspirants in the Diocese of Central Florida. At the end of the BACAM Conference, committee members report their findings to Bishop Greg Brewer.

Candidates are assessed in numerous areas at BACAM. Committee members use group observation, group discussion questions, interviews and a rating of sorts to gauge where candidates are as potential deacons or priests.

“It’s tremendously valuable,” Kimbrough said. “But the (BACAM) conference is just one of the steps in the discernment process. It’s actually a helpful exercise. It covers a lot of territory in a short time.”

Several members of the diocesan staff also helped with the process at this year’s meeting. Brewer, along with Canon to the Ordinary, the Rev. Tim Nunez; Canon for Vocations, the Rev. Dr. Justin Holcomb; and Archdeacon Kristi Alday, talked with candidates but are not part of the official committee, Kimbrough said. Aspirants got to interact with committee members and others in a variety of settings including breakfast, lunch, social hour and dinner. The social setting is a key part of the conference.

“It’s helpful for people to have that kind of contact (when) otherwise they wouldn’t,” Kimbrough said.

For more information on the Commission on Ministry, call Kimbrough at 407-843-7060.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

“We give our recommendations of what we think and what we observe to the bishop,” said Kimbrough, who is a lay person at All Saints Episcopal Church in Winter Park. “We pass on to him what we see, and he makes the call.”

Bishop Greg Brewer, far left, addresses the crowd at the recent BACAM Conference at the Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center in Oviedo.

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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

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LEADERSHIP

Same-Sex Marriage Task Force Begins Its Work The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb chairs committee of 15

By Jeff Gardenour

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ishop Greg Brewer always has had a listening ear for his churches, their congregations, and their concerns.

That continued in January when, after much prayer and serious reflection over his years of ordained ministry, he announced at the diocesan convention in Vero Beach the formation of a Same-Sex Marriage Task Force in response to concerns about the subject.

Brewer appointed the Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb as chair.

The task force, which held its first meeting in March, consists of chairman Holcomb and 14 clergy and lay people from throughout the diocese including Genevieve Brathwaite, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Lake Mary; the Rev. Jonathan French, Grace Episcopal Church, Ocala; the Rev. Dr. Richard Gonzalez, Church of the Messiah, Winter Garden; the Very Rev. Dr. Reggie Kidd, Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando; the Rev. Cameron MacMillan, Church of the Good Shepherd, Maitland; the Rev. Dr. C. Dawn McDonald, Church of the Holy Presence, DeLand; the Rev. Dr. Robert Moses, St. David’s

“I do believe the formation of a task force is a good idea,” Brewer said prior to the meeting. “It will have as its members no more than 15 people, both lay and ordained, whom I will appoint and who represent the theological diversity that presently exists within the Diocese of Central Florida around the question of the Church blessing same-sex marriages.

“This task force will offer a reflection on the recent actions of General Convention in providing liturgies for same-sex marriage and will consider the implications, both canonical and pastoral, for our congregations in Central Florida,” Brewer said. “That task force will take into

implications both canonical and pastoral for congregations in Central Florida.

To take into consideration the biblical, theological, and pastoral implications of these actions.

To write a report for our next diocesan convention (2019).

To provide the opportunity for people throughout the diocese to be engaged in healthy, constructive conversation on divisive issues.

To embody what such dialogue can look like.

To be an example of how to walk together in Christ even when we disagree on important matters.

The task force agenda also includes several proposed topics that are to be discussed during at least one meeting: • Regardless of (our) view on same-sex marriage, on what do we agree?

• Tradition and the Church Today • Theology and Ethics

Kidd

• Pastoral Implications and Report to Diocese

Brathwaite

“I have no desire to sweep the issues under the rug,” Brewer said. “However, I want these issues dealt (with) in a way that is coherent with what we have already been given in the Prayer Book; meaning, living together as a diocese in a way that genuinely reflects the faith of the apostles, as well as the unity and discipline of the Church.”

According to the official task force agenda, objectives and desired results include: To offer a reflection on the recent actions of General Convention in providing liturgies for same-sex marriage and to consider the

• Scripture: What does the Bible say, and what does that mean for us today?

consideration the biblical, theological and pastoral implications of these actions. This reflection will be offered in the form of a report to our next diocesan convention.

French

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Episcopal Church, Lakeland; Dr. Stephen O’Connell, St. Richard’s Episcopal Church, Winter Park; Dr. Robin Reed, Church of the Resurrection, Longwood; Clay Rivers, Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando; the Rev. Dr. E. Daniel Smith, Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Sanford; the Rev. Dr. James Sorvillo, Church of Holcomb the Ascension, Orlando; Monica Taffinder, All Saints Episcopal Church, Winter Park; and the Rev. Amy Turner, Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, Melbourne.

• Unity and Common Life in the Worldwide Anglican Communion

Holcomb said the task force’s first meeting went well. “The meeting in March was the first of many meetings planned for this year,” he said.

“This would be too early for there to be any results to give the bishop. The task force will continue to meet throughout the rest of the year. At the end of the year, the task force will create a report and give the report at the next diocesan convention.”

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

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Our Special Guest Speaker

The Right Reverend Gregory O. Brewer Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida — and the —

Canterbury Board of Directors invite you to attend this year’s:

6

th

Annual

Celebration Dinner Dr. Joel C. Hunter

& Silent Auction

Big Hats — and —

Bow Ties Welcome

Sunday, June 3, 2018

5pm Reception • 6pm Dinner and Program

A Triple Crown Affair Just as horses and runners are trained to run in such a way as to win, this event is celebrating Canterbury as the place where people learn to run well, make a difference and finish strong!

Silent Auction

Fabulous items valued from $5 - $5000 –Online auction begins May 15th Onsite Auction June 3rd 5pm-6:30pm For more information: www.canterburyretreat.org/auction2018

Tickets & Sponsorships

$500.00 - to sponsor a table (includes 8 tickets / recognition in our program / and a table sign.) $35.00 – for individual tickets.

To make your reservation contact Canterbury: 407-365-5571 email: info@canterburyretreat.org online at: www.canterburyretreat.org/dinner2018

Run your Race | Make a Difference | Finish Strong 26

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

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DIOCESE •

Diocesan Calendar •

May 4, 7 p.m.-midnight Annual Gala Dinner Dance

June 3, 6 p.m. – Cathedral Concerts Downtown

Evensong for the Feast of Corpus Christi, at Cathedral of Saint Luke, Orlando.

Bishop Brewer Visitation Schedule

May 5, 8:30 a.m.– 3 p.m.

Deacon Ordination Examination

June 4-8, 9-11:45 a.m. – “A Wrinkle in Time”

Holy Faith Episcopal Church, Port St. Lucie

5/13/18

All Saints’, Lakeland

VBS at Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Wales

5/20/18

St. Francis in the Fields, Louisville, KY (DEPO)

June 5-7 Province IV House of Bishops Meeting

5/22/18

Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center, Oviedo (Anti-Racism Clergy Day)

5/27/18

Emmanuel, Orlando

6/2/18

St. Mark’s, Cocoa (Waterfront

Pavilion Groundbreaking)

Church of the Holy Spirit, Apopka

Kanuga Conference Center; Hendersonville, North Carolina

May 9, 10 a.m. – Youth Ministers Meeting

June 10-15 – Summer Camp

6/3/18 p.m. Canterbury Retreat & Conference

Center, Oviedo (Annual Dinner)

ICS, Diocesan office, Orlando

May 5 – Work Day

Refurbish office for Puerto Rican Relief at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Kissimmee

May 5, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

ECW Central Deanery Annual Meeting

Meeting includes lunch at Diocesan office, Orlando.

Reserve a lunch by emailing Beverly Jennings at bjennings@cfdiocese.org via email.

Kanuga Conference Center; Hendersonville, North Carolina

June 6-8 – Province IV Synod Meeting

First 2018 summer session, Camp St. Mark, at Camp Wingmann, Avon Park. Camp is for senior high schoolage campers entering grades nine through 12.

May 19, 9 a.m.

Cursillo Commission meeting

June 11-15, 8:45 a.m.-noon “Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus”

May 22, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Anti-Racism Clergy Day

June 11-15, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

“Odyssey in Outer Space”

Diocesan office, Orlando

“Finding the Face of God in Everyone: Dismantling Inner and Outer Oppressors Who Hinder the Creation of Beloved Community,” led by Dr. Catherine Meeks.

Training event at Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center is required of all parochially-assigned clergy.

Those who can’t attend must notify Bishop Greg Brewer in advance. Cost is $25. Call 407-365-5571 or access https://clear-give.com/egive3/index. cfm?page=eventDetail&ID=322001051 &eventSessionID=12948&LocID= 322001&refresh=true%E2%80%8B on the internet for more information.

May 29-August 9 MaxLife Summer Camps

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Lake Mary

May 30, noon – Area Clergy lunch Diocesan office, Orlando

May 31, 5 p.m.

Trinity Prep Baccalaureate

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 2021 W. State Road 426, Oviedo

June 3, 5-8:30 p.m. – 36th Annual Celebration Dinner & Auction

VBS at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Lakeland

VBS at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church, Orange City

June 16, 9 a.m.

Cursillo Commission meeting Diocesan office, Orlando

June 17-22 – Summer Camp

Second 2018 summer session, Camp St. Barnabas, at Camp Wingmann, Avon Park. Camp is for middle school campers entering grades six through eight.

June 18-22, 9 a.m.-noon “Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus”

VBS at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Orlando

June 18-22, 8:45 a.m.-noon “Babylon: Daniel’s Courage in Captivity” VBS at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Winter Park

June 18-22 – “Hero Central”

VBS at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Melbourne

June 20, 9 a.m. -2 p.m. – Anti-Racism Training Followed by TEC Canons/Title IV Training, 2-5 p.m., at Diocesan office, Orlando

6/3/18 a.m. St. Peter’s, Lake Mary

6/10/18

All Saints’, Enterprise

6/17/18

Holy Cross, Winter Haven

6/30/18 St. George, The Villages (Welcome Home Initiative) Bishop Brewer’s visitation dates are subject to change.

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

June 24-29 – Summer Camp

July 15-20 – Summer Camp

Third 2018 summer session, Camp Trinity, at Camp Wingmann, Avon Park. Camp is for elementary schoolage campers in grades three through five.

Fifth 2018 summer session, Camp St. Francis, at Camp Wingmann, Avon Park. Camp is for middle school-age campers entering grades six through eight.

June 25-29, 9 a.m.-noon “Babylon: Daniel’s Courage in Captivity”

July 16-20, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

“Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus”

VBS at St. Augustine of Canterbury, Vero Beach

VBS at Cathedral of the Church of St. Luke, Orlando

June 25-29, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

“Babylon: Daniel’s Courage in Captivity”

July 16-20 – “Heroes Helping Others (H20)”

VBS at Church of the Messiah, Winter Garden

June 25-29, 5:30-8 p.m.

“Shipwrecked: Rescued by Jesus”

VBS at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Lake Mary

July 22-27 – Summer Camp

VBS at Episcopal Church of St. Mary, Belleview

Sixth 2018 summer session, Camp St. Mary, at Camp Wingmann, Avon Park. Camp is for elementary schoolage campers in grades three through five.

June 27, noon – Area Clergy lunch

July 23-27 – “Soul in the City” Youth Event

Diocesan office, Orlando

All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Lakeland

July 8-13 – Summer Camp

July 30-Aug. 3 “Shipwrecked: Rescue by Jesus”

Fourth 2018 summer session, Camp St. Peter, at Camp Wingmann, Avon Park. Camp is for senior high schoolage campers entering grades nine through twelve.

VBS at Church of the Ascension, Orlando

Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center, Oviedo Events and dates subject to change. Please check www.cfdiocese.org for the most current listings.

www.cfdiocese.org

CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • May-June 2018

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Save the Date Feb. 1-2, 2019

2019

50th Annual Diocesan Convention with

Guest Preacher

The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry

50 Years

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NEWS FROM THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA WWW.CFDIOCESE.ORG • Volume 120, No. 3 • May-June 2018

Ordination Is a Homecoming of Sorts for Tom Phillips

Pages 8-9

Pages 12-13

Vacation Bible School (VBS) Camps Taking Registration

Middle-Schoolers Off to Great Start With ‘New Beginnings’

Page 14

Camp Wingmann to Offer Plenty of Fun This Summer

Page 15

Pages 22-23

Trio Represents Diocese at Deputies of Color Convention