CENTRALFLORIDAEPISCOPALIAN NEWS FROM THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA • WWW.CFDIOCESE.ORG • Volume 121, No. 1 • Jan.-Feb. 2019 DENTRO: ¡El boletín de noticias español está de vuelta! Por favor, consulte las páginas 20-22
2019 DIOCESAN CONVENTION “Keep Saying Yes to Jesus” Revival Inside: Bishop Curry Set to Inspire at Diocesan Convention Bishop Brewer Appointed National Chaplain of Daughters of the King Former Rev. Canon Tim Nunez Accepts Rector Position in Lake Wales Prayers Helping New Church Plant Near Disney World Neighbor Up Brevard Building Hope, Goodness from Blight
Our 50th Anniversary gift to the community: a revival of a lifetime...
The Diocese of Central Florida The Right Reverend Gregory O. Brewer, Bishop Serving 15 counties through 82 churches and 30,000 members The Episcopal Church The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate An international community of 2.5 million Christians in North and South America, Europe and Taiwan The Anglican Communion The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury A global community of more than 85 million Christians in more than 165 countries worldwide
Central Florida Episcopalian The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, Bishop The Rt. Rev. John W. Howe Retired The Rt. Rev. William H. Folwell Retired The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb Canon for Vocations
Table of Contents Bishop Brewer’s Column – Thinking About Our Future.................................................................. 3 Bishop Brewer Appointed National Chaplain of Daughters of the King.......................................... 4 Former Rev. Canon Tim Nunez Accepts Rector Position in Lake Wales........................................... 5 Prayers Helping New Church Plant Near Disney World.................................................................. 6 New Church Plant, Bethesda, Shows Spirited Growth................................................................... 7 Bishop Curry Set to Inspire at Diocesan Convention.................................................................. 8-9 ‘Keep Saying Yes to Jesus’ Revival to Kick Off Annual Convention (Schedule).............................. 10 Information for Nominations and Elections – 2019.................................................................... 11 Diocesan Candidates for Office Boast Diverse Backgrounds.................................................. 12-15 Savings Groups in Honduras Making Difference for Poor....................................................... 16-17 Bishop Gray Foundation Helping Florida Retirees....................................................................... 18 Photos from 2018 Diocesan Convention.................................................................................... 19 Spanish Newsletter Page 1……..Obispo Curry Listo para Inspirar en la Convención Diocesana .... 20 Spanish Newsletter Page 2……..Columna de Obispo Brewer - Pensando en nuestro futuro.......... 21 Spanish Newsletter Page 3………Calendario de visitas del Obispo Brewer................................... 22 Our Saviour Caravan to Trek to Camp Wingmann........................................................................ 23 Neighbor Up Brevard Building Hope, Goodness from Blight........................................................ 24 Diocese Celebrates Priesthood Ordination, New Ministry for Rev. Kevin Bartle............................ 25 Former Emmaus Ministries Staffer Joins Diocesan Staff............................................................. 26 Diocesan Calendar/Bishop Brewer Visitation Schedule............................................................. 27
The Ven. Kristi Alday, Archdeacon Mr. Earl Pickett, Diocesan Administrator Mr. Erick Perez, Subscription Manager
First Sunday after the Epiphany / Occasion: The Baptism of our Lord / Sunday, January 13, 2019
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ Luke 3:15-17 The Central Florida Episcopalian is published by the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. Submissions are welcome, but are subject to editing and use at the discretion of the Central Florida Episcopalian.
Want to know what this Sunday’s scripture readings are all about?
Well, check out Lectionary Living, the new weekly online feature on CFEOnline in which you can be inspired by a short devotion written by one of our local spiritual leaders and coordinated with the upcoming Sunday’s Lectionary scripture reading. Go to Lectionary Living on the home page of cfdiocese.org
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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
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: Wendy Leech, wleech@cfdiocese.org Jeff Gardenour, editorial@cfdiocese.org or Erick Perez, eperez@cfdiocese.org
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BISHOP BREWER
Thinking About Our Future By Bishop Gregory O. Brewer
Reflection and planning often mark the start of a new year. We take notice of our dreams. We reflect on our plans. We think about what we hope to accomplish.
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eginning this month, I will start the last five years of my episcopacy, which means I am doing lots of reflecting and praying and asking God to help me think in a way that would spark our diocese to further creativity and deeper growth. The heart of what happens in the diocese is the local congregation, which means the health and vitality of those local congregations are of paramount importance. As I think about our congregations, four basic types come to mind. I encourage you to see where you think your church fits. Please bear in mind, I use these categories regardless of congregational size. Any church of any size can fit into any category.
Congregational Types 1. Gangbusters/Growing: This label applies to congregations with a remarkable level of both numerical and spiritual growth. New people are coming to faith; new people are joining the congregation from the neighborhood; and the congregation is developing a reputation for being a place where people can explore what it means to be a Christian and feel welcomed in doing so.
2. Sustaining: This type of congregation has a consistent Sunday-morning attendance and some good programs. But if you look more closely, you realize their programs rely on a relatively small group of donors. If any of those passed away or could no longer give, the loss could jeopardize the health of the church. Not many new people are
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coming in, and the congregation sees its primary purpose more as pastoral care than missions.
3. Trending Down: When a congregation fits this category, key parishioners are passing away or moving away. The congregation is shrinking, and the temptation is either to become more inwardly focused or to try to do what they’re presently doing better, rather than asking the harder questions such as, “How can we have a new and greater impact on our community in a way that would attract new members?”
4. Potentially Closing: This refers to congregations that, because of their shrinkage and the deteriorating state of their facilities, are likely to close in the next five years. Now, this can actually happen through no fault of the congregation if their neighborhoods are shrinking and their population basis is moving away. God has a calling, a mission and a plan for each congregation. Our hope is to work with each congregation to help them discover that calling and flourish.
Growth Points I also want to mention that some major communities have sprung up in the last 20 years or so, such as Viera near Melbourne and Horizon West near Winter Garden. As we move forward, we should be thinking about how we could plant congregations in places like these. Thinking about the future involves not just dealing with smaller congregations that are closing but also with population shifts and new-growth areas across Central Florida. The challenges we face include how to reach the people who are moving here, how to deal with the churches that are no longer viable and how to work at all those things in a way that actually helps us create a better impact in terms of reaching people with the Gospel.
As we move forward, we must think about how Bishop Greg Brewer the diocese—both staff and volunteers—can assist congregations so they can really grow, so they can do a better job in the ministry to which God has called them. To this end, we continue to look for clergy, specifically, those rare ones with gifts in church planting or congregational revitalization.
‘Keep Saying Yes to Jesus’ As I think about 2019, I must mention our annual Diocesan Convention Feb. 1-2, especially the Friday night revival service led by our special guest, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. To actively reach our community, we need our members not only to come but to bring their unchurched friends. In fact, that’s my hope for our diocese in this new year: that we’ll see more people coming to personal faith in Jesus Christ. I’d love to see more churches engaged in the calling to evangelize. And my New Year’s prayer for myself, for you and for all our churches is that God would continue to change us more into His likeness. Because in the end, that’s what brings people to faith: seeing Jesus in us.
Now, that’s something worth thinking about. Grace to you,
Bishop Gregory O. Brewer
CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
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LEADERSHIP
Bishop Brewer Appointed National Chaplain of Daughters of the King By Jeff Gardenour
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istory continues to be made in the
Diocese of Central Florida – on a national stage.
Only a few months after being elected national president of Daughters of the King (DOK), St. John the Baptist Church’s Krisita Jackson announced that Bishop Greg Brewer has accepted her invitation to be national chaplain for DOK. Jackson appointed Brewer in accordance with the DOK national bylaws that stipulate the executive board be comprised of elected officers of the National Council – 1st and 2nd vice presidents, secretary and treasurer – who must approve a chaplain appointee. Brewer’s appointment was unanimously supported.
rently served as diocesan chaplain for five years.” Jackson said Brewer’s primary responsibility will be serving as spiritual leader of DOK. “He will convene with us for meetings, lead worship, preach and teach, offer counsel and guidance, and pray together with us,” Jackson said.
Jackson said she knew at the time of her installation as DOK president that she wanted Brewer to walk by her side. “Bishop Greg has a heart Bishop Greg Brewer for Daughters, and it was Brewer’s appointment also means he is evident to me from the now a member of the national council, which meets time he was consecrated,” she said. in person annually. The headquarters are in Atlanta, “He has celebrated with Daughters at where last year’s meeting was held in November. every assembly since that time. He beThe culminating event of the triennium is the Daughlieves, as I have often heard him say, ter’s National Assembly, held in the same city and that there is a special place in heaven near the time of the General Convention every three for intercessors. years, Jackson said. “(Brewer) may also receive invi“The nearly 1,100 Daughters … are tations from other Daughters throughout the country prayer warriors,” Jackson said. “Over for visits,” Jackson said. the years,(Brewer) has called on us to pray with and for him as a bishop and Krisita Jackson as a father in his personal family.”
“I am overjoyed Bishop Brewer has agreed to serve as chaplain of the Daughters of the King for the 20182021 triennium,” Jackson said. “Bishop Brewer has been a supporter of the call of Daughters of the King during his entire ordained ministry. His love for Daughters is evident in his service with us.”
Brewer is now part of an historic movement in DOK. Jackson, who has served for years in the Central Florida chapter of Daughters of the King (DOK), was recently elected national president of the organization at the 2018 DOK Triennial Convention this summer in Austin, Texas. Daughters from across the nation met at the Renaissance Austin Hotel June 20-24, 2018, for scheduled business, worship and fellowship. The election was historic, as Jackson is the first African-American Daughter to serve as president in the organization’s 133 years of existence, and the first
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representative from the Diocese of Central Florida to earn the honor. She will serve for three years (2018-2021) until the next Triennial Convention.
Jackson said the invitation to her bishop continues a deep DOK tradition. Daughters have chaplains serve with them in every chapter, diocese and province, she said. The Rev. Bill Smith of Holy Faith in Port St. Lucie serves as chaplain for DOK in Central Florida. At the Triennial Meeting in June, the Province IV president awarded Canon Nelson Pinder a lifetime honorary chaplaincy for the province, Jackson said. “(Pinder) has served as assistant chaplain in Province IV for nearly 10 years,” Jackson said. “He concur-
CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
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LEADERSHIP
Former Rev. Canon Tim Nunez Accepts Rector Position in Lake Wales By Jeff Gardenour
When Bishop Greg Brewer inquired about church openings this past summer, the Rev. Tim Nunez’s face lit up like the sun when mentioning the Church of the Good Shepherd in Lake Wales. Right there and then, both men knew God was calling Nunez, a native of Polk County, back home.
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ast fall, the Diocese of Central Florida officially announced that Nunez has accepted the position as rector at Church of the Good Shepherd. He was scheduled to continue to serve as Canon to the Ordinary for the diocese through Dec. 31, 2018, but was then slated to begin preaching at the Lake Wales church in December. He was scheduled to start full-time at the church on Jan. 1, 2019. “Over the summer at a regular update meeting with Canon Tim Nunez, he reported progress to me on search processes taking place at various churches around our diocese,” Brewer said in a diocesan news release. “While bringing me up to date on one church in particular, a big smile came across his face when he shared that this church’s vestry had made it clear that he was its top candidate for rector. “At the time, I commented that I had never seen him beam in this way when discussing an ongoing search and that I felt strongly Canon Nunez should pay close attention to what he was discerning,” Brewer said. “After extensive interviews and prayer, both Canon Nunez and his wife, Meg, believe that God is
me there. Bishop Brewer and trusted colleagues helped Meg and me think and pray on it.”
The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Lake Wales is where Rev. Tim Nunez recently accepted a rector position. He is now full-time at the Polk County church.
Nunez’s close ties to Polk County also played a factor in his decision. Born in Bartow, he moved to Lakeland at age 9 and later went on to the University of FloriNunez ends a 4 ½-year da, where he graduated in run as Canon to the 1983. He returned to work in Ordinary, in which he Lakeland for 12 ½ years as a oversaw many projects Nunez CPA before showing interin the diocese and parest in ministry. He graduated from The ticipated as a clergy deputy in the hisSchool of Theology at the University of toric 2018 General Convention of the the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, in Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas. Pri2003. Meg Nunez is from Wauchula, apor to serving on Bishop Brewer’s staff, proximately 38 miles south of Lakeland he served as rector at St. Mary’s in Belin Hardee County. leview for 11 years. Belleview is a small town in Marion County, located about “There are clearly a lot of blessings in 66 miles northwest of Orlando. that, including familiarity with the region and citrus and cattle economy, “While there are aspects of parish minplus proximity to our families and dear istry I’ve missed, particularly the pasfriends,” Tim Nunez said. “But the peotoral relationships involved, I wasn’t ple and ministries of the church and looking for a change,” Nunez said. (their) potential are the main factors.” “However, when Church of the Good Shepherd made a very serious inquiry, I Although he hasn’t established firm had to consider it. It became a matter of goals yet for Church of the Good Shepdeep prayer and contemplation, which herd, Nunez said he has something in led to a clear sense that God is calling
mind to develop at the Polk church: “I’ve got a tremendous amount to learn about the church, its ministries and Lake Wales, so it’s hard to form specific goals just yet. A key issue the next 15 years will be helping its young families develop in faith and leadership so they can raise up the generations coming after them. I’m excited to bring what I’ve learned in parish ministry and as canon to serve the folks of Good Shepherd and Lake Wales. Meg is also excited about joining our new parish family.”
calling Canon Nunez, with the vestry affirming, to serve as rector of Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Lake Wales. Though I will miss him, I cannot deny that this is God’s hand at work.”
Brewer said he is in the process of forming a plan for covering Nunez in his absence, including keeping his former canon on a retainer to assist with pre-convention deanery meetings and the 2019 Diocesan Convention in February. “I ask that you keep Canon Nunez, Meg and their family in your prayers, and I wish to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Canon Nunez for his ministry and service to the Diocese of Central Florida,” Brewer said.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD, LAKE WALES
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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
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DIOCESAN FAMILY
Prayers Helping New Church Plant Near Disney World All Souls planned for Horizon West in SW Orange County Ainsley
By Jeff Gardenour
Matthew 7:7 reads, “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened for you.”
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pportunity is definitely knocking these days in southwest Orange County, and prayers are helping Father Matt Ainsley and the Diocese of Central Florida answer the door. Ainsley, the assistant rector at Church of the Ascension in Orlando, announced on Dec. 18 that he is part of a church-planting team that has identified an area for what potentially could be the diocese’s newest mission: All Souls in Horizon West. And, to make things more interesting, Ainsley will serve as vicar for All Souls once it becomes a mission in the diocese. “I have been part of a team tasked with identifying possible locations for church plants as well as identifying potential church planters,” Ainsley said. “All Souls is in the embryonic stages of development. We are currently praying, planning and gathering a launch team.” Once established, All Souls will add to an already burgeoning Horizon West, which consists of five mixed-use villages nestled among Windermere, Winter
Horizon West features multiple mixed-used villages centered near Windermere, Winter Garden and Disney World.
Garden and the Walt Disney World Resort. The master-planned community, which provides residents easy access to shopping, restaurants, entertainment, highways and much more, has been in the works since 1995. Growth has been especially swift the last two years, with more than 20,000 people residing today in Horizon West. A 2017 Orlando Sentinel article tabbed Horizon West as one of the three fastest-growing master-planned communities nationwide. Helping to speed up All Souls’ progress in Horizon West is the fact that the church plant will be a parish-led church plant from Ascension, which has excited many. “The response has been overwhelming from my friends, family, the diocese and especially my home church – Church of the Ascension,” Ainsley said. “It is such a blessing that this church plant is going to be a parish-led church plant out of Ascension. The fact that Ascension, which is itself a church plant out of Church of the Messiah in Winter Garden, wants to be an integral part of making this mission a reality is such an encouragement to me, and a great witness to what kingdom-minded ministry looks like.” Church planting has become a positive undertaking for Ainsley. In addition to working on a church-planting team for
the diocese, he previously served as an associate pastor at a church plant for more than four years. Now, he is ready to take the next step and become a vicar for a mission. All Souls will take one of its initial preparatory steps when it holds a gathering in Horizon West at 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 19, at a place to be determined. Prayer, visionary discussion and community fellowship will highlight the event. For Ainsley, the next year is expected to be a busy one as he bounces back and forth between Ascension and All Souls as the church-plant process proceeds. “Since it is a parish-led church plant, Ascension will be my home base during the planning and preparation phase,” he said. “My exit from Ascension will be gradual and based on what’s happening with the plant. In other words, I don’t have a hard exit date. I will leave Ascension once All Souls officially launches as a mission and is gathering Sunday by Sunday for Holy Eucharist.” Ainsley, however, already has goals for All Souls: “I
have many goals for this new church, but above all that it would be honoring and pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ. “ PHOTO PROVIDED BY HORIZON WEST
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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
New Orlando Church Plant, Bethesda, Shows Spirited Growth Diocese’s newest addition thrives
in burgeoning Lake Nona By Jeff Gardenour
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vangelism may be taking on new forms in the 21st century, but the traditional way of bringing people to Jesus Christ is still alive and well in the Diocese of Central Florida – thanks, in part, to church plants. The diocese will continue to grow in 2019 with several new church plants, including one in burgeoning Lake Nona: Bethesda Church. Lake Nona is a 17-square-mile, mixed-use planned community in Orlando that features multiple hospitals in the Lake Nona Medical City. “We are witnessing Jesus build Bethesda Church in Lake Nona!” Bethesda rector Nick Braunschneider said. “We have grown from 13 people gathering for worship in May of this year to 30 who currently call Bethesda Church home, with many more on the periphery.” Bethesda Church will be located on eight acres of property on the main thoroughfare in Lake Nona, according to Braunschneider. The church is located next to “Tyson’s Corner,” the future of 75,000 square feet of medical and retail space. Bethesda also will share property lines with two luxury apartment communities: Bainbridge at Nona Place, which will
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DIOCESAN FAMILY PHOTOS PROVIDED BY BETHESDA CHURCH, LAKE NONA
have 288 living units, and Dwell at Nona Place (274 units), Braunschneider said. Eagle Creek Golf Community, one of the largest neighborhoods in Lake Nona, lies immediately to the south of the church’s property. Lake Nona High School, which has 2,030 students, is nearby, and Valencia College is situated to the west – all areas likely to prove beneficial to Bethesda’s growth.
Bethesda Church rector, the Rev. Nick Braunschneider, far right, and family, from left, wife, Kimberly, Truett (5), Asa (10), Grace (15), Riley (12) and Ella Ruth (7), are excited about the Diocese of Central Florida’s newest church plant in Lake Nona. Bethesda Church will be located on “In addition to being an apeight acres of proppealing retirement destination, erty on the main thoroughfare in Lake Lake Nona is also bursting with Nona in southeast families with young children Orlando, at left, and right. The church – most of whom do not claim is located next to to follow Jesus,” Braunschnei‘Tyson’s Corner,” the der said. “Lake Nona is also a future of 75,000 square feet of medhotbed for medical and sports ical and retail space.
“We couldn’t have dreamed of a more ideal location,” Braunschneider said. “God has given us the tremendous opportunity and responsibility to serve and reach the neighbors who surround us!” The church met weekly on Sunday evenings in Advent on the campus of Pioneers’ headquarters, 10146 William Carey Drive, Orlando. Although Bethesda does not yet have a capital campaign for building, Braunschneider said the church has a group of around 30 people who are “committed to the vision of forming a liturgical, sacramental, missional church for the community of Lake Nona.” “My goal is to grow our core group to 50 people, with current plans to publicly launch weekly worship services in the spring of 2019,” Braunschneider said. Bethesda Church aligns with one of Bishop Greg Brewer’s top priorities: church plants. Brewer has called for church leaders to strengthen their evangelism, and church plants are one way to accomplish this task. “I am very optimistic about the potential of Bethesda Church,” Braunschneider said. “Lake Nona is not only one of the fastest-growing communities in Florida, but in the entire United States. We currently have over 26,000 residents and are expected to exceed 100,000 people by 2020. There are nearly 20,000 homes currently under construction or planned in the area. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE REV. NICK BRAUNSCHNEIDER
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science research and development, and home to a 650-acre health and life sciences park called “Medical City.” Construction of the 100-acre, 3.8 millionsquare-foot Lake Nona Town Center is slated to begin in early 2019.
“Lake Nona residents work hard, and they play hard,” Braunschneider said. “But with busyness come physical exhaustion, mental/emotional depletion and spiritual confusion. There is a desperate need for more churches in our area, and we believe the church we are planting is uniquely suited to meet the most pressing needs of the Lake Nona community.” Church planting is nothing new to Braunschneider, who has been involved in church planting in varying capacities since 2005. In 2007, Braunschneider earned a Master of Divinity in North American Church Planting from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served on pastoral staff with several church-planting churches, but this is his first experience as lead church planter. Looking to the future, Braunschneider said four things make up his agenda:
n Mission: “To Make the Mercy of
Jesus Christ Known and Felt.” n Vision: From the Gospel of John,
Chapter 5 — to be a house of mer- cy, hope and healing for all people. n Distinctives: “We are a ‘three-
streams’ church (evangelical, sacramental and charismatic), which influences everything we do. To this end, we will strive relentlessly to be:
n Goal: “I long to witness and
For more information, see the church’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BethesdaLakeNona/, call 615-354-7772 or email nick@bethesdachurch.net
- Saturated with the Word of God. - Centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ. - Shaped by rich, historical Christian faith and practices. - Animated by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. - Accessible to All.” participate in the advancement of the kingdom of God in the Lake Nona community. I am praying for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on our community. I dream of seeing
people set free – the hardened, the wandering and the hurting – each brought out of darkness and into the light of life. I yearn for the presence of the true and living God to be so evident to all who live and work and play here that every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and give Him the praise He deserves. Worship is the goal.”
CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
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2019 DIOCESAN CONVENTION
Bishop Curry Set to Inspire at Diocesan Convention By Jeff Gardenour
Thousands expected for ‘Keep Saying Yes to Jesus’ Revival From coast to coast, and even across the Atlantic, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has inspired people with emotional revivals and sermons, stirring and renewing hearts for Je sus as perhaps no other Episcopal leader before him has done.
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n May of 2018, Curry became a worldwide celebrity for his heartfelt sermon at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. “We must discover love, the redemptive power of love,” Curry said. “And when we do, we will make of this old world a new world.” At the July 2018 General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas, Curry drew a standing ovation, cheers and smiles when he delivered a rousing revival sermon. He garnered particular praise when he speculated what God must think of people who think
they know everything: “Don’t they know that I created the vast expanse of interstellar space? Don’t they know that I told old Moses, ‘Go down Moses, way down in Egypt land, and you tell old Pharaoh, “Let my people go?”’ Don’t they know that Bishop Curry I’m the author of freedom? Don’t they know that I’m the creator of justice? Don’t they know that I’m the God of love? Don’t they know that I came down as Jesus to show them the way, to show them the way of love, to show them the way to life, to show them how to live together? Don’t they know how much I love them? How much?” Curry’s thought-provoking, enthusiastic style will be on full display for Central Floridians on Friday, Feb. 1, opening day of the 2019 Annual Diocesan Convention. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, who gained worldwide fame when he preached at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018, will be the guest preacher at the 2019 Diocesan Convention’s 50th Anniversary Revival on Friday, Feb. 1, at First Baptist Church in Orlando.
Curry is the guest speaker for the “Keep Saying Yes to Jesus” Revival, which is expected to draw thousands of Episcopalians and others to The First Baptist Church in Orlando. The revival will be followed by the convention’s business session on Saturday, Feb. 2, at Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park. The Saturday session will include an address from Bishop Greg Brewer, along with special presentations, elections, adoption of the 2019 budget and other matters. A special luncheon also will be held. But it is the revival that is sure to stir up passion for Jesus Christ here in Central Florida. “Hello to Bishop Greg Brewer and all of my friends in the Diocese of Central Florida,” Curry said in a special-taped video for the diocese. “On this your 50th anniversary year, I bring you greetings from your brothers and sisters throughout The Episcopal Church. “I am looking forward to being with you for your 50th anniversary celebration and for your upcoming revival,” Curry said. “Yes, there are revivals in The Episcopal Church. And I’m looking forward to coming and being with you for yours.” Curry’s appearance marks what is believed to be the first time a presiding bishop with worldwide celebrity status has spoken at a convention for the Diocese of Central Florida, and people are ecstatic. “I’m thrilled that (Bishop Curry’s) official visit to our diocese will coincide with our 50th anniversary,” said the Rev. Tim Nunez, former Canon to the Ordinary for the Diocese of Central Florida who recently accepted a call to be the rector at Church of the Good Shepherd in Lake Wales. “This revival is a tremendous opportunity to turn our focus from the past to our future – and the work that lies ahead to share and serve Jesus in our communities.” The “Keep Saying Yes to Jesus” Revival is the latest of many revivals for Curry, who has made these events a trademark of being presiding bishop since being elected in 2015. A Chicago native who formerly served as Bishop of North Carolina, Curry launched a series of revivals in 2017-18 that created and renewed interest in Jesus, prepared Episcopalians to evangelize and invited the non-churched to join the Jesus Movement, according to The Episcopal Church’s website. PHOTO PROVIDED BY ST. GEORGE’S CHAPEL, WINDSOR CASTLE, UNITED KINGDOM
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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
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2019 DIOCESAN CONVENTION “It’s an opportunity to remember this way of love, and this way of Jesus. It’s an opportunity to invite others to share this way of love, to be committed to it. An opportunity for us to recommit ourselves to this faith that we hold, and this way of Jesus and this way of God’s love.” — Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
Gospel. And they come down, sometimes with a Gospel book held high, and there is music, and the congregation is singing as the Gospel of Jesus, the teachings, the life and Spirit of Jesus enter, in a sense, the room through the readings of the Gospel.” PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PRESIDING BISHOP MICHAEL CURRY
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, far left, made an appearance at Oak Island Moose Lodge in North Carolina in December.
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry speaks at a November service at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, New York.
Curry’s revivals consist of multi-day public events in Episcopal dioceses from coast to coast, and even to Honduras. He explained his vision for the revivals in his taped message to the diocese from an outdoor venue.
nies of faith and thought-provoking preaching.
“One of the reasons we’re out here is because God really came into the world, into the real world, not a fairytale world, in the person of Jesus,” Curry said. “And Jesus came to show us how love is the way to live. And how we can live the life that God intended for all of us. “And that’s what a revival is about,” Curry said. “It’s an opportunity to remember this way of love, and this way of Jesus. It’s an opportunity to invite others to share this way of love, to be committed to it. An opportunity for us to recommit ourselves to this faith that we hold, and this way of Jesus and this way of God’s love.” The “Keep Saying Yes to Jesus” Revival revolves around Brewer’s advice to Central Florida Episcopalians and fellow Christians to continually seek out and have Jesus in their lives. Inspired by Curry’s revival service at the 2018 General Convention, Brewer has labeled the 2019 Diocesan Convention as a kingdom-worthy worship service that will include diverse music, stirring testimo-
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“I am very excited that Presiding Bishop Michael Curry is coming to our Diocesan Convention,” said Father Scott Holcombe, rector of St. David’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Cocoa Beach. “Not only is it the 50th anniversary of our diocese, but the thrust of Convention will be evangelism.” The Episcopal revivals were created out of the Jesus Movement, which originally began as an Evangelical Christian movement in the 1960s and 1970s on the West Coast of the U.S. before fading in the 1980s. That worldwide movement influenced and helped create other contemporary movements, including the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement. In a video blog on https://www.episcopalchurch.org/ jesus-movement, Curry describes the Jesus Movement as: “When the Gospel is about to be read, the congregation stands up. Something is going on. And then more than that, as the Gospel moment is approaching, a deacon, if there is a deacon in the particular church, a person who has been ordained at the intersection of the church and the world, is asked to read or chant the
The parallels between the Jesus Movement and “Keep Saying to Jesus” are obvious to many spiritual leaders and should help reinforce the importance of evangelism. “I think the message of “Keep Saying Yes to Jesus” is all about affirming that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and the one who directs our lives and ministries, which is what I believe the Jesus Movement is all about: following Jesus more boldly as his disciples,” said the Rev. Brian W. Turner, rector of Church of the Blessed Redeemer in Palm Bay, “especially in a country and world that continues to become more secularized and even at times antagonistic to religion and the church. “It’s a reminder not just to those in the church, but also to those outside it that moving with and following Jesus is something we have to continually do,” Turner said. “Just like Jesus spoke about taking up our cross daily, each of us who follow Jesus has to keep saying yes to Him each and every day as we reaffirm our witness to his life-transforming death and resurrection and the ministry and mission that He calls us each to. And that’s really what discipleship and evangelism are all about.” Curry is ready to share that message of discipleship and evangelism. “I look forward to being with you in January and February, look forward to being with you for a revival and look forward to celebrating 50 years of faithful worship, service and witness. In the name of Jesus Christ,” he said.
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2019 DIOCESAN CONVENTION
‘Keep Saying Yes to Jesus’ Revival to Kick Off Annual Convention
• 50th Anniversary two-day event to feature Presiding Bishop Curry • THE 2019 DIOCESAN CONVENTION will be held Friday, Feb. 1, at First Baptist Church, 3000 S. John Young Parkway, Orlando, Florida 32805; and Saturday, Feb. 2, at Trinity Prep, 5700 Trinity Prep Lane, Winter Park, Florida 32792. Highlights from the proposed agenda:
Friday, Feb. 1 at First Baptist Church
Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Diocese of Central Florida begins with a Revival service featuring The Most Reverend Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, at 7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Orlando. Doors open at 5 p.m. All are welcome, but organizers request that you please reserve a ticket for general admission as space is limited. Registration can be done online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/keep-saying-yes-to-jesus-50th-anniversary-revivaltickets-50675585039 Interested persons are asked to bring their friends to a worship service that will include: · Music that reflects our cultural diversity. · Heartfelt testimonials from people of faith. · Enthusiastic, interesting, often funny preaching that brings people in and calls them to a deeper relationship with Jesus.
Frequently Asked Questions:
· Childcare: Due to our location, we cannot offer childcare. · Cost: Free, but please register at the aforementioned link, so we know you are coming! · Security: We will have uniformed security and an EMT on the premises. · Tickets: This is a free event, but we are asking that you register for your ticket for the evening at the aforementioned link. This way, we will know how much space is needed for Feb. 1. · Transportation: To arrange group bus transportation, please contact Ortancis Gaines at ogaines@mears.com or access the website: www.mearstransportation.com
Revival Schedule
· 3 p.m. Volunteer arrival and training · 5 p.m. Doors open · 5-7 p.m. First Baptist Orlando-operated Café open for food service · 6:15 p.m. Worship music begins · 7 p.m. Revival Service with Guest Preacher The Most Rev. Michael Curry begins · 9 p.m. Revival Service concludes/Prayer Teams remain available
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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
Saturday, Feb. 2 at Trinity Prep 7-8:45 a.m. Registration with coffee/Displays open Holy Eucharist 9 a.m.
Opening Worship/Morning Prayer First Plenary Session of Convention Call to Order Welcome to Trinity Prep Organization of Convention Credentials Committee Report Dispatch of Business Report of Nominations/Elections Committee & First Ballot
9:40 a.m. Bishop Greg Brewer’s Address Special 50th Anniversary Presentations 10:45 a.m. Election Report & Second Ballot 11 a.m. BREAK 11:15 a.m. Introductions (Visitors, New Clergy, New Positions) 11:30 a.m. Election Report/possible Third Ballot 11:45 a.m.
Treasurer’s Report/Presentation & Adoption of the Budget Canonical and Other Resolutions Appointments and Ratification Invitation to the 51st Annual Diocesan Convention Presentation of Awards, Commissioning and Installations Memorials to Deceased Clergy Resolution
12:45 p.m. Worship 1 p.m. Adjourn 50th Anniversary Celebration LUNCH
Friday night revival service information can be found on: www.cfdiocese.org/ revival Details related to Saturday’s Diocesan Convention are posted on: www.cfdiocese.org/2019-diocesan-convention www.cfdiocese.org
2019 DIOCESAN CONVENTION
Information for Nominations and Elections – 2019 Positions to be filled by election at the 2019 Convention:
STANDING COMMITTEE
The Standing Committee is a Council of Advice to the Bishop. When there is no Bishop, the Standing Committee is the Ecclesiastical Authority for all proper purposes. The Standing Committee consists of four clerical members (who shall be elected for 4-year terms) and three lay members (who shall be elected for 3-year terms). The Standing Committee generally meets monthly or at the spe cial call of the President of the Standing Committee or the Bishop. The Standing Committee serves as the Resolutions Committee for all Regular and Special Meetings of the Convention.
To be elected: • One clergy person to be elected to a 4-year term • One lay person to be elected to a 3-year term The terms of The Reverend Gary Jackson and Mr. Orman Kimbrough will expire at the conclusion of this Convention. Mr. Kimbrough is not eligible for re-election at this Convention. The one-year term of The Reverend Gary Jackson will expire at the conclusion of this Convention; he is eligible for election at this Convention. NOTE: The President of the Standing committee serves ex officio as a member of the Diocesan Board. No other person may serve on the Standing Committee and the Diocesan Board at the same time (Canon VI.2).
DIOCESAN BOARD The Diocesan Board is the Board of Directors of the corporation known as the Diocese of Central Florida, Incorporated. The affairs of the Diocese not falling within the exclusive province of the Bishop shall be managed by the Diocesan Board. Members of the Board shall be elected for 3-year terms. The Diocesan Board generally meets monthly or at the call of the Ecclesiastical Authority.
To be elected: • One clergy person to be elected to a 3-year term • Two lay persons to be elected to a 3-year term (Deans (clergy) and Presidents (lay) are elected by their respective deaneries at a Deanery Convocation and serve a 3-year term on the Diocesan Board). The terms of the following members expire at the conclusion of this Convention and they are not eligible for re-election at this Convention or at Deanery Convocation: • The Very Reverend Orlando Addison (Dean, Southeast Deanery) • The Very Reverend George Conger (Dean, Northwest Deanery) • Mrs. Susan Burley (President, Central Deanery) • Mrs. Heather Rodriguez, Lay member at-large • Mrs. Sonya Shannon, Lay member at-large. The one-year term of The Reverend Jason Murbarger, Clergy member at-large, will expire at the conclusion of the Convention; he is eligible for re-election at this Convention.
www.cfdiocese.org
TRUSTEE, UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH (Sewanee, Tennessee)
Trustees of the University of the South elect and appoint the Board of Regents, a Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor and a Chaplain. Trustees hold the land in trust for the University, promote church support and student enrollment, and approve or reject plans for growth and development. They meet annually and ratify the work of the Board of Regents.
To be elected: • One lay person to be elected (3-year term) The term of Mr. Frank Gummey expires at the conclusion of this Convention. He is eligible for re-election at this Convention.
FROM THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS (The Standing Committee) • All resolutions must be submitted to the Diocesan Office, in electronic format. Send to the attention of Sarah Caprani at scaprani@ cfdiocese.org on or before Wednesday, December 19, 2018. This will allow their review by the Resolutions Committee and their distribution to all clergy and lay delegates prior to the pre-convention deanery meetings and is in accordance with Canon IV, Section 5(b).
• Resolutions may be submitted after Wednesday, December 19, 2018, only if the Bishop is satisfied that the delay in submission was for good cause. Deviation from these requirements may be waived only by a majority vote of the delegates to the Convention.
• Rules of the Convention normally call for at least two written copies of any resolution presented on the floor of the Convention, one for the chair and one for the secretary and in an electronic format (preferably MS WORD) on a jump drive or some other standard device. If it is desirable that delegates have copies of the printed resolution, it is the responsibility of the presenter to provide those copies. A total of 500 copies are needed. – Compiled by Marilyn Lang
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2019 DIOCESAN CONVENTION
Diocesan Candidates for Office Boast Diverse Backgrounds Multiple committee positions to be filled at 50th Annual Convention
The 2019 Diocesan Convention’s golden anniversary will consist of the “Keeping Saying Yes to Jesus” 50th Anniversary Revival on Friday, Feb. 1, at First Baptist Church, 3000 S. John Young Parkway, Orlando, Florida, 32805, and the convention’s business session on Saturday, Feb. 2, at Trinity Prep, 5700 Trinity Prep Lane, Winter Park, Florida, 32792. Offices for membership on the Standing Committee, Diocesan Board, and Board of Trustees for the University of South, Sewanee, Tennessee, will be filled by election on Feb. 2. Candidates from various orders provided us some personal, educational, professional, elected office background, and more.
NOMINEES FOR ELECTED OFFICE 2019 STANDING COMMITTEE
The Rev. Jason A. Murbarger
Ms. Monica Taffinder
Deployment: I am currently serving Christ as Rector of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Daytona Beach, and have been a priest in the Diocese of Central Florida since 2013. Prior to St. Mary’s, I served as the assistant to the rector at Trinity in Vero Beach.
Marilyn Robinson wrote in Gilead, “…there are many ways to live a good life.” I’ve had such a good life, and it’s been my desire to serve God and others out of the abundance He has given me. While there is always more to do, I’ve loved the opportunities I’ve had so far.
Candidate for Standing Committee Clerical Order
Experience: I have just completed a term as a member of our Diocesan Board. Before accepting a call to the priesthood, I served eight years on active duty as an Air Force intelligence officer, managing people, teams, deployments, processes, and budgets. Following my time in the Air Force, I spent 11 years selling comercial real estate. I have considerable experience in management, budgeting, finance, real estate, long-range planning, contracts, and negotiation. I would be honored to apply these skills to serve you as a member of the Diocesan Standing Committee. Family: I have been married to my wife, Sharon, for 26 years. She is currently serving the bishop as president of Daughters of the King (DOK) for our diocese. We have two grown sons, Jarrod 24, and Jordan, 22. They are both confirmed Christians that actively participate in the life of the Church. Education: 2010-2013 Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Nashotah House 1994-1997 Master of Business Administration (MBA), Saint Martin’s University 1988-1992 Bachelor of Science Business Administration (BSBA), Finance, The Citadel
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Candidate for Standing Committee Lay Order
I spent my first years after undergrad doing college ministry in Texas and Russia with Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ International). Upon finishing my time with Cru, I moved to Orlando to attend Reformed Theological Seminary, where I earned Master’s degrees in Counseling and Biblical Studies. From there, I began directing and seeing clients through the counseling ministry of a non-denominational church in Orlando. After working in the church for several years, my colleagues and I opened Grace Clinic, a private practice, where I have counseled for the past 14 years. Along the way, I’ve had the opportunity to counsel internationally with people who lacked resources and would have otherwise suffered in isolation. Having participated in many denominations over the years, I felt like I had come home when I experienced my first Episcopal service in 2004. I worshipped at All Saints’ Winter Park until my husband and I moved to The Cathedral Church of St. Luke last year. Recently, I’ve had the honor of serving in a few roles in the Diocese of Central Florida, including the Commission on Ministry – the bishop’s advisory committee on aspirants to ministry, which I love! I’m grateful for the life I’ve had, and hopeful about what is to come.
www.cfdiocese.org
2019 DIOCESAN CONVENTION
Mrs. Heather Rodriguez
Candidate for Standing Committee Lay Order Currently, I am a member of the Diocesan Board and served as an Lay Alternate Deputy to General Convention in Austin, Texas, in 2018. I am the parish administrator at Church of the Good Shepherd in Maitland and have extensive experience as a musician and minister of music. I am a native Floridian and have served on church worship teams since being a teenager. As a lay person, I have served our local churches and diocese in a variety of capacities and hope to continue serving our diocese as a member of the Standing Committee. As a member of the Diocesan Board, together with others, we initiated our diocesan response to the Puerto Rican migration of Hurricane Maria survivors to Central Florida. Over the past year, my family has been worshipping within the multi-cultural communities within the churches of Christ the King and Jesús de Nazaret, which are co-located together in Azalea Park (Orlando). Previously, for 10 years, I worked with my husband in Young Adult and College ministry. I have served in both church plants and established parishes. I am also a small business owner and was previously a schoolteacher leading an elementary and middle school band at a Seminole County private school. I am married to José, and the mother of Elijah, 6, and Eva, 3. Our family has called the Diocese of Central Florida home for many years, having been married at All Saints’ Church in Winter Park, then working to help establish the Church of the Incarnation in Oviedo. I want to see the kingdom grow and its members in Central Florida prosper. Together with my husband, I labor to advocate for all of God’s children, especially those who are underrepresented or otherwise silenced. It is my desire to represent our diocesan family within the Standing Committee to give a voice to not only young families but the many young people (and church musicians and worship leaders too!) that make up our diocesan family.
Mrs. Sonya Shannon
Candidate for Standing Committee Lay Order Born in Tyler, Texas, I was confirmed at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Grand Prairie, Texas. I met my husband, Colin, in high school and we were married at St. Andrew’s in 1990. We joined The Cathedral Church of St. Luke when we moved to Orlando in 1993. Today we are the proud parents of three beautiful “cradle Episcopalians” – Shelby is 24, Erin is 20, and Kendall is 17. I seek to secure a safe place for my girls to grow in their love of the Lord.
www.cfdiocese.org
I currently work at the Cathedral as the nursery coordinator. In diocesan work, I have served previously on (the) Diocesan Board, on the Standing Committee, and on the Congregational Development Commission. In 2018, I served as a lay deputy to the General Convention in Austin, Texas. As a diocese, in fact, as the Church, we face a culture that is increasingly non-Christian. We routinely encounter individuals who have only a limited knowledge of Jesus Christ. They are looking for answers and meaning but have no idea of where to turn for grace and hope. Our first challenge, therefore, is to renew our own faith and find ways to articulate those personal stories of faith and encounters with the Lord. Our call to evangelism is to step out of our comfort zone. Our comfort zone for many years has been to stay within the confines of our parish, even literally within our very church buildings. We can no longer wait for people to come to us. As strong as our witness is right now, we can become even stronger in our faith. We should continue to develop programs that teach the basics of the faith, renew the spiritual life of the individual members of the diocese, and provide the tools for growth in the life of the Church. I believe the Diocese offers a unique opportunity for those who would seek to know our Lord and deepen their relationship. I will continue to work to make a difference in the life of the church by helping to maintain the continuity and integrity throughout the churches in the Diocese of Central Florida. I am committed to serve as best I can to help the bishop fulfill his vision of raising up new leaders and restoring lives in our community. I believe I can be effective in this effort as a member of the Standing Committee.
DIOCESAN BOARD
The Rev. Roy Allison
Candidate Diocesan Board Clerical Order I have been the rector of St. James in Ormond Beach since October 2017, having been called to Central Florida from the Diocese of Southwest Florida, where I grew up and served churches in Bonita Springs and Tampa. I received by B.A. from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, and graduated cum laude with my M. Div. from Nashotah House Theological Seminary. I have been married to my wife, Marcia, for 23 years, and we have two grown daughters. I enjoy fishing and cycling. Prior to ordination, I served in the U.S. Air Force in England, worked as an EMT in Tampa, volunteered in youth ministry, and spent 16 years as the director of operations for both pharmacy and HME
Please see CANDIDATES, Page 14. CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
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NOMINEES FOR ELECTED OFFICE 2019 CANDIDATES continued from Page 13
DIOCESAN BOARD continued providers in the adult and pediatric markets in the Tampa Bay area. Prior to my call to Central Florida, I served on the Diocesan Disciplinary Board in Southwest Florida for five years.
I am submitting my name to serve on the Diocesan Board because I
appreciate both the responsibility and privilege it is to serve our diocese and our bishop. I am a team player, eager to listen, know the importance of good communication, and most importantly, believe that praying for the Holy Spirit to provide wisdom and direction must be the first step in conversation and making decisions. I feel that being elected to the Diocesan Board will allow me to use my gifts, both from my professional life and from my life serving the Church, to help further the mission of our diocese to serve and reveal Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in all that we say and do. Good stewardship, leadership and oversight of the business of the Church are essential to ensuring that our diocese remains strong and healthy for the future. If called to this office, I would be blessed to be a part of this ministry and work, and would seek to be a blessing, as well.
The Rev. Jose Rodriguez Candidate for Diocesan Board Clerical Order
I serve as the priest-in-charge of Iglesia Episcopal Jesus de Nazaret, where for the past year I have coordinated our diocesan response to the migration of Hurricane Maria survivors to Central Florida. This year, I served as an alternate deputy to General Convention in Austin, (Texas), where I was coconvener of the Hispanic Caucus, was active within the Deputies of Color caucus, and often spoke in committee hearings and on the floor of the House of Deputies. I was recently appointed to the Episcopal Church’s Task Force on the Theology of Social Justice Advocacy. I also serve as a Board Member of the Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center and as President of the Hispanic Commission. In matters of financial management, I have a Master’s in Business Administration and am a former banking executive. I am certified in business financial management and have the highest certification available in business cost estimating by the Department of Defense’s Defense Acquisition University. I have also served on governance bodies for two financial institutions and have extensive experience in risk management and loss prevention.
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In the past, I have served this diocese as a parish priest and together with my wife worked in College and Young Adult Ministry for almost 10 years. My passion is working within the local church to reach out into our communities to expand the kingdom’s reach. I have a passion to serve and advocate for the underrepresented. I am married to Heather and am the father of Eva, 3, and Elijah 6. I am continuing my seminary education and am pursuing a Doctor of Ministry focused on serving displaced persons. I hope to represent our diocese on our board and be an advocate for our ministries in regard to evangelism, outreach and church growth.
Ms. Bonnie Danner
Candidate for Diocesan Board Lay Order I am a cradle Episcopalian baptized as an infant at St. Andrew’s in Richmond, Virginia. I moved in 1998 to Orlando, where I have been an active communicant of St. Richard’s Episcopal Church, Winter Park, for more than 19 years. Currently, I am a member of the vestry (having served previously as senior warden for more than two years, including the time frame of our rector’s resignation in 2004), the Endowment Committee, St. Margaret’s Guild, and the Flower Guild. I work with church education, offering Godly Play teaching and adult education presentations. I formerly co-chaired a successful capital campaign and was chair of the committee for our 60th anniversary celebration. I was a member of the search committee for our current rector. I continue to support fellowship activities and our outreach ministries with a focus on helping the homeless. I have been blessed with two successful, rewarding technical careers in high school and university teaching and in cyber security engineering research, development and project management. My college background includes a BS degree in English with a mathematics option from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and a MS degree in mathematical sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University.
I am pleased to be nominated as a candidate to serve on the Diocesan Board. I pledge to use all my God-given gifts to help our diocese follow the teachings of Jesus. If elected, I will serve the Lord with all my heart and strive to help Central Florida Episcopalians reach out to one another in love and understanding. From the perspective of a mother of two and grandmother of five, I have hopes and dreams for a future that is shaped by the love of Christ in human hearts.
www.cfdiocese.org
2019 DIOCESAN CONVENTION
Mrs. Sue Grosso
Candidate for Diocesan Board Lay Order I am presently serving as parish administrator to Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Orlando and have spent the past eight-plus years serving the diocese as guest services director at Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center. It is my joy to serve the people of God in many different ways and it would be an honor and privilege to serve Bishop Brewer and the diocese as a board member. My family attends Church of the Incarnation in Oviedo, where we all serve. My husband of 28 years is on the music team, my 20-year-old daughter is the worship team leader, and I run the sound board, assisting the youth in running slides for services and training them in A/V skills. I have been on several parish discernment committees and enjoy following individuals through their process and seeing where God leads them. Over the years, I have coordinated financial Peace University classes, teaching a Bible-based, debt-free, way of life to ensure financial stability and security for families in our churches and beyond. It is a passion of mine to see all people and churches model finances based on Biblical principles. In the secular world, I was an administrative assistant, a dental assistant for 20 years, a Girl Scout leader for 13 years, and a volunteer with high school marching band for four years. Communication and organization were paramount skills in both my work and volunteer opportunities and have served me well.
Mr. Paul Lagassey
Candidate Diocesan Board Lay Order Raised in a Catholic family in West Hartford, Connecticut, Paul attended West Hartford schools and the University of Connecticut. Since starting a landscaping business at age 11, Paul has been an entrepreneur all his life. After graduating from UConn in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in real estate and urban economic studies, Paul worked as a commercial real estate broker and developer and at various times has held real estate brokers licenses in six states. In the 1990s, Paul became involved with intellectual property, filed for his first patent in 2000, and has since invented and invested in over 40 patents, some of which have been licensed to Fortune 500 companies. Family is important to Paul. He has a close relationship with his stepdaughters, Tania and Kayla, who live and work in Ontario, and maintains ties with many cousins on both parents’ side of the family in Quebec and Maine.
www.cfdiocese.org
After moving to Broward County in 2000, Paul relocated to Vero Beach in 2003. He started attending services at Trinity in 2013, was received into the Episcopal Church 2014, started serving as a Eucharist Minister in 2015, and was elected to the vestry in 2017. He attends Holy Eucharist almost daily, assisting at many of the services. As a member of the vestry, Paul has worked on numerous special projects, and has attended the last two diocesan conventions as a delegate. Paul looks forward to serving the diocese as a lay member of the board.
TRUSTEE, UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH
Mr. Frank B. Gummey, III Candidate for Trustee, University of the South Lay Order
I have been a member of St. Mary’s in Daytona Beach for 38 years, where I have served as a lector, lay eucharistic minister, three times a vestry member, search committee member, stewardship chair, and unofficial “chancellor.” A life-long Episcopalian, I received my BA from the University of the South. After service in the U.S. Army, I attended law school at the University of Florida. As a certified local government lawyer, I represented Daytona Beach, Volusia County and New Smyrna Beach for over 44 years. I have participated in the leadership of a number of professional, civic and charitable organizations on the local, regional and national levels. My wife of 37 years, Susan, is a teacher and our daughter, Sarah, is a school guidance counselor. Our son, Frank IV, is employed by the City of Oviedo. The University of the South, “Sewanee,” has been a continuing relationship for me. I have been a regular contributor and inveterate booster. As a trustee since 2010, I have enthusiastically supported significant advancements in the university’s mission. As chair of the Trustees Growth and Development Committee, our mission is to review and monitor strategic and master planning by the University corporation, including the progress of building and campus projects. This involves not just the educational facilities, but also the residential and commercial areas as the university owns the entire community. As Episcopalians, we have an incredible resource for clerical and lay Christian education in Sewanee and I hope to continue to work to improve the breadth and depth of its impact on the Church and community at large.
CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
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2019 DIOCESAN CONVENTION
Savings Groups in Honduras Making Difference for the Poor The two huge caravans from Central Ameri-
ca that set out for the U.S. several months ago
became one of the biggest stories of 2018. Individuals and families from a minimum of 20 countries, including Guatemala and Honduras, composed the caravans, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Somewhat lost in the shuffle in this news story are the poverty-stricken people who did not leave their homes, including many in Honduras. A whopping 66 percent of the Honduran population was living in poverty as recently as just two years ago, according to the World Bank website. Conditions are worse in rural areas, where 20 percent of Hondurans live in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 in U.S. money.
By Jeff Gardenour
B
ut some are taking notice of the plight of the Honduran people and making a concerted effort to help. Two ongoing projects are the Savings Groups with Education and Family Gardens, both developed by the Anglican Association for the Development of Honduras (AANGLIDESH) for use in the Diocese of Honduras, a companion diocese of the Diocese of Central Florida. The Savings Group with Education, under the direction of new facilitator Nohelia Maradiaga, has focused on the development of the Annual Work Plan. Within that work plan, 18 groups have been formed, four under the direct supervision of Maradiaga. The groups band together to save money, and then members take out micro-loans to pay for school expenses, medical bills or to even start a small home enterprise such as making and selling a variety of foods. Each of the groups also has a social goal to benefit its community, such as painting a church. The Family Gardens project was later created to further assist Hondurans with the formation of food security and the potentiality of a modest supplemental income. Families receive fruit trees and more.
Wesny Dubic, the Diocese of Central Florida representative for the Diocese of Honduras, left, visits with Nohelia Maradiaga, who has successfully directed the Savings Group with Education for the Diocese of Honduras. Groups band together to save money, and then members take out micro-loans to pay for school expenses, medical bills or to even start a small home enterprise such as making and selling a variety of foods.
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PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE DIOCESE OF HONDURAS
www.cfdiocese.org
2019 DIOCESAN CONVENTION
“In some small way, these programs directly address very real needs of rural Hondurans in their homes,” said Martha Emerson, a member of the Honduras Commission for the Diocese of Central Florida. In a report released to the Diocese of Central Florida, Maradiaga said the groups have been saving well. The Group of Saving Growing in Grace of Danan Deanery, formed by 16 women and five men, has saved 13,611 lempiras or $561.78 in U.S. dollars. Four people have borrowed 500 lempiras or $20.64 in U.S. money. “That money was used to buy school supplies, medicines and pay transportation to their children’s school; these have been the main needs they have been able to attend with them,” Maradiaga said. “All of them are happy to be able to count on this help when they need it. It is the only option they have. Besides this, their social goal of
this cycle is to buy the paint to paint the temple of the community.” Another group, Grupo Jesús es Luz, which is composed of 12 women and six men, has saved 9,349 lempiras, or $385.87 in U.S. dollars. The money, thus far, has helped 12 people buy medicine, children’s clothes and school expenses. The group’s social goal is to purchase wood for the elaboration of a bookcase for the Episcopal church of the community, Maradiaga said. The successes of the groups under Maradiaga follows the initial formation and facilitation of the first small groups under Canon Connie Sanchez. But the Diocese of Honduras recognized the need for more facilitators to help build more groups around the country, so the Diocese of Central Florida Honduras Commission provided a first-year salary for the creation of a new facilitator: Maradiaga.
Emerson said the Diocese of Central Florida Honduras Commission would like to reward Maradiaga with a salary beyond her first year but needs the public’s help. Considering that Honduras’ per capita income is approximately $600 U.S., and unemployment sits at a staggering 28 percent, the need to continue aiding these savings groups is essential to the country’s survival.
To support Maradiaga in her efforts as facilitator, contributions can be sent through the Honduras Development Network via Randy Smith, P.O. Box 450865, Sunrise, FL 33346. Interested benefactors also can check out: https://www.hondurasdevelopmentnetwork. org/ via the Internet.
Project participants in the Savings Groups with Education and Family Gardens, both developed by the Anglican Association for the Development of Honduras (AANGLIDESH) for use in the Diocese of Honduras, have been successful in starting small-home enterprises and more in an effort to raise money for bills, expenses.
www.cfdiocese.org
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2019 DIOCESAN CONVENTION
Bishop Gray Foundation Helping Florida Retirees Eligible seniors receive financial assistance for housing, health care By Jeff Gardenour
Getting older is getting rougher for some Americans, especially seniors.
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whopping 25 million Americans 60 and over are struggling financially – living at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), which is $29,425 per year for a single person, according to a report by the National Council on Aging (NCOA). Rising cost of living, including housing and health care, and little or no savings are just a few of the things affecting seniors’ quality of life today. Some have noticed seniors’ plight, however. The Bishop Gray Foundation is one such organization that is helping people in their retirement years. First known as Bishop Gray Inns, the organization actually dates back to the late 19th century when “the original Church Home and Hospital was founded in Orlando by the Rt. Rev. William Crane Gray,” said Ginger Van Valkenburgh, executive director of the Bishop Gray Retirement Foundation in Winter Park since 1998. Renamed St. Luke’s in 1905, the first housing establishment was purchased by The Episcopal Church in the 1950s and called Holly Hill Inn. Holly Hill was renovated and renamed the Bishop Gray Retirement Community and expanded in 1968. In 1987,
another retirement community in Lake Wales was built. The Bishop Gray Inns Foundation was then incorporated in 1992 Van Valkenburgh to assist retirement communities in Davenport and Lake Worth. Both these facilities were sold in 2004 to K.C. Cross, who continues to operate them. “[The foundation] was formed to help fundraise for the inns to support their operations and also to begin a type of “scholarship” program for people applying to move in who did not have enough resources to pay the monthly fee,” said Van Valkenburgh. Today, the Bishop Gray Foundation provides financial assistance to retired Episcopal seniors ages 62 and older who request help with housing and health care costs. The foundation is funded by donations from Episcopalians in the Southwest, Southeast and Central Dioceses of Florida along with proceeds from the sale of two previous retirement communities. “Since 2004 when the inns were sold and the BGR (Bishop Gray Retirement) Foundation changed to the current program of rent assistance, we have helped 105 people,” Van Valkenburgh said. “This is not just help with moving into a retirement home; it is ongoing monthly housing grants paid to apartment complexes, condos or senior living facilities as well as retirement communities and assisted living facilities.” Today, more than 60 years after it all began, the Bishop Gray Foundation helps residents with housing and health care costs in at least 17 facilities scattered from West Palm Beach to Fort Myers to Orlando and beyond. Locally, the foundation provides financial assistance to residents in Westminister Towers, Orlando; Westminister Winter Park; Savannah Court, Maitland; Orlando Lutheran Towers; Brookdale
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE BISHOP GRAY FOUNDATION
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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
Westminister Towers Winter Park is one facility where some residents have received financial assistance from the Bishop Gray Foundation.
Senior Living, Altamonte Springs; Trinity Towers, Melbourne; Lake Pointe Senior Apartments, Tavares; and Savannah Court, Lake Wales, to name a few. The foundation has specific criteria to reach those who are most in need, Van Valkenburgh said. In order to be eligible for financial assistance, individuals must be 62 or older, or 100 percent disabled, and retired; an Episcopalian in good standing with a history of assistance in a church in the Southeast, Southwest or Central Florida dioceses, and with a referral from a clergy member of the individual’s parish detailing involvement; have assets of no more than $10,000 for one person or $15,000 for two; and have an annual maximum gross income of $28,000, or $33,000 for two people. Those who do receive assistance benefit in various ways. “The Bishop Gray Retirement Foundation (BGRF) assistance ranges from life-saving help, to an extra monthly cushion to relieve the stress of financial burden,” Van Valkenburgh said. “There have been some applicants who have told us that the BGRF literally saved them from becoming homeless, while others were relying on family and friends to help them get by.” Helping to keep the Bishop Gray Foundation thriving are donations that are presented as direct gifts or planned giving through wills and estates. “Currently, we are using the income from the money that is invested to fund our distributions to recipients,” Van Valkenburgh said. “The proceeds from the sale of the two inns were added to the foundation in 2004, which increased its corpus substantially.” The Bishop Gray Foundation’s century-plus way of doing unto others hasn’t gone unnoticed by today’s Episcopalians. Bishop Greg Brewer plans to make it one of his primary message topics when he speaks at the 2019 Diocesan Convention in February. “There will be a five-minute video shown at convention that will hopefully convey the message of how this foundation has helped people and the ways it has helped to spread God’s love and care to retirees in need,” Van Valkenburgh said. “Hearing the personal stories of our recipients is the best way to spread the word!”
For more information, write: Ginger Van Valkenburgh, Bishop Gray Retirement Foundation, P.O. Box 233, Winter Park, FL, 32790; call 407-6449866; email gvanvalkenburgh@earthlink.net or visit www.bgrfoundation.org on the internet.
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DIOCESAN FAMILY
Fundraising Underway for Bishop Brewer’s 2019 Sabbatical By CFE Staff
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he year 2019 marks the end of the seventh year of Bishop Gregory O. Brewer’s episcopacy. In accordance with our diocesan policy and his Letter of Agreement, he is eligible for Bishop Greg Brewer a sabbatical. The task of funding Bishop Brewer’s sabbatical is before us. Please consider a financial gift to make his sabbatical plans and dream a reality. Bishop Brewer will be away on sabbatical leave from the Diocesan Office beginning April 1, 2019. He will return to the office in July 2019. His sabbatical and these dates have been approved by the Standing Committee and Diocesan Board. During his sabbatical, our Bishop would like to hike portions of the “Old Way Pilgrimage” from Southampton to Canterbury and embark on a personal study of 2 Corinthians. Detailed plans are in place to handle the day-in and day-out operation of the Diocesan Office, administrative needs and pastoral concerns. In his 40-plus years of ministry, Bishop Brewer has had only one sabbatical. This is a golden opportunity for us to thank him for his faithfulness, leadership, and past ministry in the Diocese of Central Florida. This is also a time for him to reflect, rest and discern the leadership required for his final five years of service to the Diocese of Central Florida. If you would like to make a gift, please make and mail your check as follows:
Bishop’s Sabbatical Fund c/o R. A. Simasek, P.A., Certified Public Accountants 601 North Ferncreek Ave, Suite 110 Orlando, FL 32803
We Are Reminded on Epiphany That Jesus Is King of Kings By Father Nick Braunschneider Epiphany Season runs Jan. 6 through Tuesday before Ash Wednesday As stated in the Episcopal Church website, the Epiphany Season is a season of Sunday, January 6, 2019 four to nine weeks, from the Feast of the Epiphany (Jan. 6) through the Tuesday Lectionary Year C before Ash Wednesday. The length of the season varies according to the date of Easter. The gospel stories of this season describe various events that manifest the divinity of Jesus. The coming of the Magi is celebrated on the Epiphany. The Baptism of our Lord is observed on the Sunday after Epiphany. The gospels for the other Sundays of the Epiphany season Braunschneider describe the wedding at Cana, the calling of the disciples, and various miracles and teachings of Jesus. The Last Sunday after the Epiphany is always devoted to the Transfiguration. Jesus’ identity as the Son of God is dramatically revealed in the Transfiguration gospel, as well as the gospel of the baptism of Christ. We are called to respond to Christ in faith through the showings of his divinity recorded in the gospels of the Epiphany season.
The Epiphany
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might be breaking over a loved one who is lost and wandering. The Gospel declares to you and to me that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace! We have God’s invitation and promise that if we seek Him, we will find Him (Jer. 29:13; Mt. 7:7).
—— A few thoughts on (Epiphany) ——
As he did with Herod, Satan often uses fear to keep people in darkness, so that they “cannot see the light of the Gospel that displays the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4). The fear we experience often revolves around the issue of control. We fear losing control of ourselves and others, so we do our best to keep King Jesus from ruling over us. In our reading, many of the devil’s primary weapons are exposed — such as secrecy, deceit, paranoia, and pride. When we give into Satan’s temptations to resist the Good News, we stunt the good work Jesus wants to do in us.
hroughout Advent, we have been anxiously waiting for the arrival of the Promised One. Now, He has finally come! And we are reminded mostly clearly on Epiphany Sunday that He is a King. He is the King of Kings. But King Jesus is unlike any king we have ever known. He isn’t a tyrant. He does not place heavy burdens on the backs of His people in order to hold them captive. He is the King who “came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:28). The Good News is Jesus the King has come to set us free from everything that keeps us from life with Him! And for this, He is worthy of our worship and our allegiance.
Sunday’s Gospel reading (Matthew 2:1-12):
First, we learn that the Gospel truly is good news for ALL people (v. 1-2).
Do not overlook the fact that Jesus’ coming was announced to even the worst of men — namePlease note that this is a gift and not a tax-deductible contribution. ly, Herod. What’s staggering about this is it shows For more information about fundraising for Bishop that Jesus came to rescue sin-sick people. Prideful, Brewer’s sabbatical, please contact: Rev. Scott Holcombe, power-hungry, self-centered, cruel people. Do you revsth@gmail.com, 321-783-2554, or Rev. Jim Sorvillo, know what this means? It means there is hope for you, and for me. You may feel far from God today. rector@ascension-orlando.org, 407-876-3480. You might only be able to see your sin. Your heart
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Secondly, we see that while God is busy reclaiming what is rightfully His (a people for His own possession), the devil is busy counteracting and disrupting this work (v. 3-8).
Finally, we can be encouraged that the mission of God will not be —cannot be— stopped (v. 9-12)! What a comfort to know that no matter how cunning or crafty the evil one seems to be … how much
Please see EPIPHANY, Page 25.
CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
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CENTRALFLORIDAEPISCOPALIAN en español
NOTICIAS DE LA DIÓCESIS EPISCOPAL DE LA FLORIDA CENTRAL • WWW.CFDIOCESE.ORG • Volumen 121, Núm. 1 • enero-febrero 2019
Obispo Curry Listo para Inspirar en la Convención Diocesana Por Jeff Gardenour
FOTO PROPORCIONADA POR LA PRIMERA IGLESIA DE BAUTISTA, ORLANDO
Miles anticipados en llegar al Renacimiento ‘Sigue Diciéndole Sí a Jesús’ De costa a costa, y hasta a través del Atlántico, Obispo Presidente Michael Curry ha inspirado gente con renacimientos y predicaciones emocionales, animando y renovando corazones para Jesús tal vez como ningún otro líder Episcopal antes que él.
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n Mayo del 2018, Curry llegó a ser una celebridad mundial por su predicación sentido en le Boda Royal del Príncipe Harry y Meghan Markle. “Debemos descubrir amor, el poder redentor de amor,” Curry dijo. “Y cuando lo hagamos, haremos de este mundo antiguo un nuevo mundo.” En la Convención General de Julio 2018 de la Iglesia Episcopal en Austin Texas, Curry ganó una ovación de pie, aclamaciones, y sonrisas cuando entregó una predicación conmovedora de renacimiento. Ganó aclamación cuando especuló lo que ha de pensar Dios sobre la gente que piensan que lo saben todo: El Obispo Presidente Michael Curry, será el predicador invitado en el 50 aniversario de la Convención Diocesana 2019.
“¿No saben que yo creé la vasta extensión de espacio interestelar? ¿No saben que yo le dije al viejo Moisés, ‘Baja Moisés, desciende a la tierra de Egipto, y dígale al viejo Faraón, suelte a mi gente’? ¿No saben que yo soy el autor de libertad? ¿No saben que yo soy el creador de justicia? ¿No saben que yo soy el Dios de amor? ¿No saben que yo bajé a la tierra como Jesús para mostrarles el camino, para mostrarles el camino de amor, para mostrarles el camino de vida, para mostrarles como convivir juntos? ¿No saben cuánto les amo? ¿Cuánto?” El estilo provocador y entusiastico de Curry estará en pantalla completa para los residentes de Florida Central el Viernes, 1 de Febrero, el primer día de la Convención Diocesana Anual de 2019. Curry es el orador invitado para el Renacimiento de ‘Sigue Diciéndole Sí a Jesús’, lo cual espera atraer a miles de Episcopales y otros a First Baptist Church of Orlando. El renacimiento será seguido por la sesión de negocio de la convención el sábado, Segundo de Febrero, en Trinity Prep. La sesión en sábado incluirá un discurso de Obispo Greg Brewer, y también incluirá presentaciones especiales, elecciones, aprobación del presupuesto para 2019, y otros asuntos. Un almuerzo especial será ofrecido. Pero es el Renacimiento lo que seguramente excitará una pasión para el Señor aquí en Florida Central. “Saludos a Obispo Greg Brewer y a todos mis amigos en la Diócesis de Florida Central,” dijo Curry en un video especial para la Diócesis. “En este su 50 año de aniversario, les traigo saludos desde sus hermanos y hermanas en toda la Iglesia Episcopal. “Estoy emocionado por estar con ustedes para la celebración de su 50 aniversario y por su próximo re-
FOTO PROPORCIONADA POR ST. LA CAPILLA DE GEORGE, CASTILLO DE WINDSOR, REINO UNIDO
El 50 aniversario de la Convención Diocesana de 2019 se llevará a cabo el viernes 1 de febrero en First Baptist Church, Orlando.
nacimiento,” dijo Curry. “Sí, hay renacimientos en la Iglesia Episcopal. Y estoy emocionado por estar con ustedes y con los suyos.” La apariencia de Curry marca lo que se cree ser la primera vez que el obispo presidente con estado celebridad mundial ha hablado en una convención de la Diócesis de Florida Central, y gente está extática. “Estoy emocionado que la visita oficial (de Obispo Curry) a nuestra oficina coincidirá con nuestro 50 aniversario,” dijo el Rev. Tim Nunez, el ex Canon al Ordinario por la Diócesis de Florida Central quien recientemente aceptó un llamado a ser el rector en Church of the Good Shepherd en Lake Wales. “Este renacimiento es una oportunidad tremenda para voltear nuestra atención en el pasado hacia nuestro futuro - y el trabajo que sigue por delante en compartir y servir a Jesús en nuestras comunidades.” El Renacimiento de ‘Sigue Diciéndole Sí a Jesús’ es el más reciente de muchos renacimientos de Curry, quien ha hecho a estos eventos una marca de ser el Obispo Presidente desde ser elegido en 2015. Un nativo de Chicago que antes era el Obispo de Carolina Norte, Curry lanzó una serie de renacimientos en 2017-18 los cuales crearon y renovaron interés en Jesús, prepararon a Episcopales para evangelizar, e invitan a aquellos no familiares con la iglesia a juntarse al Movimiento de Jesús, de acuerdo al sitio web de la Iglesia Episcopal.
Vaya por favor a CONVENCIÓN, página 22
Page 21: Columna del Obispo Brewer • Page 22: Calendario de visitas del Obispo Brewer
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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
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OBISPO BREWER
Pensando en nuestro futuro Por el obispo Gregory O. Brewer
La reflexión y la planificación a menudo marcan el inicio de un nuevo año. Nos damos cuenta de nuestros sueños. Reflexionamos sobre nuestros planes. Pensamos en lo que esperamos lograr.
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partir de este mes, comenzaré los últimos cinco años de mi episcopado, lo que significa que estoy reflexionando, orando y pidiéndole a Dios que me ayude a pensar de una manera que estimule a nuestra diócesis a una mayor creatividad y un crecimiento más profundo. El corazón de lo que sucede en la diócesis es la congregación local, lo que significa que la salud y la vitalidad de las congregaciones locales son de suma importancia. Cuando pienso en nuestras congregaciones, me vienen a la mente cuatro tipos básicos. Te animo a ver dónde crees que encaja tu iglesia. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que utilizo estas categorías independientemente del tamaño de la congregación. Cualquier iglesia de cualquier tamaño puede encajar en cualquier categoría.
Tipos de congregacion 1. Excepcionales / Crecimiento: esta etiqueta se aplica a las congregaciones con un nivel notable de crecimiento tanto numérico como espiritual. Nuevas personas están llegando a la fe; nuevas personas se están uniendo a la congregación del vecindario; y la congregación está desarrollando una reputación de ser un lugar donde las personas pueden explorar lo que significa ser un cristiano y sentirse bienvenidos al hacerlo.
2. Sostener: Este tipo de congregación tiene una asistencia consistente los domingos por la mañana
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y algunos buenos programas. Pero si observa más detenidamente, se da cuenta de que sus programas dependen de un grupo relativamente pequeño de donantes. Si cualquiera de esos falleció o no pudo dar, la pérdida podría poner en peligro la salud de la iglesia. No hay mucha gente nueva entrando, y la congregación ve su propósito principal más como el cuidado pastoral que las misiones.
3. Tendencia hacia abajo: cuando una congregación encaja en esta categoría, los feligreses clave están desapareciendo o mudándose. La congregación se está reduciendo, y la tentación es enfocarse más internamente o tratar de hacer lo que actualmente están haciendo mejor, en lugar de hacer las preguntas más difíciles, como «¿Cómo podemos tener un impacto nuevo y mayor en nuestra comunidad?” ¿De una manera que atraiga nuevos miembros?
4. Cierre potencial: se refiere a las congregaciones que, debido a su reducción y al deterioro del estado de sus instalaciones, es probable que cierren en los próximos cinco años. Ahora, esto puede suceder sin que sea culpa de la congregación si sus vecindarios se están reduciendo y su población se está alejando. Dios tiene un llamado, una misión y un plan para cada congregación. Nuestra esperanza es trabajar con cada congregación para ayudarles a descubrir ese llamado y prosperar.
Puntos de crecimiento También quiero mencionar que algunas comunidades importantes han surgido en los últimos 20 años, como Viera cerca de Melbourne y Horizon West cerca de Winter Garden. A medida que avancemos, deberíamos pensar en cómo podríamos plantar congregaciones en lugares como estos. Pensar en el futuro implica no solo tratar con congregaciones más pequeñas que se están cerrando, sino también con cambios de población y áreas de
nuevo crecimiento en la Florida Central. Los deBishop Greg Brewer safíos que enfrentamos incluyen cómo llegar a las personas que se mudan aquí, cómo tratar con las iglesias que ya no son viables y cómo trabajar en todas esas cosas de una manera que realmente nos ayuda a crear un mejor impacto en términos de llegar a las personas con el evangelio. A medida que avanzamos, debemos pensar en cómo la diócesis, tanto el personal como los voluntarios, pueden ayudar a las congregaciones para que realmente puedan crecer, para que puedan hacer un mejor trabajo en el ministerio al que Dios las ha llamado. Para este fin, seguimos buscando clérigos, específicamente, aquellos raros con dones en la plantación de iglesias o la revitalización congregacional.
“Sigue diciendo sí a Jesús” Mientras pienso en 2019, debo mencionar nuestra convención anual diocesana del 1 al 2 de febrero, especialmente el servicio de reavivamiento del viernes por la noche dirigido por nuestro invitado especial, el Obispo Presidente Michael Curry.
Para llegar activamente a nuestra comunidad, necesitamos que nuestros miembros no solo. Gracia a ti,
Obispo Gregory O. Brewer
CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
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2019 CONVENCIÓN DIOCESANA Vaya por favor a CONVENCIÓN, página 21
FOTO PROPORCIONADO POR EL SERVICIO DE NOTICIAS EPISCOPALES
Los renacimientos de Curry consisten en eventos públicos de múltiplos días en Diócesis Episcopales de costa a costa, y hasta en Honduras. Él explicó su visión para los renacimientos en su mensaje grabado. “Una de las razones por las cuales andamos aquí afuera es porque Dios sinceramente vino al mundo, al mundo real, no a un mundo de cuento de hadas, en la persona de Jesús,” dijo Curry. “Y Jesús vino a mostrarnos como el amor es la forma de vivir. Y como podemos vivir la vida que Dios había destinado por nosotros. “Y eso es el punto de renacimiento,” Curry dijo. “Es una oportunidad para recordar este camino de amor, y ese camino de Jesús. Es una oportunidad para invitar a otros a compartir este camino de amor, a serle entregados. Una oportunidad para nosotros a que nos comprometamos de nuevo a esa fe que guardamos, y ese camino de Jesús y ese camino del amor de Dios.” El Renacimiento de ‘Sigue Diciéndole Sí a Jesús’ gira alrededor del consejo de Brewer a Episcopales en Florida Central y otros Cristianos de otras denominaciones, a continuar a buscar y tener a Jesús en sus vidas. Inspirado por el servicio de renacimiento de Curry en la Convención General del 2018, Brewer ha nombrado a la Convención Diocesana del 2019 como un servicio de alabanza digno del reino, lo cual incluirá música diversa, testimonios movidos de fe, y predicaciones que hagan pensar. “Estoy muy emocionado que Obispo Presidente Michael Curry va a venir a nuestra Convención Diocesana,” dijo Padre Scott Holcombe, rector de St. David’s by the Sea Episcopal Church en Cocoa Beach. “No tan solo es nuestro 50 Aniversario en la Diócesis, sino que también la idea clave será el evangelismo.” Los renacimientos Episcopales fueron creados por el Movimiento de Jesús, lo cual originalmente empezó como un movimiento de Cristianos Evangélicos en los 1960 y los 1970 en la Costa Oeste de los EUA antes de desvanecerse en los 1980. Ese movimiento mundial influenció y ayudó a crear a otros movimientos contemporáneos, incluyendo la rama Episcopal del Movimiento de Jesús. En un blog de video en https://www.episcopalchurch. org/jesus-movement Curry describe al Movimiento de
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El obispo presidente Michael Curry fue un gran éxito mientras predicaba durante el renacimiento de la Convención General el verano pasado.
Jesús como: “Cuando el Evangelio está listo para ser leído, la congregación se pone de pie. Algo está pasando. Y más que eso, cuando el momento para el Evangelio se acerca, un diácono, si hay un diácono en la iglesia particular, una persona que haya sido ordenado en la intersección de la iglesia y el mundo, lee o canta al Evangelio. Y entran, a veces con el libro del Evangelio subido en alta, y hay música y la congregación está cantando mientras que el Evangelio de Jesús, las enseñanzas, la vida y el espíritu de Jesús entran, en un sentido, al lugar por medio de las lecturas del Evangelio.” Las paralelas entre el Movimiento de Jesús y “Sigue Diciéndole Sí a Jesús” son obvios para muchos líderes espirituales y deben ayudar a reafirmar la importancia del evangelismo. “Pienso que el mensaje de ‘Sigue Diciéndole Sí a Jesús’ es que Jesús es nuestro Señor y Salvador y él que dirija nuestras vidas y ministerios, de lo cual pienso que se trata el Movimiento de Jesús: siguiéndole a Jesús más valientemente como sus discípulos,” dijo el Rev. Brian W. Turner, rector de Church of the Blessed Redeemer in Palm Bay, “especialmente en un país y un mundo que continúa en hacerse más secular y a veces antagonista hacia la religión y la Iglesia. “Es un recuerdo no tan solo para los que están dentro de la Iglesia, sino que también para los que están afuera que moviendo con y siguiéndole a Jesús es lo que debemos de hacer continuamente,” dijo Turner. “Igual a como Jesús habló sobre cargar a nuestra cruz diariamente, cada uno de nosotros que seguimos a Jesús debemos de seguir diciéndole sí a Él todos los días mientras reafirmamos nuestro testimonio a su muerte y resurrección transformadora y al ministerio y misión a los cuales nos llama a cada uno de nosotros. Y eso es de lo que se trata el discipulado y el evangelismo.”
CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
“Es una oportunidad para recordar este camino de amor, y ese camino de Jesús. Es una oportunidad para invitar a otros a compartir este camino de amor, a serle entregados. Una oportunidad para nosotros a que nos comprometamos de nuevo a esa fe que guardamos, y ese camino de Jesús y ese camino del amor de Dios.” — Obispo Michael Curry Presidente
Curry está listo para compartir ese mensaje de discipulado y evangelismo. “Me emociono por estar con ustedes en enero y Febrero, me emociono por estar con ustedes para un renacimiento y me emociono por celebrar 50 años de adoración, servicio, y testimonio fiel. En el nombre de Jesucristo,” él dijo.
Calendario de visitas del obispo Brewer 1/20/19 (a.m.) Orlando, San Cristobál 1/20/19 (p.m.) Orlando, Catedral de San Lucas (Ordenación de Diáconos) 1/25/19 Longwood, Resurrection (Celebración de Nuevo Ministerio – T. Garland) 1/27/19 (a.m.) Orlando, Catedral de San Lucas (Reunión Parrroquial Anual) 1/27/19 (p.m.) Lake Wales, Good Shepherd (Celebración de Nuevo Ministerio – T. Nunez) 2/3/19 Orlando, Catedral de San Lucas (Visita del Obispo Primario) 2/10/19 Fruitland Park, Holy Trinity 2/17/19 Ft. Pierce, St. Andrew’s 2/23/19 Oviedo, Canterbury (Reunion Anual de Cofradia del Altar Diocesano) 2/24/19 Melbourne Beach, St. Sebastian’s by the Sea 3/3/19 (a.m.) Louisville, KY St. Francis in the Fields (Visitación DEPO)
3/3/19 (p.m.) Louisville, KY St. Francis in the Fields (Ordinación al Sacerdocio – R. Langley)
3/9/19 Chevy Chase, MD All Saints
(Ordinación al Sacerdocio – B.J. Buracker)
3/10/19 Chevy Chase, MD All Saints (Predicador Invitado)
3/23/19 Ocala, Grace
(Ordinación al Sacerdocio – C. Miller)
3/24/19 New Smyrna Beach, St. Paul’s 3/31/19 Titusville, St. Gabriel’s Las fechas de visitas del Obispo Brewer puden cambiar en cualquier momento. Por favor refierase a nuestra página web www.cfdiocese.org para el calendario actualizado al momento.
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CHILDREN & YOUTH
Camp Wingmann Brings Fun to Church of Our Saviour, Okeechobee
Youth engage in an array of funfilled activities during the summer at Camp Wingmann. PHOTO PROVIDED BY CAMP WINGMANN
By Jeff Gardenour
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hen Deacon Kay Mueller discovered that some families at Church of Our Saviour were reluctant to send their children to Camp Wingmann’s popular youth camps, she decided to bring some camp fun to Okeechobee. On Sunday, Nov. 11, Our Saviour hosted the management and staff from Camp Wingmann for its 10:30 a.m. Rite II service, which usually draws more families, according to Mueller. A total of 107 people attended the service, which was promoted for a month. Following the
service, the church had a bounce house for the kids and provided a lunch of grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, baked beans, chips, tea and lemonade. Dessert Mueller then consisted of ice cream sandwiches for the adults, and a Snow Cone machine for the kids. “Father Bill Yates from Camp Wingmann concelebrated and we also had six children ranging from three months to 12 years of age baptized that morning!” Mueller said. “Father Bill brought the homily and current and former staff
With the special event praised as a success, church leaders are now planning to take a field trip to Camp Wingmann early in the first quarter of 2019 following the Diocesan 50th Anniversary Convention on Feb. 1-2.
members shared their stories and testimonies, as well as music, and several staff members brought their families with them.” Sharing stories and information about Camp Wingmann, a spacious retreat located about 1 ½ hours north of Okeechobee in Avon Park, was the main goal behind the special event. Bishop Greg Brewer long has preached the importance of reaching out into our communities to include all who might not be aware of the opportunities God has placed “in our own backyards.” “Although we have several children in the age range to attend camp, many falilies are reluctant to allow their children to be away from home overnight, especially due to their unfamiliarity with the camp,” Mueller said. “This venue provided an opportunity for firsthand information and social interaction with the camp’s staff among the parents, guardians, and children. Father Bill ran a video in the parish hall after lunch, which showed some of the actual camp experiences of previous campers! Literature was also available.” Father Bill Yates, director of Camp Wingmann, far left, introduces summer camp director J.J. Joseph, middle, and his wife, Angela, at the 49th Diocesan Convention in Vero Beach in 2018.
“This will be a Saturday event and we will caravan families to the camp for a tour, activities and lunch,” Mueller said. “I am pleased to say that all of our families are looking forward to making the trip and the kids are very excited about the opportunity to attend camp.” Our Saviour will be offering scholarships for kids who want to attend Camp Wingmann events. Wingmann traditionally offers six weeklong events in the summer for youth, focusing on bringing the word of God to campers in a funfilled camp replete with activities, as well as New Beginnings camps for middle schoolers. “We want to provide this special ministry to as many of our young people as possible,” Mueller said. “I think the major challenge has been that many of our former young people who attended camp have grown up and moved on. We went through a period of time with a minimal number of children, but we have been blessed with an infusion and growth of young families and we want to promote the fun, fellowship and faith experience that Camp Wingmann provides.”
For more information, please call the church office at 863-763-4843 or email Mueller at kaymueller53@ yahoo.com via the internet.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CFE/ERICK PEREZ
www.cfdiocese.org
CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
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DIOCESAN FAMILY
Neighbor Up Brevard Building Hope, Goodness from Blight
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By Nina Keck nspired by Nehemiah 2:18, “I told them that the hand of my God had been gracious upon me, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. Then they said, ‘Let us start building!’ So they committed themselves to the common good,” Rev. Joy Willard-Williford goes about her day as the urban missioner/project manager at Neighbor Up Brevard. “I get to see how God uses the hearts, the imaginations, the words, the backs, even … of our volunteers, our donors, our staff, our partners – all in service to the glory of God and the welfare of God’s people here in the Booker T. Washington neighborhood and the neighborhoods around the Evans Center. It’s pretty cool, and it’s also humbling to see their dedication and commitment,” Willard-Williford said. Neighbor Up Brevard came to fruition less than two decades ago. It began as Brevard Neighborhood Development Coalition (BNDC) in 2001. The founders, a diverse group from Brevard County churches, businesses and civic organizations, had a desire to revitalize impoverished communities. In 2017, the name was changed to Neighbor Up Brevard. “Like Nehemiah and his workers, we are
developers, builders,” said Willard-Williford. “I like to think that we at Neighbor Up are about the business of seeking the common good, fostering neighborhoods in which every person can flourish, neighborhoods that often include the suffering and powerless.” The group focused on the Booker T. Washington neighborhood in north Melbourne, which was plagued by drugs, crime and poverty. While conducting early-action projects such as exterior home painting and neighborhood beautification, BNDC leaders were introduced to Sister Irene Summerford. A long-time resident leader, Summerford had a passion for helping area children. With her guidance and vision, the Dorcas Outreach Center for Kids (DOCK) was established as a safe haven in 2004. Though the DOCK initially operated from a public housing apartment, by 2007, the BNDC had built the 3,500-square-foot facility that is home to the elementary program. In January 2018, BNDC opened a 3,800-square-foot building that houses the teen program on an adjacent lot. Across the street from the DOCK was a blighted block known as “The Bottoms” – notorious for drug and criminal activity. Dilapidated, asbestos-laden housing Left: The Rev Joy Willard-Williford works with children who participate in the DOCK afterschool program. Right: The Rev. Joy Willard-Williford is presented the Exceptional Citizen Award by the Space Coast Public Service Awards & Hall of Fame in September 2018.
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CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
owned by an absentee landlord was an eyesore and contributed to a sense of despair. When the city of Melbourne targeted the area for improvements and asked nonprofit organizations for ideas, BNDC proposed a bold initiative: transforming The Bottoms into a safer, pleasant and affordable place for families and seniors to live. With strong backing from local government, BNDC was able to leverage private sector support for the project, acquire the properties and tear down the old buildings. Greater Heights apartment complex was built on that site, with 18 apartments for low-income working families and the elderly. The group is now exploring the construction of another six units of affordable housing in the neighborhood. “We own the lot adjacent and west of the DOCK and have applied to the City of Melbourne to vacate the dead-end area of the road that fronts it,” Willard-Williford said. “If successful, we will have one acre and plan to build six units of affordable housing.” For Willard-Williford and Neighbor Up Brevard, it’s all about moving forward as the Lord permits. “Neighbor Up Brevard exists to be a catalyst to the community,” she said. “Don’t dictate. Listen to the Holy Spirit and discern a way forward. Come alongside the people. You see God’s hand in this as things develop.” The Powell/Driskell Heights neighborhoods in Northeast Palm Bay/Southeast Melbourne are also about to see God’s handiwork when the Evans Center opens later this month. This multi-use project includes a community room/classrooms,
Top: Volunteers put the finishing touches on the DOCK Teen Center in Melbourne’s Booker T. Washington neighborhood. The center opened in January 2018. Bottom: The Evans Center will open later this month. It will feature a fresh foods market, classrooms, a community room, and a medical center to be operated by Brevard Health Alliance.
a fresh-foods market and the 1,000-squarefoot Brevard Health Alliance clinic. Two community surveys for the proposed Evans Center were conducted in 2011 and 2016 to ensure wide-range community input. Residents of both neighborhoods participated. Results revealed residents’ wants and needs: economic development, job training, improved community appearance, a desire to see the community grow and thrive without drugs or violence and more healthy foods. e willingness to help continues for Th Neighbor Up Brevard, which today seeks opportunities to partner with neighborhood leaders to transform struggling communities into oases of hope and opportunity. Willard-Williford describes their future endeavors this way, “We truly believe Isaiah 58:12, where the prophet shares God’s promise that ‘Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.’”
For more information, contact Willard-Williford at 321-253-4214, ext. 203; or via email, projectmanager@ neighborupbrevard.org. Individuals can also access the organization’s website at: www.neighborupbrevard.org/dock PHOTOS COURTESY OF NEIGHBOR UP BREVARD
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DIOCESAN FAMILY
Diocese Celebrates Priesthood Ordination, New Ministry for Rev. Kevin Bartle By Jeff Gardenour
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Bartle was baptized and grew up at Church of the Holy Spirit in Apopka. Through the years, he worked in youth ministry at Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Longwood; St. Sebastian’s-by-the-Sea, Melbourne Beach; Church of the Incarnation, Oviedo; and St. Peter’s Episcopal, Lake Mary.
he path to the Lord may seem fast and furious for some, but the Rev. Kevin Bartle had to tap the brakes a little to realize his calling. When Bartle was participating in a popular New BeginBar tle nings camp for middle-school youth, he first understood the Lord was leading him to be a priest. “It wasn’t so much a moment when I received a call as it was a moment when I slowed down enough to listen and hear God talking to me,” said Bartle. “The next step was letting go and truly saying ‘not my will, but yours.’ That moment took place five years ago on a Saturday afternoon during a New Beginnings weekend at Camp Wingmann. “I walked away from the group for a few moments of quiet,” Bartle said. “I prayed and asked God what He would have me do. This was the answer.” Bartle on Nov. 18 culminated his calling with his ordination to the priesthood and celebration of new ministry as rector at St. Mary of the Angels in Orlando. Bishop Greg Brewer celebrated the event, which drew approximately 220 people. “I was so blessed to see so many friends and loved ones at the ordination and celebration of new ministry, some of whom I had not seen in over 20 years,” Bartle said. “I would list their names, but the truth is that there are so many who blessed me that day that any list would inevitably be insufficient. Suffice it to say that I have indeed been blessed by family, friends, mentors and this diocese. I am thankful for you all.” Rev. Kevin is the latest Bartle to join the clergy and serve the Lord. His father, Ed Bartle, is a retired associate priest at St. George’s Episcopal Church in The Villages. His stepmother, Phyllis Bartle, is rector at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Orange City. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE REV. KEVIN BARTLE
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said, there was always a premium placed on civility, communication and compassion. Disagreements and even arguments were never a symptom of being any less loved.”
St. Mary of the Angels’ new rector also boasts an impressive educational background. Bartle studied at Trinity School for Ministry and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary but received his Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary.
The Rev. Kevin Bartle, left, celebrates his ordination into the priesthood and celebration of new ministry at St. Mary of the Angels in Orlando with Bishop Greg Brewer.
“My family absolutely had a deep and profound effect on my life’s direction and decision-making,” Rev. Kevin said. “Some of my fondest memories from my childhood are of my grandfather (Deacon Leonard Bartle) proclaiming the gospel and making valiant efforts at singing prayers. “Church was a significant part of my upbringing, and the example my parents set was one of authentic faith, piety and Christian love,” Bartle said. “The home I was raised in had challenges like any other. We struggled through the hard times and embraced the good. That
Now, Bartle is ready to share his faith and the love of Christ with the congregation at St. Mary’s. “My wife, Jocelyn, and I are thrilled to be at St. Mary of the Angels,” he said. “We have found a truly loving family environment that is blessed abundantly with good friends, good food and good faith. The people of St. Mary’s are genuinely kind and enthusiastic. They are prayerfully looking for God’s will and guidance as they move into their next season. My goals are to provide the support and love needed to take their next steps.”
EPIPHANY continued from Page 19 power he seems to have … how brutal his tactics are … our God wins! Nothing can stop God’s redemptive plan in the person of Jesus Christ. As we look to Him, the Lord will guide our feet through the enemy’s attacks and make us overcomers. As this Sunday’s collect beautifully states, we will experience the power and presence (or “face”) of the One who came, and lived, and died, and rose again … for us.
“…Lead us, O God, to Your presence, where we may see Your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord…” Amen. Clergy members, others, participate in the laying on of hands for the Rev. Kevin Bartle.
– Father Nick Braunschneider is rector of church plant, Bethesda Church, in Lake Nona.
CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
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DIOCESAN FAMILY
Diocese of Central Florida Former Emmaus Ministries
Remembers Bishop John Said By CFE Staff
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Said
A graduate of Wabash College (Crawfordsville, Indiana) and Yale Divinity School (New Haven, Connecticut), Said had been serving as bishop in residence at Church of the Nativity in Port St. Lucie in retirement, according to The Living Church newsletter. He served as Assistant Bishop for the Diocese of Central Florida from 2003-2018. He served as Bishop Suffragan for the Diocese of Southeast Florida from 1995-2003. “He was one of the best,” said the Rev. Mary Rosendahl, rector at Church of the Nativity in Port St. Lucie. “Will be more than deeply missed. Our hearts are broken but as he always said he will rest eternal in the loving arms of his savior.” A native of Marion, Indiana, about 75 miles east of Purdue University, Said was ordained deacon and priest in 1958 and 1959, respectively, in the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis. He went on to serve parishes in Indiana and Florida and also worked as a missionary for the Diocese of Central Brazil for three years from 1966-69. A Requiem Eucharist will be held Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 at 1 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Ft. Pierce. The Diocese of Central Florida requests that Bishop Said’s family, including his wife of 63 years, Ann, remains in your prayers.
Deliver your servant, John, O Sovereign Lord Christ, from all evil, and set him free from every bond; that he may rest with all your saints in the eternal habitations; where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Ellen Ceely is new assistant for the Canon to Vocations
By Jeff Gardenour
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he Diocese of Central Florida recently hired former Emmaus Ministries student and staff member Ellen Ceely as the new assistant for the Canon to Vocations, the Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb. Ceely replaces Caroline Miller, who recently accepted a cure at Grace Episcopal Church in Ocala.
he Diocese of Central Florida announced that the Rt. Rev. John Lewis Said, who served as an Assistant Bishop in the diocese for 15 years after formerly serving as Bishop Suffragan in the Diocese of Southeast Florida, died Saturday, Jan. 5, in Port St. Lucie after a long illness. He was 86. Said had been provided hospice care at home for the last month or so, surrounded by family, according to a Diocese of Central Florida news release.
Staffer Joins Diocesan Staff
CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
derstand and know his Word better. I chose to attend The Emmaus School of Biblical Studies in Lake Lure, North Carolina (an offshoot school of YWAM and an inter-denominational ministry), in the fall of 2011. After graduating from Emmaus in 2012, I went on staff to teach inductive Bible study, grade-student work, and disciple Ceely students. In my third year on staff, we felt called to relocate the school to CanterThe CFE asked Ceely to share a little about her bury Retreat & Conference Center in Oviedo. religious background, when she felt a calling I came with the small group of staff that reto serve the Diocese, and what kind of goals sponded to the call to walk through this move. she has in her new position. Here is what she I served a further two years on staff, expandhad to say: ing my service to other areas of the ministry. Age: 27 In the summer of 2017, right before getting Current city of residence: Orlando, Florida married to my husband, Brian, I resigned from Birthplace: Englewood, Colorado my position at Emmaus Ministries to focus on What church do you currently attend? my marriage and seek what God had next in River Run Church, Chuluota mind. Since then, I have worked on several (non-denominational) freelance writing projects, as well as the ChilPlease briefly tell me a little about your dren’s Church curriculum “Heart’s Alive.” religious background: what churches you attended growing up, any offices you held, church groups you belonged to, etc. I was raised in a Brethren church. I attended one in Colorado and in Mexico (where I moved when I was 11) from the day I was born until I was 19. During this time, I served on the worship team, helped run and write children’s church plays, and volunteered for different events. After high school, I decided to join YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in Brisbane Australia. I attended their six-month discipleship program and traveled to India on a missions trip. It was in YWAM that I gained a broader understanding of the worldwide church. It was also in Australia that God got a hold of my heart and gave me a hunger to un-
When did you feel a calling to serve the Lord? As a teenager, the Lord gave me a heart for Him and for the lost. I had different ideas over the years of what it might look like to serve Him, and He has formed and adjusted those expectations over time. The calling has never ceased, but the capacity has changed several times. What are your thoughts on this current position as administrative assistant to the Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb? This is by far one of the most enjoyable positions I’ve held. I feel privileged to play a small part in serving the diocese as it works to serve the surrounding communities and to share the love of Christ. The entire diocesan staff has welcomed me with grace and kindness and I am looking
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DIOCESE • Jan. 12, 2019, 10 a.m. Northwest Deanery Pre-Convention Meeting Shepherd of the Hills, Lecanto forward to serving with each and every one of them in the years ahead. What is your favorite Scripture, and why? Corinthians 16:13-14 – “Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that yo u do be done in love.” It reminds me in such a simple way of where to look and what to do whether things are going well or going poorly. My sister gave me a picture of these verses and I keep them beside my bed so that I see them when I wake up and when I go to sleep. I’m to look to God for strength and courage, and no matter what I do it should be done out of a heart that desires to love God and love others. 1 John is my favorite New Testament book, and these verses remind me of the message of 1 John better than anything else. The message of how deeply God loved us and how we are to walk as Jesus walked and show love in return has transformed my life. We don’t love because it’s easy, we love as Christ did by giving ourselves up for Him. We don’t pretend that we never fear, our courage is shown by doing what God calls us to do in the midst of fear or sorrow.
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Jan. 13, 2019, 4 p.m. Southwest Deanery Pre-Convention Meeting St. Stephen’s, Lakeland.
Jan. 20, 2019, 4 p.m. Ordinations to the Diaconate
Diocesan Calendar
available. Registration, program and lunch are included for $30 per person. Reservation deadline is Feb. 4. https://www.canterburyretreat. org/events/diocesan-altarguild-lodging-only-fridayfebruary-22-2019/
March 3, 2019, 10 a.m. Diocesan Youth Choir Festival
Cathedral, Orlando. Reception precedes service in the Great Hall.
Cathedral, Orlando. More than 100 of Central Florida’s talented, young Episcopal singers and their esteemed choir directors lead this annual service of Holy Eucharist.
Jan. 27, 2019, 3 p.m. Horns & Pipes
March 22-24, 2019 – Cursillo
Cathedral Church of St. Luke’s 26th annual spectacular concert for brass orchestra and percussion, with Ben Lane and Michael Petrosh at the organ. Event sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. John Lyle.
Feb. 1-2, 2019 Diocesan 50th Anniversary Convention/Revival Revival at The First Baptist Orlando, Friday, Feb. 1; Convention at Trinity Prep, Winter Park, Saturday, Feb. 2
Feb. 16, 2019 – ICS Live Classes – The Reformation and Pauline Epistles. http://icscourses.org/generalcourses/
Feb. 23, 2019 Annual Meeting Diocesan Altar Guild Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center, Oviedo Registration, coffee begins 9:30 a.m. Variety of programs
Men’s Cursillo at Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center, Oviedo
March 29-31, 2019 – Cursillo Women’s Cursillo at Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center, Oviedo
March 31, 2019 – 6 p.m. Ramy Adly Cathedral, Orlando. In an inspirational program of original compositions and improvisations, this international virtuoso of the Egyptian Oud performs during the Sunday evening service with organist Ben Lane, cellist Jules Polachek, and various choirs of the Cathedral.
April 19, 7:30 p.m. Tenebrae for Good Friday Cathedral, Orlando. Profound Service of Darkness led annually by the Cathedral Chamber Singers with a cappella sacred works from all eras and the dramatic narration of Christ’s passion.
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April 2019 – Episcopal Church Women (ECW)
May 5, 2019 – Episcopal Church Women (ECW)
United Thank Offering (UTO) Spring Ingathering
Church Periodical Club (CPC) Sunday
May 4, 2019 – Episcopal Church Women (ECW) Spring Deanery Meetings: NW Deanery Meeting at St. Mary’s, Belleview.
Bishop Brewer Visitation Schedule 1/20/19 (a.m.) 1/20/19 (p.m.) 1/25/19 1/27/19 (a.m.) 1/27/19 (p.m.) 2/3/19 2/10/19 2/17/19 2/23/19 2/24/19 3/3/19 (a.m.) 3/3/19 (p.m.) 3/9/19 3/10/19 3/23/19 3/24/19 3/31/19
Orlando, San Cristobal Orlando, Cathedral (Deacon Ordinations) Longwood, Resurrection (New Ministry – T. Garland) Orlando, Cathedral (Annual Meeting) Lake Wales, Good Shepherd (New Ministry – T. Nunez) Orlando, Cathedral (Presiding Bishop) Fruitland Park, Holy Trinity Ft. Pierce, St. Andrew’s Oviedo, Canterbury (Diocesan Altar Guild Annual Meeting) Melbourne Beach, St. Sebastian’s by the Sea Louisville, KY St. Francis in the Fields (DEPO Visitation) Louisville, KY St. Francis in the Fields (Priesthood Ordination – R. Langley) Chevy Chase, MD All Saints (Priesthood Ordination – B.J. Buracker) Chevy Chase, MD All Saints (Guest Preacher) Ocala, Grace (Priesthood Ordination – C. Miller) New Smyrna Beach, St. Paul’s Titusville, St. Gabriel’s
Bishop Brewer’s visitation dates are subject to change. Please refer to www.cfdiocese.org for the most current visitation listing.
Events and dates subject to change. Please check www.cfdiocese.org for the most current listings.
CENTRAL FLORIDA EPISCOPALIAN • Jan.-Feb. 2019
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Save the Date Feb. 1-2, 2019
50th Annual Diocesan Convention with
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NEWS FROM THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA WWW.CFDIOCESE.ORG • Volume 121, No.1 •Jan.-Feb. 2019
Bishop Brewer: Thinking About Our Future
Page 3
Diocesan Candidates for Office Boast Diverse Backgrounds
Pages 12-15
Savings Groups in Honduras Making Difference for the Poor
Pages 16-17
Bishop Gray Foundation Helping Florida Retirees
Page 18
Diocese Celebrates Priesthood Ordination, New Ministry for Rev. Kevin Bartle
Page 25