Issuu

Central Florida

CFE EPISCOPALIAN Volume 122, No. 1 / Jan / Feb 2020

DENTRO: ¡El boletín de noticias español está de vuelta! Por favor, consulte las páginas 23-25.

CONTENTS BISHOP BREWER Salt and Light in the New Year.......................................................................................................... 3

CANON HOLCOMBE What is Congregational Development?........................................................................................... 4

MINISTRIES Church’s Audiovisual Ministry More Than Lights, Camera, Action..................................................... 5

Canterbury Embraces New Light of the World, Salt of the Earth Theme............................................ 5

UBE Webinar Focuses on Progress in Racial Reconciliation

PEOPLE & EVENTS UBE Webinar Focuses on Progress in Racial Reconciliation.............................................................. 6 Cursillo Changing Lives for Christ.................................................................................................... 7 Vergers Ministry Serves Church With Love, Passion and Dignity...................................................... 7 Expect a Miracle Today..................................................................................................................... 8 Historic Chapel Renovation Nears Completion at Holy Trinity, Melbourne....................................... 8 Miracle at St. Mary’s......................................................................................................................... 9 Salt, Light Carry Powerful Images................................................................................................... 10

CONVENTION 2020 51st Annual Diocesan Convention Agenda.................................................................................... 11

Salt, Light Carry Powerful Images

Nominees for Elected Office 2020............................................................................................12-18

FASTING How the Traditional Practice of Fasting Comes Alive Today............................................................. 19

EVANGELISM Evangelism’s Fresh Focus............................................................................................................... 20 Ministry at Winter Park High School Helps Students, Families....................................................... 21

CFE EN ESPAÑOL Obispo Brewer: Sal y luz en el año nuevo...................................................................................... 23 Proyecto en Poinciana lleva la iglesia a la gente............................................................................ 24 Luz del mundo, sal de la tierra....................................................................................................... 25

Pinder Celebration Packs the Cathedral

OUR ANGLICAN HERITAGE OUR ANGLICAN HERITAGE.............................................................................................................. 26

DIOCESAN CALENDAR/BISHOP BREWER’S VISITATIONS ..................... 27

Want to know what this Sunday’s Scripture readings are all about? Well, check out Lectionary Living, the weekly online feature on CFE Online 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

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

The Diocese of Central Florida The Right Reverend Gregory O. Brewer, Bishop Serving 15 counties through 81 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 Scott Holcombe Canon to the Ordinary The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin Holcomb Canon for Vocations The Ven. Kristi Alday, Archdeacon Mr. Earl Pickett, Diocesan Administrator Mr. Erick Perez, Subscription Manager

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN is published by the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. Submissions are welcome, but are subject to editing and use at the discretion of the Central Florida Episcopalian. Please submit event notices three months prior to the event to: Central Florida Episcopalian 1017 E. Robinson St. Orlando, FL 32801-2023 Wendy Leech, Communications Coordinator wleech@cfdiocese.org / 407-423-3567 Erick Perez, Subscription Manager eperez@cfdiocese.org / 407-423-3567 Connect with us on social media

@cfdiocese

www.cfdiocese.org

BISHOP BREWER

Salt and Light in the New Year By Bishop Gregory O. Brewer

We have just concluded the wondrous Christmas season, when we remember that Jesus is “the light of the world” (John 9:5a). The Savior who came to earth as a baby also came as “a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isa. 49:6b). Each week, we light candles in our churches to declare this truth.

Public Responsibility

But I fear we’ve concentrated so much on Jesus being the light of the world that we often fail to think about the kind of public responsibility he gives us to both reflect and represent that light. And that’s why our diocese has chosen to focus on it beginning with our 2020 Convention. In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus in essence shows us how the identity that had been associated with the Messiah for centuries is, in reality, ours. Not only does he tell us we are the “salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13a), which speaks about both our purifying and preserving qualities, implying personal holiness, but he also tells us, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid” (Matt. 5:14). In other words, not only is the Savior the light of the world, but we are as well. So what does it mean as individuals and as a church to take up that kind of public responsibility? I have good news: Jesus never gives us a mandate without equipping us. As he lives his life through us, he is putting his power and grace on us to be able to be the salt and the light he so clearly tells us we are.

www.cfdiocese.org

This challenges me to see myself differently, God alive in me, with his power and presence working out his word in my life. And this also challenges me to see the world differently, as a place where I am a representative for him. When I walk into my local convenience store, I walk as a representative of the light of the world. And that impacts what I say, what I do and how I think about those I meet there.

Personal Representation More than ever today, our world needs these kinds of Christians: publicly compassionate, kind, caring, listening individuals who embody the character of Christ. There is a profound need in our modern world for Christians who will demonstrate a rare level of kindness, to have a public kind of faith--not the kind seen in egotistical, angry people out only to further their own cause. In the world today as in ancient times, people are looking and longing for this. And when they see it, they cannot help but be drawn to the one who both gives light and is light. When I considered all that being salt and light carries with it, I asked God to show me a speaker for this year’s Diocesan Convention who embodied those characteristics. I fully believe The Rev. Canon Chris Russell, the archbishop of Canterbury’s adviser for evangelism and witness, fulfills that role, not simply by job description but by word and deed. We will have more than one opportunity to hear him during this Convention weekend, and I know his words and his life will bless, challenge and inspire us all.

Bishop Greg Brewer

I also believe salt and light play a part in the people we elect as deputies to our General Convention. We need those to represent us who already represent Jesus well: kind, compassionate, thoughtful, relational, those who are willing to walk

across the aisle to embrace and engage with those who think differently. As we begin a new year, I would encourage each of us to go to God in prayer and ask him to use us as salt and light in our diocese, in our General Convention, and most profoundly in our Jerusalem, our Judea and our world. Grace to You,

Bishop Gregory O. Brewer

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

CA N O N H O L C O M B E

What is Congregational Development? By The Rev. Canon Scott Holcombe

ALTAR ITEMS, VESSELS, CLERICAL ROBES

Do you have items you’d like to share with others? Or is there something your church needs but can’t afford? We can find a home for items no longer needed or we may have items your church needs. If you have items to share, or if you are looking for items that you need at your church but that you cannot afford contact

Kathy Shearer

President, Diocesan Altar Guild

wwdassoc@gmail.com 407-230-4350

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

A significant part of my job as canon to the ordinary is found in my adjunct title, “canon for congregational development.” I am often asked, “What is congregational development?” The best answer I can offer is this: congregational development is a process to assess the health and vitality of a parish, examining all aspects of the church system. This is a unique approach to evangelism and church growth to help create healthier churches that look closely at: • How the history and DNA of the parish affect current congregational life. • Discerning persons and events in the life of the congregation that control, or seek to control, present ministry. • Analyzing the current lay and ordained leadership. • Assessing the existence/absence of programs or ministries that empower or dilute the church’s mission. • Discovering people and financial resources for revitalization. • Understanding church systems, congregational life cycles and organizational development.

Holcombe

• Sharing best practices and instituting high accountability measures. • Incorporating mentoring, coaching and parallel development where appropriate. • Understanding and using “Study Your Congregation and Community,” www.episcopalchurch. org/research-and-statistics. • Looking at models of leadership training, development and recruiting new leaders. • Examining marketing/branding and the current state of the church’s facility. • Developing ministries of attraction and retention that stimulate growth.

Congregational development resources are often brought in to work with clergy and vestry during times of transition, decline or dysfunction, but they can also be brought into a parish during times of relative health as a means of continuous quality improvement. Please call or email me at 407-206-4427 / sholcombe@ cfdiocese.org if your clergy or vestry are interested in beginning a conversation around congregational health and vitality!

www.cfdiocese.org

M I N I ST R I E S

Church’s Audiovisual Ministry More Than Lights, Camera, Action By Bert Henderson

sanctuary and sacristy for the morning liturgies. Booting up the sound booth, setting audio levels, positioning cameras, placing

Turn Our Eyes Upon Jesus Camp Wingmann celebrates over 90 years of ministry

communications equipment and cueing music are part of the checklist he completes before anyone enters the sanctuary for worship. Henderson

When is an audiovisual ministry more than an audiovisual ministry? When it becomes a training ground for volunteers.

That’s the case at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Crystal River. Each week for the past eight years, Bert Henderson, audiovisual minister, has prepared the

During services, audiovisual team members monitor the headset intercom system; read wireless microphone battery levels; monitor audio levels for the sanctuary speaker systems; match audio levels to the voices of liturgists; control audio levels of choir microphones and ensure a great audio experience for all.

Continued Page 10

Canterbury Embraces New Light of the World, Salt of the Earth Theme When Chalmers Morse, executive director of Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center, was asked, “What does the diocesan theme for 2020, ‘Light of the World, Salt of the Earth,’ mean to you and to the ministry of Canterbury?” he reflected on the spiritual distinction of Canterbury’s sacred space. “There are many hotels and conference centers where people can go,” said Morse, “but something magical happens when they enter Canterbury. This is where people feel God’s presence and know that this is indeed holy ground. Our mission and ministry are to be a www.cfdiocese.org

center for spiritual growth, equipping people with life and ministry skills. We offer hospitality in a sacred space where people can come to know and grow in their knowledge and love of the Lord, through sanctuary, retreats and conferences.

“Truly Canterbury is the salt of the earth, enriching lives in learning, reflection and renewal. The retreat center offers all who visit an opportunity to shine before others and show their good works, giving glory to our Father in heaven.”

amp Wingmann is hosting an Alumni Weekend – and you are invited! We want to give camp alumni of all generations and roles the opportunity to return to Camp Wingmann and give back to the place that has had a profound impact on so many over the years. This is a weekend for anyone who has ever been a camper, a staff member, a sponsor, a volunteer, a prayer warrior or has supported the mission of Camp Wingmann in any way. Join us as we gather to “Turn Our Eyes Upon Jesus” through fun and games, fellowship and worship.

WHO: Anyone who has been a camper, staff member, volunteer or supporter in any way WHEN: Feb. 21-23, 2020

WHERE: Camp Wingmann, 3404 Camp Wingmann Rd., Avon Park, FL 33825 More details and the link to register are located on the event website: www.campwingmann.org/alumni, or you can email admin@campwingmann.org with any questions.

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

PEOPLE & EVENTS

UBE Webinar Focuses on Progress in Racial Reconciliation Contributors share ideas and encouragement By Nina Keck On Dec. 6, The Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) presented a webinar titled Sally Ulrey (l) and Katie McRee are youth ministers in the Atlanta area. “Youth and the Beloved Photo courtesy of Sally Ulrey. Community: A Webinar Brathwaite shared his the top down,” Camp Wingmann on Racial Reconciliation book, Becoming Beloved director Joshua Joseph said. “We in our Communities.” It Community: Know Me, have our own power. Be a voice in focused on youth programs Love Me, Teach Me, your own congregation. You can in The Episcopal Church which outlines practical influence the leaders.” that promote unity in Brathwaite steps towards racial diversity and increased Average parishioners can help with reconciliation and detoxing societal participation in church ministry. reconciliation, webinar speakers anger through family mealtimes and Dr. John Robertson, UBE president, agreed. Suggestions for beginning honest conversations. Central Florida Chapter, served as the conversation in local churches moderator for the webinar as well as Sally Ulrey, co-writer of the include exploring the resources organizing the event. Dismantling Racism youth on the Absalom Jones Center curriculum, said we need to for Racial Healing website, www. Local and nationally recognized “normalize conversation about centerforracialhealing.org, or youth ministry leaders shared racial reconciliation.” Katie McRee, participating in a book study from both their programs and views on co-writer for the curriculum, added, the Absalom Jones book collection, successful racial reconciliation “Give people permission to be brave also at that site under “Book efforts, where improvement is and have conversations – for years, Studies.” needed and what churches can do to this has been ignored. Kids say to us, change. Churches can also screen and ‘Thank you for giving us a way to talk discuss the movies 13th and “We have made strides in the last five about this.’” White Like Me. The former is a years,” said The Rev. Canon Chris “A lot of people feel powerless documentary focusing on “the Brathwaite, chair of the diocesan because they feel like this [racial fact that the nation’s prisons are anti-racism committee. “The first reconciliation message] comes from disproportionately filled with year I was at Camp St. Mark summer African-Americans,” per the film’s session at Camp Wingmann there official description. And White Like were only two black campers. The Me explores “race and racism in next year, there were four. … The the United States through the lens environment at Camp Wingmann is of whiteness and white privilege,” about love, and ‘we are one together’ according to its Kickstarter is the tenor of what happens.” crowdfunding site. Joshua Joseph (JJ), Camp Wingmann director, spoke of the progress the Diocese of Central Florida has made in racial reconciliation and offered suggestions for moving even further toward this goal.

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

“God has invited us to be part of this reconciliation,” McRee said. “He is giving people a chance to see

Dismantling Racism youth curriculum, authored by Sally Ulrey and Katie McRee, is a collaboration between the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing and the Office of Youth Ministries of the Diocese of Atlanta. To order, go to: www.centerforracialhealing.org/ youth-curriculum.html Photo courtesy of Sally Ulrey.

what the next step is. This is just the beginning!” Goodness breeds goodness. Camp Wingmann lays the foundation,” Brathwaite added. “We can change the world with small kids. We may not see it, but we will change the words [we use] with these small beginnings. … God said, ‘look at the stars; you will have more children than the number of stars.’ This [effort] will live longer than we do.”

The Rev. Canon Chris Braith waite is the author of Becoming the Beloved Community: Know Me, Love Me, Teach Me, and canon for pastoral care. Book available on Amazon.

www.cfdiocese.org

PEOPLE & EVENTS

Cursillo Changing Lives for Christ By Zachary R. Tribble, St. Barnabas, DeLand Cursillo is a lay movement founded in Spain in the early 1940s, dedicated and designed to develop Christian leaders who will bring others to Christ. Now a global movement, it has become part of the Anglican/ Episcopal tradition. Cursillo provides a support system grounded by small-group reunions of three or four friends who meet together weekly, share their walk and hold each other accountable. My first step in Cursillo began a spiritual journey that is still gaining momentum after nearly 20 years. Cursillo makes the agape love of Jesus real. As I served on Cursillo teams, God showed me the everyday reality of kingdom living and a clear outline of how the Christian life works and grows. My original group is still intact, and I have added another traditional group, two men’s study groups, and two prayer and share groups in Tomoka Correctional Institution (Kairos). My involvement in the Cursillo Commission was the logical next step. The deep, lasting friendships Nancy and I have developed through Cursillo have blessed

Kim McMaster from Holy Child, Ormond Beach

our spiritual lives, and Cursillo is a significant bond in our marriage. We thank the Lord for Cursillo! On Dec. 7, the Cursillo community celebrated with a diocesan Christmas ball held at St. Paul’s in New Smyrna Beach. It was a great time to see old friends and celebrate in a social setting. More events will follow later this year. Cursillo is now accepting applications for upcoming weekends, with applications on the Cursillo website: www.cfepiscopalcursillo.org. All Cursillo weekends in 2020 will be two-day events:

MEN’S WEEKEND: April 17-19

John Pfeiffer, lay rector jcpe25@gmail.com

WOMEN’S WEEKEND: April 24-26

Joann Hodges, lay rectora joannhodges003@gmail.com

CO-ED WEEKEND: Oct. 9-11

Paula Reuman, lay rectora psreuman@gmail.com For more information, contact Phil Phillips, strumminguy55@yahoo.com; Karen Stout, 4karenjs@gmail.com; or Kim McMaster, kmcmaster1@cfl.rr.com or access the diocesan Cursillo website at www.

cfepiscopalcursillo.org. Connect to the Central Florida Facebook page @CentralFloridaCursilloGroup. If you are not receiving the Cursillo information emails, please let one of us know.

From left to right: Florence Hunter-George, Cindi Shaffer, Lynda Freeman, Arriff Mullings, Nancy Gordon, from Holy Spirit, Apopka

www.cfdiocese.org

Vergers Ministry Serves Church with Love, Passion and Dignity By Vaughan Kimberling As head verger of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Titusville, Florida, I created the vergers ministry to provide guidance, leadership, training and organization to the acolytes, lay eucharistic ministers, lay eucharistic visitors, worship leaders and ushers. This also allows my rector to focus on pastoral duties, knowing the services will go as planned under my guidance. Being a verger is a formidable task. The verger ensures the church is ready for service and orchestrates the logistics to make it so. As I reflect on the time since my calling, I am truly blessed to have spread God’s love to so many, both inside and outside the church. The history of the verger dates back to as early as the 12th century with the Church of England, when the verger was the “protector of the procession.” He would lead the way, making room for the procession to enter the church from the town square, and with his virge (mace) in hand, he would literally clear the way if necessary. In today’s Episcopal Church, the verger is a minister who assists the clergy in the conduct of public worship, especially in the marshaling of processions. The basic vestments of the verger are a black cassock, black sash and chimere. The ministry of the verger is through the authority of and supported by the Vergers Guild of The Episcopal Church.

Dec. 8, the day of the commissioning and installation, Diocesan Verger Sid Glynn took part in the liturgy and procession. Sid (back left), Jenni (back right), Ellie (front left), and Vaughan (front right)

One of the highlights of my spiritual journey is the mentoring and training of two young vergers. Having just completed their formal training with the Vergers Guild of The Episcopal Church, fellows Ellie Crockett and Jenni Hill were commissioned and installed as vergers of St. Gabriel’s on Dec. 8, 2019. Crocket said, “When I think of being a verger, I think of responsibility, organization skills – to sum it up, a job that requires hard work and dedication. These things are all indeed true; however, there is so much more. This job, this tradition has been around since the 12th century upheld by hardworking men and women serving their church and God. The verger ministry means creating a relationship with everyone throughout your church. It means serving under God with love, passion and dignity.” “The verger ministry allows me to use my God-given talents to serve the church,” Hill added. “Being a verger means we are organized yet flexible, graceful and encouraging, and multi-taskers – we watch, listen and are aware of clergy, parishioners’ and visitors’ needs. We enjoy tradition, yet we are open to new possibilities. Through training and spiritual reflection, we strengthen our understanding of The Episcopal Church liturgy and most importantly, our relationship with Jesus. Got vergers? Yes, we have three, and we love the ministry!”

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

PEOPLE & EVENTS

Expect a Miracle Today By The Rev. Dawn McDonald, Church of the Holy Presence, DeLand

Holy Trinity, Melbourne, has almost completed the revitalization of its historic chapel, a project that began in January 2010.

With all that we are/parts that are whole/ and parts that are broken/ parts that are well/and parts that are sick parts that are joyful/and parts that are in pain/ With all that we are/ we come to worship you, O God, For you are gracious/ merciful and kind, And we long to find our rest in you. — A prayer by John van de Laar With these words, Church of the Holy Presence, Deland, begins our Wednesday morning Eucharist with emphasis on healing. Four different 12-step group use our narthex/ fellowship hall each week, and we get many prayer requests in a book kept there. Our church counts it a privilege to pray and expects God to answer our prayers. We have experienced three recent miracles that remind us of his power and work. The first involved a woman who visited our church for a movie night. After a stroke, doctors told her she would probably never walk again. As we prayed for her weekly, she made steady improvements. To doctors’ amazement, she is now out of her wheelchair, walking and serving God as one of our members.

We also witnessed the healing of an elder in a local nondenominational church who had suffered a back injury. We kept him in our weekly prayers. A month ago, he came to tell us his doctor had looked at his CT scan and said, “This spine belongs to a different man … it can’t be!” His spine was completely healed. Not long ago, we prayed for a member from a nearby Episcopal church who had a leaky valve in his heart. When he returned to his cardiologist, he was told the heart had mended itself, and he no longer needed surgery. These are just a few things God is doing during our Wednesday morning services, each followed by a wonderful lunch and uplifting conversation. All are welcome to join us!

Historic Chapel Renovation Nears Completion at Holy Trinity, Melbourne By The Rev. Stephen Easterday Over the last 10 years, the Holy

Trinity parish has held a variety of fun initiatives to raise money for the renovation. In 2013, one parishioner gave a classic Corvette, which was raffled off. In 2015, church leadership combined the chapel project with the parish kitchen renovation to yield The Nourishing Body and Soul campaign. The fundraising launch was a sock hop, and kitchen renovations were finished by spring 2017. Parishioners have also contributed sweat equity. When it came time to tear down the dilapidated chapel porch and handicap access ramp, parishioners showed up with hand tools and heavy equipment. Over 200 contributors donated toward the project, including major

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

named gifts as well as many smaller anonymous gifts and dedicated gifts. The gifts paid for stained glass and etched windows and doors, crosses for the tower, a new organ, landscaping, new candlesticks, a chalice for the altar and many other items. There were many holdups in the

Continued Page 10 www.cfdiocese.org

PEOPLE & EVENTS

Miracle at St. Mary’s God does the impossible at Belleview church By The Rev. Lisa J. Wimmer Our city – Belleview, Florida – chose “The Magic of Christmas” for the theme of its 2018 Christmas Parade. We at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church titled our float, filled with children dressed in their Christmas pageant costumes, “It’s Not Magic – It’s a Miracle.” But only God knew how prophetic those words would be.

Wimmer

That same year, for all sorts of reasons, our church lost a number of people, and our stewardship campaign failed to produce enough pledges to meet a realistic budget.

St. Mary’s 2018 Christmas Parade float promoted a theme that would become reality.

The vestry brainstormed ways of generating income through fundraising. We held a parish Christmas party and silent auction at the home of David and Adrienne Ellers that raised nearly $1000. Although more fundraising could help, we knew St. Mary’s needed a 2019 miracle.

In January, we hired a new organist, Brian MacFarland, whose skills and spirituality added fresh joy to our worship. One Sunday just before our January meeting, we had 17 visitors, 14 of whom became regular attenders. God has continued to bring visitors, and we now have about 41 new members, with the possibility of about a dozen others at the time of this writing.

At our annual congregational meeting in January, which had a higher attendance than in previous years, we explained the situation clearly and prayed together for our parish. We agreed to be more intentional in inviting and welcoming visitors. We handed out a volunteer sign-up sheet and asked people to prayerfully consider getting involved in at least one ministry. We reevaluated the impact of sermons and revamped our church visitation program.

Although God allowed us to keep our doors open as well as cover the mortgage, electricity and other necessities this year, we found ourselves unable to pay the amount owed for our diocesan assessment. After our dear Sara Castelli’s passing, her husband surprised us, honoring her dedication to our church with a miracle gift of almost $11,000. We had hoped to pay some of what we owed the diocese with that money, but instead, we had to use a large portion of it to pay other bills.

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Belleview

Rev. Lisa visits with parishioners Kayla Jefferson (left) and Joannie Woodward after St. Mary’s Festival of Lessons and Carols service Dec. 8, 2019.

www.cfdiocese.org

However, our pledge campaign was a huge success, and God allowed us to pass a balanced budget for 2020. Even our children created pledge cards in children’s church, with their pledges totaling $169 for the year. Although we could not yet pay what we owed the diocese, we all agreed that we did not want our status to change. At our vestry meeting in November, we approved a plan to repay what we owed for our 2019 assessment. I spoke with Canon to the Ordinary Scott Holcombe about the situation and scheduled a meeting with Bishop Brewer to inform him as well. Though we grieved, we were prepared to face the consequences. But then God stepped in. The day before my meeting with Bishop Brewer, I received a check for the exact amount we owed: $29, 942.19. At just the right time, God met our need, and we are blessed. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were about to be thrown into the fiery furnace, they said, “Our God is able to save us!” (Dan. 3:17). Indeed he is. But we must remember to notice their beautiful decision: Even if God did not save them, they would still worship the God we serve. That is what we must do – worship the God we serve – no matter what. We can trust him even if our need seems impossible, even if our cry to him seems unanswered and even if he doesn’t perform the miracle we had hoped for. If we trust him, he will always supply our needs. When will God give you a miracle? At St. Mary’s in Belleview, we have only one answer: “Right when you need it!”

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

2020 DIOCESAN CONVENTION

Salt, Light Carry Powerful Images

Continued From Page 5

The theme of the 2020 Diocesan Convention is “Salt of the Earth, Light of the World,” based on Matthew 5:13-20. Recently, a few leaders in the Diocese of Central Florida offered some insight on this scripture in advance of the Convention.

THE REV. LARRY RECLA

THE REV. CANON DAN SMITH

As its primary function, salt enhances the flavors that already exist in the food, which is to say, if the food tastes salty, there’s too much salt. That’s not what salt’s about. Instead, it’s about allowing what is already there to come forth, blossom and be enjoyed.

For me, light is perhaps one of the most important images in the Bible – the whole part about the light comes into the world and the darkness can’t overcome it; don’t hide your light under a bushel. Light comes up over and over again. For me, light is everything.

This means we, as salt, don’t have to produce anyone else’s flavor. It’s not about us. All we do is get out of the way between God and his work on his own people.

In terms of light, I believe this coming year will be important. The state of political affairs in this country tells me there will be significant ugliness. That’s not a political statement for me, just a statement of where we are. Light is so needed in the midst of all that. And anyone who has flipped on a flashlight in a dark room knows how important light is.

St. Francis of Assisi, Bushnell Lessons & Carols at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Christmas 2018, were recorded using the state-of-the-art audio/video equipment.

Once the sound booth was built and the new mixer and audiovisual equipment were installed, Bert taught volunteers from the youth group how to run the up-to-date digital audiovisual equipment. Some went on to study audio or entered the military using their audiovisual training from St. Anne’s.

Bert would like to hear from all parishes who have or want to have audiovisual ministries to develop a network for information sharing and fellowship. Please contact him at: bhenderson7@tampabay.rr.com.

Continued From Page 8 chapel work, including finding a contractor and delays from hurricanes, building contracts and permits. Finally, with the project fully funded, everything was in place for Christmas 2019. In early 2020, one of the three Sunday services will move from the main church into the chapel. A homecoming celebration is planned for March. Check www.holytrinitymelbourne.org for details. In this chapel, all are welcome to experience the real presence of Jesus Christ through healing prayer, weddings, funerals, baptisms and Holy Eucharist. As one parishioner wrote, “When I sit in the chapel, I feel its holiness. I feel the strength of the wood all around. I feel the grace ever-present from Eucharist. I look again at the beautiful altar. I think of the wood of the cross on which Jesus died, pouring out his blood as a sacrifice for us. ‘Holy, holy, holy,’ indeed.”

www.holytrinitymelbourne.org

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

We also need to remember that clergy are not salesmen, who are judged by how many sales they make. Instead, clergy are messengers. Messengers are judged by one thing only—did they share the correct message? When messengers mistakenly think they are salesmen, salt gets diluted. And true salt can’t lose its savor. It’s either salt or it’s not. Salt can only lose its savor when diluted with other things, such as the seven deadly sins (pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth), apathy, any number of other elements that can engage one’s endeavor. The loss occurs when salt somehow thinks its primary purpose is being salty rather than functioning to enhance others.

THE REV. BECKY TOALSTER Holy Trinity, Bartow

Salt and light are both analogies of ways we can be a witness to the world around us.

Holy Cross, Sanford

Recently while in Portugal, I saw that they still salt fish to preserve it. At the market, you will see a 15 to 20-pound fish, completely salted. After you buy it, hard as a rock, you soak it in water for 48 hours to restore it to freshness. In our country, we don’t use salt that way anymore. We use it to flavor a pot of vegetables or sprinkle on a meal. But we have also been told salt is bad for us. People have to cut down on salt because of heart or blood disorders, so for us, salt carries mixed messages. When the Bible was written, salt was seen as beneficial. When I see it, the knowledge that salt preserves and also washes things clean reminds me of the images of baptism and how we are restored as if fresh.

Of the two, I think salt is more difficult to grasp, because salt seems to be more of an active ingredient that requires us to go out into the world around us and actively and purposefully show people the unconditional love of Jesus. At the same time, we are not to be drawn away from Christ and into the world. I think light is easier to understand because we see light in a more positive way. We shine forth and reflect God’s light, rather than, as salt of the earth, delaying decay and being wary of being in the world and not of it.

Jan / Feb 2020

www.cfdiocese.org

2020 DIOCESAN CONVENTION

5 1 ST A N N U A L D I O C E S A N C O N V E N T I O N The Episcopal Church in Central Florida

Friday, January 24 and Saturday, January 25, 2020, Winter Haven, Florida

SATURDAY, January 25 NORA MAYO HALL

500 3rd Street NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881 7:00 –8:45 a.m. Registration - Lobby Displays Coffee 9:00 a.m. Second Plenary Session Opening Worship Reconvene Election Report and Second Ballot

FRIDAY, January 24

9:45 a.m. Bishop’s Address Election Report and Third Ballot Introduction of Visitors and New Clergy 11:15 a.m. Treasurer’s Report Presentation & Adoption of the Budget Election Report and Fourth Ballot

ALL SAINTS’ ACADEMY

5001 State Road 540W, Winter Haven, Florida 33880 3:30 p.m.

Volunteers Trained for Registration – Lunchroom

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Convention Registration – Lunchroom Meal Check-in for Friday Dinner / Saturday Lunch 5:00 p.m.

Convention Eucharist-Pou Chapel Guest Preacher: The Rev. Canon Chris Russell Advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury for Evangelism and Witness

12:00 p.m.

Noonday Worship Lunch Break Clergy Spouse Lunch at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

1:30 p.m.

Displays Close

6:30 p.m. First Plenary Session of Convention – Pou Chapel Call to Order Organization of Convention Announcement of Mrs. Sarah Caprani as Convention Secretary Announcement of The Hon. Council Wooten as chancellor and parliamentarian Announcement of The Hon. William Grimm, Co-chancellor Report of Credentials Committee – The Rev. Canon Justin Holcomb Report of Dispatch of Business Committee – The Rev. Dr. Jim Sorvillo Report of Nominations/Elections Committee – The Rev. Jason Murbarger, First Ballot

1:30 p.m. Third Plenary Session Reconvene Election Report and Fifth Ballot Canonical and Other Resolutions Resolutions Gen. Conv. Resolutions on BCP Revisions Appointments and Ratifications Invitation to the 52nd Annual Diocesan Convention Presentation of Awards Commissioning and Installations Memorial Resolution to Deceased Clergy Closing Worship

7:15 p.m.

Adjourn

4:00 p.m.

7:45 p.m.

Fellowship Dinner – NORA MAYO HALL 500 3rd Street NW, Winter Haven, FL 3388

www.cfdiocese.org

Adjourn

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

2020 DIOCESAN CONVENTION

NOMINEES FOR ELECTED OFFICE 2020 STANDING COMMITTEE, Clerical Order The Rev. Jonathan French

My wife, Maurica, and I have been married for 25 years, recently becoming empty nesters as the youngest of our six children left for college. I was called to serve as rector at Grace Episcopal Church in beautiful Ocala almost 11 years ago and continue to love serving there.

During my time as rector at Grace, I have focused on enjoying God and loving our neighbor. As that has happened, we have seen Grace become a vibrant and Spirit-filled church. Recently we have partnered with the Made to Flourish foundation to start a residency program: a three-year clergy mentoring program designed to invest in, care for and grow the next generation of ordained leaders. Our first resident, the Rev. Caroline Miller Osborne, is finishing her first year, and we anticipate adding a second resident to the program shortly. On the diocesan level, I have served on several committees and task forces, including the Standing Committee (president), the Commission on Ministry, the Bishop’s Task Force on Same-Sex Marriage and search committee for the diocese’s fourth bishop (co-chair).

Personally, I am passionate about the kingdom of God and its growth in Central Florida. I long for more people to follow Jesus Christ as Lord. Because of my love and relationship with Jesus, I attempt to be a disciple who makes more disciples. I pray and serve to inspire those around me to do the same. I look forward to serving if elected.

STANDING COMMITTEE, Lay Order Mr. Sid Glynn

Sid Glynn, member at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Lakeland, is seeking election to the Standing Committee, Lay Order. Sid serves and has served the Diocese of Central Florida in numerous capacities. He was the president of the Southwest Deanery; a member of the diocesan board 2004-2009, 2011-2013 and 2017-2020; served four years on the Stewardship Commission; served on Standing Committee in 2009, 2013-2016. Glynn was a lay deputy to General Convention in 2006, 2012 and 2015 and served for many years on the Diocesan Liturgy and Music Commission, where he helped with the development of our diocesan youth in the acolyte ministry, with adults in the verger ministry

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

and with the Diocesan Conventions. He has served for several years as verger of the Diocesan Convention and was the master of ceremonies for the consecration of Bishop Brewer. Working with the development of youth in the diocese since 2001, he was the director of the Diocesan Acolyte Festival, director of the Diocesan Acolyte Wet ’n Wild Event and has led the acolyte pilgrimage to the Washington National Cathedral where he helps with verging the diocesan processions. Glynn also developed the safety team (security) now in service at All Saints’ Church in Lakeland. At All Saints’, Glynn has served as the parish master verger for the past 18 years. His service in his parish has included membership on the Stewardship Council, two terms as senior warden, 10 times a delegate to the Diocesan Convention, Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Bible study facilitator, acolyte master and district leader of the Boy Scouts of America. He received the St. George Award of The Episcopal Church, a national recognition for distinguished service to the physical, mental and moral development of youth through service to the church. Glynn is a resident of Lakeland and has been a member of All Saints’ Episcopal Church since 1995. He and his wife, Sharon, have two grown children. He is in the computer business and served his country for 20 years in the United States Marine Corps from 1966-1988.

Mrs. Heather Rodriguez

I previously served as a member of the diocesan board and as an alternate deputy to General Convention in Austin, Texas. I am currently 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 my teenage years. As a layperson, 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.

Together with other members of the diocesan board, I helped initiate the diocesan response to the migration of Puerto Rican Hurricane Maria survivors to Central Florida. 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 married to José and am the mother of Elijah, 6, and Eva, 3. My husband and I have called the Diocese of Central Florida home for many years, having been married at All Saints Church in Winter Park and 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. 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 diverse people who make up our diocesan family.

Jan / Feb 2020

Mrs. Monica Tyedmers

Over 25 years ago, I moved to Russia to share the good news of the gospel with those who hadn’t heard. After living in the former Soviet Union, I moved to Orlando, where I’ve spent the past 20 years building a life and a counseling practice here in Central FloridaI moved to Florida in 1996 to attend Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS), where I earned master’s degrees in both biblical studies and counseling. Upon graduation, I ran the student counseling clinic at RTS, where I also sat on the admissions committee for the school’s counseling program. Selecting potential students helped me develop the discernment skills I’ve accessed as a member of the Commission on Ministry (COM) for the past few years. It has been a huge honor to work with Bishop Brewer and my fellow COM members to help aspirants discern their ordination track. After belonging to this diocese for the past 15 years, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to serve it and the bishop through COM.

Moving forward, I’d love the privilege of serving on the Standing Committee to further use my skills for the good of our diocese and The Episcopal Church. I believe my years of running a thriving counseling practice and entering into the sacred spaces of people’s inner lives on a daily basis have given me the skills I need to faithfully serve on both COM and the Standing Committee. Though there are countless opportunities around us to serve, I am drawn to these roles as some of the best uses of my gifting.

DIOCESAN BOARD, Clerical Order The Rev. John Gullett

I transitioned into The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Central Florida in 2014, and began serving as the rector of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Auburndale in 2015. Our vision at St. Alban’s is to seek the spiritual, social and cultural good of our community in the name of Jesus. St. Alban’s has served the Auburndale and Polk County community with a food pantry called “The Pantry Shelf” for almost 50 years, and last year gave away over 163,000 pounds of food to those in need. We have also seen the rebirth of a youth ministry at St. Alban’s, and just recently, we were thrilled to send 13 of our young people to New Beginnings at Camp Wingmann. I attended Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, and earned a bachelor’s degree in music performance with a concentration in sacred music as a voice student. Having discerned a call to ministry at age 19, I attended Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, and also served the seminary as assistant to the president, teaching assistant for homiletics and eventually director of admissions. As an ordained Presbyterian minister, I

www.cfdiocese.org

2020 DIOCESAN CONVENTION served churches in Tennessee and Pennsylvania, and planted churches in Johnson City, Tennessee, and Orlando.

I wrote an article about my journey to The Episcopal Church that was published in the Jan. 22, 2017, issue of The Living Church.

I am currently a Doctor of Ministry student at Nashotah House Theological Seminary and am so thankful to have come home to The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. I have served in the diocese as a member of the bishop’s church planting team and have been honored to lead a session on preaching in the Ministry Leadership and Mission cohort on a number of occasions. If elected, I would consider it an honor and privilege to serve on the diocesan board for the Diocese of Central Florida.

The Rev. Rodney Roehner

My wife, Carolina, and I have been married for 17 years, and we are blessed to try to keep pace with our twin 10-year-old girls. I’ve been the rector of St. Paul’s in wonderful New Smyrna Beach for five years.

We have been on a remarkable journey in our common life at St. Paul’s this past half-decade. Our liturgical life has returned to its strong roots, outreach is a constant priority, our grounds and buildings continue to undergo major upgrades, pledging has increased nearly 150% and we are finishing a capital campaign that has remarkably brought in over seven times our annual giving. Year-round stewardship has taken a strong hold in our parish. Recalling St. Paul’s long history, our constant theme has been “Building for Future Generations.” We are on the verge of constructing a new preschool building and repurposing the old one for our growing outreach ministries.

Having been involved with Episcopal schools throughout my ordained ministry, I have seen their positive impact on children, and at St. Paul’s, we have taken that same outlook in our mission to the youngest members of our community. Beyond our preschool, we work closely with a ministry for at-risk and homeless teens, and our church youth group is very involved in the life of the parish, which includes leading most of our ministries at the main service once a month. Having fulfilled the remainder of Canon Scott Holcombe’s term on the diocesan board, I’d be honored to continue if elected.

The Rev. Kay Mueller

I was ordained to the diaconate Sept. 9, 2017, in the midst of Hurricane Irma. The whirlwind of activity and opportunity since ordination has been a rainbow of blessings in serving our Lord. I serve at Church of Our Saviour in

www.cfdiocese.org

Okeechobee with The Rev. Jim Shevlin, rector. We have experienced consistent growth in our parish over the past three years, including the addition of many young families with children and a rebirth and growth in our Hispanic community. This year alone, we have officiated five quinceañeras in our parish, with one more scheduled in December. Our program for children and youth is thriving, and we sent 12 of our youth to summer camp at Camp Wingmann this year and donated one scholarship to the diocese.

As deacon, I coordinate outreach to the community and sponsor at least one program quarterly. Our most recent program (Cookies for Cops and Other Community Service Workers & Volunteers) touched 13 different agencies in our city, from police/fire/rescue to volunteers at the no-kill animal shelter, hospital auxiliary, public library, VFW and American Legion. I serve as secretary to the Okeechobee Ministerial Association, write a monthly column for “Reflections from the Pulpit” and facilitate a biannual Women’s Day of Reflection. In October, we had 33 women come together to study “She Did What She Could,” based on the words of Jesus in Mark 14:8. I am widowed with grown children and grandchildren ranging in age from 2 years old and up. I have a Bachelor of Science in management and retired from a Fortune 500 company after 23 years of service in executive management. I feel my analytical skills, experience in short- and long-term planning and execution, financial/budget management and reconciliation, and people/social interactions would assist the diocese well. If elected, I would be honored to serve on the diocesan board.

DIOCESAN BOARD, Lay Order Mrs. Susan Burley

I am a native New Yorker, baptized as an infant in a New York City Episcopal church and confirmed at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, New York, in 1952. I am currently a parishioner at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Maitland, where I serve on the vestry and have been treasurer for eight years. I facilitate an outreach group called Tabitha’s Treasures, which knits, crochets and looms 500-600 chemotherapy caps a year for AdventHealth and prayer shawls for the congregation. I have served on the diocesan board and Insurance Selection Committee and currently serve on the Finance Committee.

I believe in The Episcopal Church and its future in changing America. Showing God’s love, preaching the good news and community outreach will contribute to healing and growing The Episcopal Church I know and love. To be elected to the diocesan board would be a privilege and honor to which I will give my talents, time and efforts.

Mrs. Terri Sims

Service is a passion of mine! It is a joy when I have an opportunity to serve.

I came to faith in July of 1985 in a nondenominational church while living in Miami. I moved away from my faith in the mid-2000s, and when I moved to Central Florida in 2011, I rededicated my life to the Lord and began attending Church of the Good Shepherd in Maitland. From the very beginning of my Episcopalian experience, I fell in love with the Book of Common Prayer and the liturgies we practice. I began to volunteer in the office shortly after arriving at Good Shepherd and am currently the church’s financial administrator. I am also an LEM, LEV and a member of the Order of St. Luke. My husband, The Rev. Gordon Sims, was recently ordained as a deacon of our church.

As a member of the recovery community for over 15 years, I participate in the Seminole County Jail reentry program, helping direct inmates toward programs available to them upon their release as regards to drug addiction issues. I also engage in other community events by representing an organization that promotes abstinence from all mood- or mind-altering substances. I would like nothing more than to be an integral part of the Diocese of Central Florida by serving on the diocesan board. I will contribute my talents, bringing impartiality, a candid and open spirit, availability and a desire to be of service. I pray that the board will find me a good fit.

STANDING COMMITTEE, Clerical Order The Rev. Jonathan French

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

2020 DIOCESAN CONVENTION

NOMINEES FOR ELECTED OFFICE 2020 Commission on Ministry (four years), the Bishop’s Task Force on Same-Sex Marriage and search committee for the diocese’s fourth bishop (co-chair). Personally, I am passionate about the kingdom of God and its growth in Central Florida. I long for more people to follow Jesus Christ as Lord. Because of my love and relationship with Jesus, I attempt to be a disciple who makes more disciples. I pray and serve to inspire those around me to do the same.

GENERAL CONVENTION DEPUTY, Clerical Order The Rev. Phyllis Bartle My husband, Ed, and I have been married for nearly 36 years. We are blessed with seven grown children and 10 grandchildren. I was called to be rector at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Orange City 13 years ago and am delighted to still serve there today.

I look forward to serving if elected.

TRUSTEE, UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH, Clerical Order The Rev. Gene Reuman The Rev. Gene Reuman has been rector of St. Margaret’s Parish, Inverness, for the past 18 years. Called to the parish in 2001, he is a graduate of the School of Theology at Sewanee, the University of the South. Gene has served at the diocesan level as dean of the Northwest Deanery for four years and as chair of both the Diocesan Stewardship Commission and our former Outreach Commission. First ordained as a vocational deacon in 1990, Gene served at Holy Faith, Dunnellon, and as treasurer of the Northwest Deanery, working with The Rev. Joe Goss as an assistant missioner during the planning and establishment of the current parish of Shepherd of the Hills, Lecanto. In addition to his degree from Sewanee, Gene holds an associate’s degree from Central Florida Community College (now College of Central Florida) and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from St. Leo College, 1997. Gene has served as both spiritual director and assistant spiritual director on a number of Cursillo weekends and is a member of the Order of St. Luke’s. “I have a firm commitment both to and for the University of the South and the School of Theology,” said Reuman. “With the very well-endowed scholarships available at Sewanee, we as a diocese need to be both proactive in our stewardship of this marvelous institution and cost-conscious of the resources available to our aspirants for holy orders. I would consider it an honor during my last three years as rector of St. Margaret’s (I will turn 72 in September 2022) to serve both our diocese and the university as a trustee.”

On the diocesan level, I have served on the Standing Committee (president one year), the diocesan board and Camp Wingmann’s board of directors (treasurer for many years). I’ve also been a part of Cursillo, Christian Education Commission and Congregational Development Commission. One of my passions is New Beginnings, a middle school retreat weekend run primarily by high school and college students at Camp Wingmann. What a great joy it has been to watch so many of the young people in our diocese grow into strong Christian leaders! For the past two years, I have attended the National Ecumenical Stewardship Convention (2018 in Dallas and 2019 in Indianapolis) to bring back stewardship information to help our diocese encourage generosity in our parishes. I have also helped craft the one-day stewardship workshop held in the fall for our congregations. I have served as a deputy for five General Conventions, and for the past three, I have been on the Stewardship Committee, one of the legislative bodies of the General Convention. On that committee, I have been secretary twice and in 2018, vice president. If elected, I look forward to serving one more time. What gifts do you think the Diocese of Central Florida can bring that would best serve the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2021? Central Florida’s deputation has developed a reputation for working alongside those with whom we disagree in an agreeable manner and has maintained a level of commitment to biblical principles that holds us in good stead. This has allowed our team to be selected to serve in many capacities throughout the convention. I believe one of the best things the Diocese of Central Florida brings to the General Convention is its pledge to remain at the table – for mutual ministry, for lively debate and for heartfelt worship. This has not always been easy but has encouraged our voices to be heard and respected.

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

The Rev. Dr. James A. Sorvillo Sr.

God’s peace and grace to you as we proceed to our Diocesan Convention.

It is hard to believe that I’ve now served as rector of the Church of the Ascension for the past 16 years. It is exciting to see what the Lord is doing in our midst, especially as we have just launched our new mission church, All Souls. Under the leadership of our assistant, now vicar, The Rev. Matt Ainsley, All Souls has 54 of our members willing to step out and gain new ground for the kingdom of God! During my 19 years as priest in this diocese, I’ve had the privilege to serve on the diocesan board twice, the Congregational Development Commission, interim director of the Episcopal Counseling Center, the Canterbury board, deputy to General Convention in 2012, 2015 and 2018. I just completed my fouryear term on our Standing Committee, serving as the president for the last two years with the gift of serving with our diocesan staff while our bishop was away on his sabbatical this past summer. I also serve as a congregational consultant and have had the blessing to walk alongside five of our congregations to aid them in next steps for growth and vitality. My wife, Debbie, and I have been married for 31 years and are blessed by our two grown sons and 4-year-old grandson who keeps us young and busy! As we look forward to our next General Convention in 2021, we have many challenges ahead of us as a diocese who seeks to serve our God with intention and obedience. The question presented to us is, “What gifts do you think the Diocese of Central Florida can bring that would best serve the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2021?” You would be so proud of the 2018 deputation that you elected, of which I was a part. This team worked from sunup to sundown to stand firm for the gospel in the midst of the massive cultural changes taking place in our nation and our denomination. Each member dedicated time and talent to build relationships with other dioceses and deputies in order to stop, or at least slow down, legislation on Prayer Book revision, progressive liturgical language revision and traditional marriage revision. We were successful in memorializing our current Book of Common Prayer for use in the future. We gave voice to many in our national church who find themselves overlooked, mostly due to theological position, in order for a true diversity to be achieved in our churches. There is still much work to be done, and I would love to use the experience of our past Conventions to give voice to those who believe evangelism, discipleship, sound doctrine and transformation through Jesus Christ are still an important part of the church. If elected, I would be honored to represent your voice in 2021.

www.cfdiocese.org

2020 DIOCESAN CONVENTION

The Rev. Canon Scott Holcombe • Lifelong Episcopalian

• Bachelor of Arts in religious studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, 1975 • Master of Divinity degree, University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, 1978 • Ordained deacon, 1978 • Ordained priest, 1979

I have served in the Diocese of Central Florida for 17 years: eight years at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Lakeland, and nine years at St. David’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Cocoa Beach. Prior to being called to this diocese, I served 23 years in parishes in the dioceses of North Carolina, Arizona, Atlanta, Southeast Florida, West Virginia and Newark. In several dioceses, I have served on the diocesan board, Congregational Development Commission, Cursillo Commission, Canterbury Board and was Province III representative to the Episcopal Partners for Catechesis. I was called to be the canon to the ordinary by Bishop Brewer in October 2019. My wife, La Nora Hazelwood Holcombe, and I have been married for 45 years. We have five grown children and 10 grandchildren. I am likely best known for being a baker of cookies! What gifts do you think the Diocese of Central Florida can bring that would best serve the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2021? The delegation from the Diocese of Central Florida must bring a clear biblical witness to the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Baltimore. Our consistent testimony to remain within The Episcopal Church, encourage our communion partner relationships and work within the Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight (DEPO) guidelines by offering designated oversight to our churches and to churches beyond our diocesan borders, shows that we stand steadfast in maintaining unity in diversity. Being one of the more conservative voices at General Convention 2021 places upon all our delegation a mandate to remain strong, vigilant, respectful and united with our voice of traditional orthodoxy. While some chose to leave, and some choose to bend, our delegates have proven over the years that a strong, articulate voice on the floor of Convention can be heard and make a difference in spite of the tsunami of progressive thought. In 2021, it is likely that the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in Baltimore will face continued debate over Prayer Book revision, issues of sexuality and inclusivity, a graying church that continues to decline in number and other concerns affecting our denominations. The Diocese of Central Florida is one of the few dioceses in the country that is not in precipitous decline. I would hope that our voice to the rest of the church would be one that is characterized by the fruits of faithful ministry and the hope to which we are called by Christ. After

www.cfdiocese.org

more than 40 years of ordained ministry, this is the first time I have ever run to be a deputy to General Convention. If elected, I would be honored to take my place in the councils of the church and work alongside our bishop and deputation serving the Diocese of Central Florida.

The Rev. Kay Mueller I transitioned into The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of I was ordained to the diaconate Sept. 9, 2017, and serve at Church of Our Saviour in Okeechobee. During this time, working alongside The Rev. Jim Shevlin, rector, I have focused my attention and energies on building up attendance and participation of children and youth. We started with a baseline of zero and currently average 12-24 in attendance on a regular basis, ranging from 14 months to 16 years of age. We offer a weekly children’s sermon and education program; promoted the awareness of Camp Wingmann’s facilities, programs and staff; sent 12 youth to summer camp this year; inaugurated a soccer field on our property and are in process of forming an intramural league; and currently have six active acolytes. I coordinate a quarterly community outreach that has included programs ministering to delinquent teenage girls who are victims of abuse and/or sexual trafficking, essentials and dignity for the homeless and, most recently Cookies for Cops and Other Community Service Workers & Volunteers. I serve as secretary of the Okeechobee Ministerial Association and write a monthly Sunday devotion for the local newspaper My service at the diocesan level has been limited to date, but I spoke on behalf of the diaconate at the Bishop’s Conference on Ministry in 2018, wrote “Lectionary Living” and other articles as requested for the Central Florida Episcopalian, assisted visiting clergy dignitaries in the last three annual diocesan conventions, and cofacilitated a diaconate class/retreat for ICS this year. I am widowed with two grown children and four grandchildren along with three stepdaughters and four step-grandsons. I have a bachelor’s in management and retired from a Fortune 500 company with 23 years of service in executive management. If elected, I would be honored to serve prayerfully, enthusiastically and with total commitment.

St. Peter the Fisherman

EPISCOPAL CHURCH

—11th — Annual Flower Seminar

FRIDAY, February 21, 2020 9:00 a.m. - Brunch 9:30 to 12:00 - Demonstrations Cost: $40.00 Please send checks payable to: St. Peter the Fisherman 4220 Saxon Dr., New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169 For more information & reservations, please call:

386-428-7383

or visit: www.stpetersnet.net All profits benefit St. Peter’s Flower Guild & Outreach Programs

What gifts do you think the Diocese of Central Florida can bring that would best serve the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in 2021? Undoubtedly, any and all who represent our diocese will bring the spirit of truth, unity and concord to the General Convention. I believe all issues will be approached with compassion, respect and integrity rooted in sound doctrine, invincible faith and fruitful ministries, guided by the Holy Spirit. The Diocese of Central Florida deputation will be prayerful in listening, responding, presenting, advising and voting.

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

2020 DIOCESAN CONVENTION

NOMINEES FOR ELECTED OFFICE 2020 Passion for the Word of God, compassion for His people and pastoral empathy will prevail in navigating controversial and potentially contentious issues that affect the very foundations of our denomination in both the short- and long-term. The different gifts given in grace to each will be utilized faithfully to accomplish His work, extend and share His love and fulfill the mission of The Episcopal Church according to His will.

The Rev. Rodney Roehner My wife, Carolina, and I have been married for 17 years, and we are blessed to try to keep pace with our twin 10-year-old girls. I’ve been the rector of St. Paul’s in wonderful New Smyrna Beach for five years. We have been on a remarkable journey in our common life at St. Paul’s this past half-decade. Our liturgical life has returned to its strong roots, outreach is a constant priority, our grounds and buildings continue to undergo major upgrades, pledging has increased nearly 150% and we are finishing a capital campaign that has remarkably brought in over seven times our annual giving. Year-round stewardship has taken a strong hold in our parish. Recalling St. Paul’s long history, our constant theme has been “Building for Future Generations.” We are on the verge of constructing a new preschool building and repurposing the old one for our growing outreach ministries. Having been involved with Episcopal schools throughout my ordained ministry, I have seen their positive impact on children, and at St. Paul’s, we have taken that same outlook in our mission to the youngest members of our community. Beyond our preschool, we work closely with a ministry for at-risk and homeless teens, and our church youth group is very involved in the life of the parish, which includes leading most of our ministries at the main service once a month. Having fulfilled the remainder of Canon Scott Holcombe’s term on the diocesan board, I’d be honored to continue if elected.

The Rev. Canon Dr. Justin S. Holcomb For over six years, I have served as canon for vocations for the Diocese of Central Florida and also as an associate priest for the Cathedral Church of St. Luke. Before serving In this diocese, I was a priest in the Diocese of Virginia, where I was ordained to the priesthood in 2006.

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

In my role of canon for vocations, I focus on developing and training leaders with missionary vision to lead and serve in local congregations. Lots of my time and energy are given to the discernment process for ordination to the priesthood where I work closely with the Commission of Ministry and Standing Committee. The continued nurture and developing of our clergy are also a high priority as I oversee ministry, leadership and mission (for newly ordained priests or priests new to the diocese), assist with continuing education opportunities for clergy and have helped lead the planting of two new churches in the diocese. I am a professor of theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Reformed Theological Seminary. Previously, I taught at the University of Virginia and Emory University. I have two master’s degrees in theology and philosophy and a doctorate in theology from Emory University. In addition to diocesan ministry and teaching, I serve on the boards of The Living Church foundation, GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment), HeartSupport and Leaders Collective. I have written or edited 14 books on a variety of topics, including biblical studies, hope and healing for survivors of sexual assault or domestic violence, vocation and calling, and historical theology. I am a native of Florida and was born in Sarasota. My wife, Lindsey, and I live in Orlando with our two daughters. What gifts do you think the Diocese of Central Florida can bring that would best serve the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2021? From my experience as a deputy to General Convention in 2018, I had the privilege of seeing how much the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida serves in various ways at General Convention. Following Bishop Brewer’s example, our deputies are well-informed, very involved in attending legislative and other sessions and gracious and humble in their interactions with the wide spectrum of perspectives represented in The Episcopal Church. I am proud to see how our diocese has taken its place in the councils of The Episcopal Church. There are numerous opportunities to continue this ministry at this General Convention, such as the presiding bishop’s call and focus on evangelism, the challenge of declining attendance in Episcopal churches, the issue of how The Episcopal Church relates to the global Anglican Communion and the need for wisdom regarding how to walk together in unity as The Episcopal Church in light of significant and important doctrinal disagreements. At the invitation of the presiding bishop and the archbishop, Bishop Brewer and our diocese have served as a bridge in the midst of disagreement, both in The Episcopal Church and the global Anglican Communion.

Jan / Feb 2020

The Rev. José Rodriguez

I serve as the vicar of Iglesia Episcopal Jesús de Nazaret, where I have coordinated our diocesan response to the migration of Hurricane Maria survivors to Central Florida. I have previously served as an alternate deputy to General Convention in Austin, Texas, where I was co-convener 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. The church I serve is active in disaster preparedness and relief work. Our church is also active in outreach to our community and has extensive partnerships. In 2019, we were honored with a Change Maker of the Year award from the Heart of Florida United Way for our advocacy work in the community. 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. In 2019, we launched a bilingual and multicultural young adult ministry and are working with others to expand the church’s reach in Central Florida. 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 and be an advocate for our ministries and voice in regard to evangelism, outreach and church growth. What gifts do you think the Diocese of Central Florida can bring that would best serve the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2021? The Diocese of Central Florida can continue to position itself as an advocate for the parts of our church that are rarely heard or are silenced at General Convention. Our relationships and friendships throughout the wider church give us a unique opportunity to advocate for others through our own experiences. As a member of the Central Florida deputation in 2018, I witnessed our deputation effectively partnering with others to advocate for addressing the lack of interpreters at Convention and co-sponsoring legislation for families, nondiscrimination and the creation of fellowships to provide resources for our brothers and sisters in Province IX to attend General Convention. Our brothers and sisters in Province IX and our own multicultural parishes and members in Central Florida need the diocese to continue the work that began in 2018 by lending our own voice to those of others who have historically not been heard at General Convention.

www.cfdiocese.org

2020 DIOCESAN CONVENTION

The Rev. Tracy Dugger

I am a 33-year-old Episcopal priest raised up from a layperson for ordination in this diocese. I have four years of ordained ministry behind me, and God willing, 39 years ahead of me. I have served as hospice chaplain with Vitas. I was assistant rector for three years at Church of the Messiah under The Rev. Tom Rutherford. I am now the rector at Church of the Nativity in Port St Lucie. As a younger priest, I know the decisions this General Convention makes will affect my ministry for decades to come. I have served on the Hispanic Commission of the diocese and continue to serve as a member of the Commission on Ministry. I believe my gifts of collaborative leadership, discernment, energy, youth and passion for the transforming love of Jesus would reflect the values of this diocese and highlight the gifts we have to offer the wider church. What gifts do you think the Diocese of Central Florida can bring that would best serve the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2021? The Diocese of Central Florida brings the gifts of commitment to faith in Jesus and that saying yes to Jesus actually makes a difference in the lives of individuals, the church and the world. This diocese’s emphasis on raising up passionate leaders committed to evangelism and loving and serving in the church for the sake of the world is a voice that is needed at the table. Persistent and audacious hope, commitment to communion across differences and a deep love for the church despite its flaws are what we can and should bring to the General Convention of 2021.

GENERAL CONVENTION DEPUTY, Lay Order Mr. Thomas G. Alday III Tom Alday has been active in real estate since 1983. He has worked in the lending, appraisal, real estate consulting and development segments of the industry. He received his undergraduate degree in business administration with a concentration in finance and accounting from Rollins College. Tom has served as co-chairman of the Real Estate Committee for the Diocese of Central Florida since 2011. During this time, he has worked with over 30 diocesan properties, including schools, churches and other diocese-owned properties regarding acquisition, disposition, repairs, expansion, land swaps and financing.

www.cfdiocese.org

Tom also spearheaded the Insurance Committee for the diocese. Through the Insurance Committee, the diocese was able to lower premiums for over 20 churches and other diocesan properties. Additional appointments and committees: • Lay deputy to General Convention, 2018: Committee person on Evangelism and Church Planting Committee • Member, Diocese of Central Florida Church Planting Committee

• Board member, Canterbury Retreat & Conference Center, Oviedo

• All Saints Episcopal Church, Winter Park: Buildings and Grounds member for four years, Real Estate Committee, Master Plan Committee •

City of Winter Park: Planning & Zoning Board, nine years, including three years as chairman; Master Planning for City Properties; Downtown Parking/Park Avenue Merchants; Comprehensive Plan

• Rollins College, Winter Park: Committee person on the Rollins College Master Plan

What gifts do you think the Diocese of Central Florida can bring that would best serve the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2021? The Diocese of Central Florida brings two specific gifts that would best serve the General Convention of 2021. First, our diocese has the vision to spread the gospel for the purpose of making Christ known and furthering the kingdom of God. Secondly, we have the knowledge and experience of effective stewardship to ensure that time, talent and treasure are readily available to make that vision a reality. Our diocese has spent our time and talent in researching ways to spend our treasure in the most efficient way. I personally have served on committees that worked to bring down the cost of things necessary to run our diocese, such as insurance rates, so that more income is available for the direct work of promoting our purpose in serving God. We have learned to trim our budget in areas that don’t have a direct impact on our vision so more money can be spent on directly reaching people in the name of Christ. This, however, is just the first step necessary to take the next steps to grow God’s kingdom. We have the understanding that our diversity is in fact our strength. What we agree about far outweighs our differences and therefore is more significant. In other words, our common goal is greater than our dissimilarities. We have used our knowledge specifically to plant churches and put evangelism at the core of all we undertake. We have studied our resources so they can be used for the people of God.

Ms. Krisita Jackson

Krisita A. Jackson is a proud native Floridian and grew up in Ft. Lauderdale. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church where she was active in the Episcopal Young Churchmen. She has been a member of The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist since 1977.

Jackson attended Broward County schools and graduated from Nova High School. She majored in economics and received her bachelor’s degree from Rollins College. Professionally, she spent 26 years in marketing and sales for BellSouth. Jackson’s involvement in church ministries includes active membership in the Episcopal Church Women. She volunteers in many capacities at St. John the Baptist. She has served as a vestry member and senior warden. She was a founding member of the Central Florida Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians. She currently is secretary of the board of Canterbury Conference & Retreat Center and Episcopal Relief & Development network representative for the diocese. The Central Florida Diocesan Convention has twice elected Jackson to serve as a deputy to the General Convention. She was appointed to serve as a member and secretary of the Privilege and Courtesy Committee of the 2015 and 2018 Convention. At the 2018 General Convention, she served as secretary of the Black Caucus. In 2018, she was elected to serve as president of the Central Deanery and serve on the Diocesan Board. Since 1999, Jackson has been a member of The Order of the Daughters of the King. She has served as chapter president, diocesan secretary, second vice president and president of The Order in Central Florida. She is currently serving a three-year term as national president. Jackson is single and lives in Orlando. She enjoys reading mystery novels. She is grounded spiritually by attending Bible study and meeting with her Daughters’ chapter weekly for corporate intercessory prayer. What gifts do you think the Diocese of Central Florida can bring that would best serve the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2021? The Diocese of Central Florida can offer the General Convention an example of the church in mission to the world. Our clergy and laypeople are passionate about serving our Lord Jesus Christ. One prime example is the work and service done and continuing to help those who fled the ravages of Hurricane Irma. The outreach by the Daughters of the King raised nearly $27,000 to purchase Bibles for Daughters in Malawi, where formerly there may have been just one Bible per chapter of 40 women. No One Hungry Inc. has fed thousands locally and in relief areas outside of the United States. Clergy are

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

2020 DIOCESAN CONVENTION

NOMINEES FOR ELECTED OFFICE 2020

leading efforts to support affordable housing initiatives. Every parish has initiatives to go outside the walls of the church to welcome the alien and feed the hungry as Jesus commanded, as well as working to encourage healthy living and minister to victims of domestic violence and support addiction recovery. The Diocese of Central Florida has answered the invitation of Presiding Bishop Curry to share our faith and give unselfishly as we live the way of love.

Mr. Eric LeBron

I worship at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in College Park and am a philosophy major at the University of Central Florida. I am originally from Puerto Rico and graduated from Timber Creek High School. I am a student leader and want to serve in The Episcopal Church. While new to the Diocese of Central Florida, I have gotten to know many of our local leaders and hope to serve as a leader. I am active in the community and volunteer my time in a variety of justice causes. I speak three languages and have a love for multicultural ministry. I currently serve alongside other students in a new Episcopal multicultural college ministry. If elected to serve as a deputy, I hope to represent the young adult voice in General Convention. I love The Episcopal Church and want to work with other leaders in this sacred work. I believe I can contribute to the work of the Diocese of Central Florida at General Convention. What gifts do you think the Diocese of Central Florida can bring that would best serve the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2021? I believe the Diocese of Central Florida can remember young Episcopalians at General Convention. This would be a tremendous gift not only for our diocese but for The Episcopal Church. There are so many voices that offer advice on how to reach young Episcopalians, but often, they come from people speaking for us, rarely with us, and offer ideas about how to reach us without taking our viewpoint into consideration. It would be refreshing for the diocese to enable us to speak for ourselves and participate in the decisions that will impact us for years to come.

Mrs. Heather Rodriguez

I previously served as a member of the Diocesan Board and as an alternate deputy to General Convention in Austin, Texas. I am currently the parish administrator at Church of the Good Shepherd in Maitland

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

and have extensive experience as a musician and minister of music. I am a native Floridian and have served on church worship teams since my teenage years. As a layperson, 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. Together with other members of the Diocesan Board, I helped initiate the diocesan response to the migration of Puerto Rican Hurricane Maria survivors to Central Florida. 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 married to José and am the mother of Elijah, 6, and Eva, 3. My husband and I have called the Diocese of Central Florida home for many years, having been married at All Saints Church in Winter Park and 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. 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 diverse people who make up our diocesan family. What gifts do you think the Diocese of Central Florida can bring that would best serve the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2021? Having previously attended General Convention as an alternate lay deputy, I witnessed the effort and diversity of gifts needed to participate in General Convention. The diverse gifts our diocese has to offer include the voices of our geographically dispersed and diverse congregations. From our rural to our metropolitan and suburban parishes, we have a lot to offer in terms of being the church across a variety of contexts. Our local community includes the same voices in the church at large. Together, we can put together a deputation that not only speaks to our local contexts but also connects and responds to the diversity of The Episcopal Church.

Mrs. La Nora Hazelwood Holcombe

I started life as a Southern Baptist and came to saving faith as a young child (about age 8). My early life included regular Sunday school, Training Union and studying the Bible. Early in life, I decided I wanted to be a nurse, so after graduation from high school, I entered Orange Memorial School of Nursing (now ORMC) and was a part of the 1973 final graduating class. I worked for 40-plus years in Pediatric ICU, Adult ICU, CCU, as a Critical Care Educator and finally retired seven years ago.

Jan / Feb 2020

St. Richard’s will be offering

Walking the Mourner’s Path 8 Weeks to Healing your Grief Tuesday Evenings, 5:30-7:00 p.m. January 14-March 3, 2020 Interested individuals should contact the facilitators Helen Miller: hpminwp@gmail.com Sheila Geha: sheilageha@yahoo.com I met my husband, Scott (now canon to the ordinary), when he was still in college, and we started dating. Shortly after that, I was confirmed in The Episcopal Church, and we were married. Over our 45 years of marriage, I have been a mother of five, grandmother of 14, faithful clergy spouse, dedicated member of the Daughters of the King, have taught Sunday school classes, led youth groups, been an integral part of several stewardship committees, outreach committees and can usually be found working behind the scenes at St. David’s by-theSea in Cocoa Beach. As a clergy spouse, I have never served on a vestry or been a parish warden, but I have served in many leadership capacities and lay ministries. I look forward to serving as a General Convention deputy and representing the Diocese of Central Florida in the larger church. What gifts do you think the Diocese of Central Florida can bring that would best serve the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2021? The Diocese of Central Florida has a history of strong spiritual and biblical leadership in the church. As a diocese, we strive to proclaim the gospel to all people and to love and welcome everyone into our churches. Our bishop serves as a Dedicated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight (DEPO) bishop to those in the church who seek a more conservative oversight. I think that is very important for the Episcopal Church because of priding ourselves in “upholding the dignity of all peoples,” which includes those who may not agree with all decisions made by the greater church.

www.cfdiocese.org

FA ST I N G

How the Traditional Practice of Fasting Comes Alive Today

St. Mary’s presents...

One Great Day

By Marti Pieper The discipline of fasting, common in religions worldwide, is one of the ancient practices of the Christian church. We think of fasting particularly as Lent, with its focus on Christ’s sacrifice, approaches. But what role does fasting play today? For answers and insight, CFE turned to some diocesan clergy members.

Fasting Defined “Fasting, according to scripture, is a means of attuning ourselves to the presence of the Lord and aligning ourselves with the power and purposes of God,” explained The Rev. Cameron MacMillan of Church of the Good Shepherd, Maitland. Fasting and prayer, he said, “go hand in hand.” The Rev. Matthew Ainsley of All Souls Horizon West pointed to Matthew 4:2, which says Jesus fasted for “forty days and forty nights” while preparing for ministry. He noted that fasting is “our weapon against the flesh,” but also “through fasting, we learn self-control, discipline.” The Rev. Canon Scott T. Holcombe, canon to the ordinary, added, “Fasting is intended to sharpen our attention, direct our prayers and discern God’s most perfect will.” Both MacMillan and Ainsley said, “Jesus assumed his followers would fast.” MacMillan added, “fasting is practiced throughout scripture as a way of grieving, repenting, seeking revelation or guidance,” and Ainsley said, “Fasting has always been a regular part of the life of the church.” www.cfdiocese.org

featuring:

Fasting at Lent and Beyond Ainsley added a special reminder for the coming Lenten season: “Throughout Lent, the various members of the church can set aside certain … practices in order to take up the practices of reading scripture, prayer and almsgiving.” Holcombe said he fasts during Lent and at other times as God directs. MacMillan encouraged those who wish to fast to “start small! … Let the Holy Spirit guide your practice.” Not everyone can fast from food, Ainsley said, but “You were made for God, to see God, to be united with God. Fasting reminds of us of this.” The Rev. Kristi Alday, archdeacon, whose diabetes prevents her fasting from food, explained that she practices fasting by seeking to “remove from my life those things that take my attention away from God.” She views Lent not as “a time of ‘giving up’ things but ‘getting more and more’ of Jesus and trying to keep Lent in my heart all year.” And The Rt. Rev. Gregory Brewer, bishop, confirmed these thoughts: “The real reason we fast is to make new room in our lives for God.”

The Rev. Josh Acton,

North American director for the Order of St. Luke

and The Rev. Dr.

John Rice

• March 7, 2020 • Rekindling the Spirit Within You Teachings based on 2 Timothy 1:6,

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

• Registration fee: $20 • Registration begins: 8:00 a.m. • Worship begins: 9:00 a.m. • A freewill offering will be collected. • Registration deadline: March 2

3 WAYS TO REGISTER:

EMAIL: stmarysbelleviewosl@gmail.com CALL: Deacon Carolyn Quinnell, 352-288-0240 (leave a message) MAIL: Complete form below and mail to:

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 2373, Belleview, FL 34421

please cut here Sign me up for Rekindling the Spirit Within You, March 7, 2020 Registration fee: $20, includes lunch on Saturday

Name:_________________________________________________________________ Phone:______________________________ Check enclosed? yes____ no____ Email: _________________________________________________________________ Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

E VA N G E L I S M

Evangelism’s Fresh Focus True engagement offers lasting impact By Kirsten Knox and Wendy Leech Do you cringe when you hear the word “evangelism”? The thought of being asked to go door to door terrifies you. Memorizing the four spiritual laws and reciting Romans 3:23, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” seems stiff. No need to fret. We have new terminology and methods for evangelism in 2020. Kirsten Knox, youth ministry consultant for the Diocese of Central Florida, explained, “We use the word ‘engagement’ instead of evangelism. This helps people understand the concept and is less intimidating.”

FR. ROB GRIFFITH

Church of the Holy Spirit, Apopka

we are for,” she said. Many people today are open to spirituality. They are not, however, interested in being judged. Knox advised that “focusing on relationships and allowing God to be God of the behavior” are the keys to reaching unchurched people today.

Knox said ministering to people is more about relationship and communicating, “You matter; you have value.” When neighboring During the past 10 years, the people experience tangible landscape to attract newcomers of God’s love by a church “Go therefore evidence to the church has changed. In member bringing a meal to a new previous years, events were the and make mom or by offering the church assured method of drawing a disciples of parking lot to a local business crowd: a picnic, a Christmas event, they are more apt to ask bazaar, a youth messy game questions and seek to understand all nations” night. Now, rather than the ‘why’ behind the kind act. expecting visitors to come in, Matt. 28:19a These actions create opportunities Christians must go out, thus to explain God’s deep love for them. fulfilling the Great Commission: Knox recalled an experience last “Go therefore and make disciples February when she went to a laundromat of all nations” (Matt. 28:19a). to pay for people’s laundry as part of her Brian Lawson, director of student church’s Love Week. She approached a young development for Youth Ministry woman, Brittany, and asked if she could pay Institute, wrote, “engagement has more for her laundry. Brittany was skeptical at first influence on the number of visitors in your ministry than any significant event you develop.”

Fewer people come to church now compared to years past because, as Knox observed, the church has lost some of its credibility. “Christians are known more for what we are against, rather than what

20 Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Local Diocesan Leaders on Evangelism for 2020 and Beyond

and asked why. After a short conversation, Knox was able to pay for Brittany’s and her boyfriend’s laundry. She exchanged phone numbers with Brittany, who came to church the following Sunday. Months later, the young woman was baptized. Genuine engagement can have an eternal impact.

Jan / Feb 2020

The Episcopal Church can no longer rely on cradle Episcopalians to fill the pews. We need to offer classes that explain Anglicanism to the uninitiated. Our services need to be easier to follow. We must learn to go out into the community and listen to people’s stories. We must listen to hear rather than listening to respond with ways the person needs to change. We must invest our attention in the hurts and brokenness of the world around, just as Christ did. Only when we first hear people out will we earn the right to speak gospel hope into their lives.

DEACON BOB JOHNSON

All Saints’, Lakeland I see a greater number of people who have had no encounters or knowledge of who Jesus is and why he is important to them. Evangelism is a ministry of presence and of relationship. Wherever you spend time with people, you are ministering to them, thinking of them and their needs, physical, emotional and spiritual. The times you have those deep conversations are perfect occasions to share the love of Jesus and why you love him. When you truly love the other person, the door to evangelism will open.

DEACON KAY MUELLER

Church of Our Saviour, Okeechobee

The good news of Christ hasn’t changed, but the world has. We live in a postmodern society filled with skepticism, relativism and constant change, void of absolute values and truths. People long for authenticity, so it is imperative we demonstrate and share the love of Christ in all aspects of our daily walk and talk. We must slow down and take time to recognize the opportunities around us, respond genuinely and follow up, not only in constant prayer, but through helping hands, hospitality and humility.

www.cfdiocese.org

E VA N G E L I S M

FR. CAMERON MACMILLAN

Church of the Good Shepherd, Maitland What I see working most effectively today is supernatural ministry: showing people the power of God through prayer, healing, words of knowledge, prophecy and so on. The other day while praying, I saw an image in my mind of a woman in red pushing a stroller. When I went out to lunch, my server was wearing a red T-shirt (the other wait staff wore different colors). I asked her if she was by any chance taking care of a young child. She said yes, her daughter had a 1-year-old, and she was helping care for both of them because her daughter is very young. I told her about my vision, that I was a Christian and believed God was trying to show her he cared for her. She was moved to tears and said she had been praying every day over the situation. I prayed for her, and the Lord prompted me to give her a large tip to help her out.

FR. RICH GONZALEZ

Church of the Messiah, Winter Garden Evangelism today is more of a challenge in that our society is changing and becoming more secular, and in some cases, anti-Christian. God has been removed from schools and many other public institutions. But the gospel, the truth, has not changed, and no matter what direction our society takes, the truth still stands. Many people today have never been to or attended church, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing when evangelizing, because they are like a fresh canvas on which to work. Some of the tools we need to use in evangelism today are the internet, our congregations and of course prayer. Jesus is still saving people, and we get to be part of this process when we share the gospel with others.

SKYLAR JONES

Youth Pastor, St. Barnabas, DeLand In the last 10 years, the culture at large has shifted from generally being trusting of Christians to being skeptical. Because of that, it’s more common for non-Christians to have preconceived notions about Christians that have to be deconstructed. So, I think it’s important that Christians work to show love and build trust with non-Christians, even if we only have limited interaction. We have to be able to show love in ways that would be unexpected to someone who is skeptical towards Christians. From there, I think we’ll generally find it easier to have conversations about faith. www.cfdiocese.org

Ministry at Winter Park High School Helps Students, Families What started as an effort to help clothe an onslaught of refugees after Hurricane Irma in 2017 has mushroomed into a ministry based at Winter Park High School to help homeless students and their families. The Least of These ministry has helped hundreds since its inception a little over two years ago. “The guidance counselors and some moms were piecemealing anything they could get a hold of,” The Rev. Jim Flood said. “They had this classroom with a small amount of clothing. I just happened to walk by, and I heard them lamenting the fact that they could use a little more. I thought, ‘That’s right up my alley.’ “I told them, ‘I can take this ball and run with it if you want me to,’” he added. “‘I can contact local churches, and we can make things happen.’” And make it happen he did. Flood contacted local churches, starting with St. Richard’s and All Saints, Winter Park, as well as Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic and Methodist churches. St. Jude’s Episcopal, Flood’s home church in Orange City, is a frequent contributor. The outpouring of support has been “overwhelming,” he said. Some of the most popular items are sneakers, running shoes, shorts and T-shirts. Personal hygiene items and cash donations also are welcome.

Some of the most popular items are sneakers, running shoes, shorts and T-shirts.

“Holy Cross in Sanford held a personal hygiene drive recently,” Flood said, “and donated a lot of items to the ministry.” And students are not the only beneficiaries of the ministry. The Least of These is glad to help if a student in need mentions another family member who has a need as well.

To coordinate a donation with Flood, send an email to deaconjim2017@gmail.com

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

SPOTLIGHT

Heisler Embracing New Role ‘Out Front’

teve Heisler has spent most of his career working behind the scenes in various stage and production roles. Serving as a deacon at St. Mark’s in Cocoa will give him the opportunity to be out front at times while maintaining his servant’s heart. Heisler will be ordained later this month and already has thoughts and goals for becoming the bridge from the church to the community. His main focus at first will be growing the food ministry, Hearts and Hands, and eventually working on racial reconciliation. “I’ve always liked to cook,” said Heisler. “I spent a lot of time with my mom in the kitchen. Dad cooked some as well, usually turkey and stuff at the holidays. Later at the men’s club, I learned how to cook pancakes. I’ve always been able to fend for myself, as it were.” During the holiday season, Heisler and his wife, Leesa Adams, spent a lot of time watching the holiday baking shows and contests. “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” is one of his favorites. “I know it’s not a cooking show,” he said, “but I see what people are doing and how they make their dishes.” This fits right into Heisler’s style of cooking. “I don’t do much baking, which is more precise. You have to follow the recipe. If you don’t, it usually won’t turn out the way you expect,” he said. “My wife says I’m more of an invent-ondo. I will follow a recipe once, and if I like it, I will switch things up.” Heisler would eventually like to expand the Heart and Hands ministry into a food truck or “some sort of small brick and mortar.”

22 Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

The focus, he said, would be “soup and maybe grilled cheese sandwiches, and call it ‘Souper Heroes.’ “We’d like to do a couple of types of soups and keep it to one kind of sandwich, not expand into a deli type of thing,” Heisler said. “Hopefully turn it into a nonprofit or some other community thing,” an idea he got from Café 458 in Atlanta. Café 458 is a social services agency. On Sundays, local chefs volunteer and create a gourmet-type brunch that is open to the public. The day’s profits are used to support the agency the rest of the week. Right now, Hearts and Hands feeds about 20-25 people each Sunday at Lee Wenner Park, where Heisler shares a 10- to 15-minute message before people eat. “I’ve learned you can’t feed their spiritual needs until they feel like their other needs are met. They’re worried about survival,” Heisler said. “When I started, I told them I didn’t want to call this church, and I didn’t want them to think they had to come and sit through this churchy thing to get fed. I just wanted to provide some spiritual nourishment.” The weekly message has evolved from preaching and teaching to an interactive discussion about a particular scripture or topic related to faith. “The last couple of months, people are starting to open up,” Heisler said. Heisler, the father of two daughters, one of whom has given him two granddaughters, was confirmed at age 12 when his family lived in South Carolina. He moved to Orlando nearly 40 years ago from Crossville, Tennessee, to work in the theater department at the

Jan / Feb 2020

Heisler University of Central Florida. He’s also worked various behind-the-scenes jobs at Bob Carr Auditorium, Walt Disney World, numerous hotels and the convention center on International Drive. “I never had any desire to be onstage or be the director. I got sidetracked a little into the technical side of lighting and audio and video during grad school,” he said. “Now I’m transitioning into semi-retirement.” Heisler, who will be ordained to the deaconate by Bishop Brewer on Jan. 27, will be the first deacon in decades at St. Mark’s, an honor he doesn’t take lightly. “As a deacon, I need to be that example of the church as the community and the church in the community because we are supposed to bridge the gap between the church and the world,” Heisler said. “The church hasn’t had anyone to be the bridge into the community. “I want to fulfill that role, make the church more a part of the community.” www.cfdiocese.org

Central Florida en español

CFE EPISCOPALIAN Sal y luz en el año nuevo

Por Obispo Gregory O. Brewer

Hemos concluido una maravillosa temporada navideña en la que recordamos que Jesús es la “luz del mundo” (Juan 9:5). El Salvador vino al mundo como un bebé y también como “una luz para las naciones” (Isaías 49:6b). Cada semana encendemos velas en nuestra iglesia para declarar esa verdad.

Responsabilidad pública

Temo que nos hemos concentrado tanto en Jesús ser la luz del mundo que fallamos en pensar en la clase de responsabilidad pública que Él nos ha dado para tanto reflejar como representar esa luz. Por eso nuestra diócesis ha escogido enfocarse en ello al comienzo de nuestra Convención 2020. En Mateo 5: 13-16 Jesús en esencia nos muestra cómo la identidad que ha sido asociada con el Mesías por siglos, en realidad es nuestra. No solo nos dice que somos “la sal de la tierra” (Mateo 5:13), lo que nos habla sobre tanto nuestra purificación y preservar cualidades “lo cual implica santidad personal”, sino que también nos dice: “Eres la luz del mundo. Una ciudad en lo alto de una colina no puede esconderse” (Mateo 5:14). En otras palabras, no solo el Salvador es la luz del mundo, sino que nosotros también. Entonces, ¿qué significa como individuos y como iglesia aceptar esa clase de

www.cfdiocese.org

responsabilidad pública? Tengo buenas noticias: Jesús nunca nos da un mandato sin equiparnos. Como Él vive su vida a través de nosotros, coloca su gracia y poder en nosotros para que podamos ser la sal y la luz que claramente nos dice que somos. Esto me reta a verme diferente, Dios vivo en mí, con su poder y presencia su Palabra trabajando en mi vida. Esto también me reta a ver el mundo diferente, como un lugar en el cual soy su representante. Cuando camino en la tienda local, camino como un representante de la Luz del mundo. Eso impacta lo que digo, lo que hago y cómo pienso sobre las personas con las que allí me encuentro.

Representación personal Hoy más que nunca nuestro mundo necesita esta clase de cristianos: públicamente compasivos, amables, empáticos, individuos que escuchan y representan el carácter de Cristo. Hay

una profunda necesidad en nuestro mundo moderno de cristianos que demuestren un raro nivel de bondad, que tengan una fe pública, no la clase que se ve en personas egotísticas o molestas que solo están para promover su propia causa. En el mundo hoy día como en el antaño, la gente está buscando esto y lo añora. Cuando lo ven no pueden evitar verse atraídos al que da luz y es luz. Cuando considero todo lo que significa ser sal y luz, le pido a Dios que me muestre un orador para la Convención Diocesana de este año que sea un ejemplo de estas

Obispo Greg Brewer

características. Creo plenamente que el Rev. Canon Chris Russell, asesor del arzobispo de Canterbury sobre evangelismo y dar testimonio, cumple ese papel, no simplemente por la descripción de su trabajo sino por su palabra y obra. Tendremos más de una oportunidad de escucharlo durante esta convención, y sé que su vida y palabras nos bendecirán, retarán e inspirarán. También creo que la sal y la luz juegan un papel en las personas que elegimos como diputados de nuestra Convención General. Necesitamos que nos representen aquellos que ya representan bien a Jesús: amables, compasivos, atentos, relacionales, los que están dispuestos a caminar y confraternizar junto a aquellos que piensan diferente. A medida que comenzamos el año nuevo, le animo a que busquemos a Dios en oración y le pidamos que nos use como sal y luz en nuestra diócesis, en nuestra Convención General y más profundamente en nuestra Jerusalén, en nuestra Judea y en nuestro mundo. Gracia sobre usted,

Obispo Gregory O. Brewer

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

SPOTLIGHT

Proyecto en Poinciana lleva la iglesia a la gente By Erik Pérez

Poinciana está localizada en lo que muchos consideran las afueras del condado de Osceola. Según el censo del 2010, el área está formada por una gran comunidad hispana (52.6%) después

de Kissimmee (59%). Cuando el Rev. Canon Luis De la Cruz― canon para los ministerios hispanos―descubrió que algunos de sus congregantes son miembros del ministerio hispano en la

—11vo — Seminario Anual de las Flores IGLESIA EPISCOPAL

St. Peter

the

Fisherman

Viernes, 21 de febrero de 2020 9:00 a. m. - Desayuno almuerzo 9:30-12:00 - Demostraciones Costo: $40.00

Puede hacer un cheque a nombre de: St. Peter the Fisherman 4220 Saxon Dr., New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169 Para más información y reservaciones, llame por favor al (386) 428-7383 ovisítenos en www.stpetersnet.net Todos los fondos recaudados serán usados para beneficiar los programas de divulgación y alcance

iglesia St. John en Kissimmee y viven en esa área, se preocupó por la larga distancia que tienen que manejar cada domingo. De la Cruz investigó y encontró que en Poinciana, “hay más de 12 diferentes denominaciones”, pero no había ninguna presencia episcopal de la que pudiera hablarse. Así es como se inició el “Proyecto Poinciana”. El ministerio de alcance que también es una oportunidad, sin querer ha solucionado otro problema que encontró De la Cruz en la St. John: aglomeración. En promedio, 100 congregantes a veces más, asisten al ministerio hispano todos los domingos, más de los que la capilla St. John puede acomodar. Entonces, para ayudar a aliviar tanto la aglomeración como las posibles dificultades de transporte para sus fieles congregantes de Poinciana, De la Cruz decidió llegar a donde ellos. Después de siete meses de espera por renovaciones al edificio, el

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

nuevo ministerio comenzó a reunirse en el Poinciana Community Center el primer domingo de octubre y ahora todos los domingos a las 9:00 a. m. Por el momento la localización “satisface las necesidades y la capacidad de cumplir los planes que Dios ha puesto delante de nosotros”, manifestó De la Cruz. No obstante, piensa que esto pronto va a cambiar debido a una mayor asistencia. En cuanto a lo que depara el futuro, De la Cruz dijo: “Se determinará por nuestros esfuerzos y constantes oraciones a Dios para que nos continúe guiando en el camino”. Él sí prevé una presencia episcopal más constante en Poinciana, especialmente una vez surjan más líderes bilingües que asistan y atiendan el resto de la población allí.

www.cfdiocese.org

N U E ST R A H E R E N C I A A N G L I CA N A

Luz del mundo, sal de la tierra

l tema para el 2020 de la Diócesis de la Florida Central es “Luz del mundo, sal de la tierra”. Nuestra adoración anglicana incluye un simbolismo que se enfoca en ambos elementos. Jesús es la luz del mundo y nos llama a ser luz también, brilla en un mundo en desesperada necesidad de iluminación y dirección. En nuestros servicios usamos símbolos visuales de la luz de Jesús, su luz en nosotros y su luz que nos guía por el mundo.

“Durante la entrada procesional, los monaguillos llevan velas al santuario, simbólico del mundo antiguo cuando las velas se usaban para dirigir procesiones, iluminar y leer”, añadió Kimberling. “Para mí, esto también es la luz del Espíritu de Cristo entrando al santuario. Estas velas se usan para iluminar la Biblia durante la lectura del Evangelio desde el centro del santuario. Al final del servicio, las velas del procesional salen de la iglesia en lo que me refiero como ‘la luz de Cristo saliendo al mundo’”.

Vaughan Kimberling, el sacristán a cargo de la iglesia St. Gabriel en Titusville, lidera y adiestra a los monaguillos, quienes son los portadores de la luz de las velas en los servicios episcopales. “Cuando sirves a Dios como monaguillo”, manifestó, “estás haciendo mucho más que llevando una llama a las velas del altar. Estás simbólicamente llevando el símbolo de la iluminación santa o la luz del Espíritu de Cristo al santuario y al servicio de adoración. Cuando los monaguillos encienden la vela de la epístola (en el altar a la derecha de la congregación), esto representa la luz apostólica de la iglesia primitiva. Cuando encienden la vela del evangelio (a la izquierda) esto representa el inmutable evangelio de Jesucristo saliendo en medio de nuestra adoración”. www.cfdiocese.org

Como señaló el Rt. Rev. Brewer en su columna en la página 3, Jesús nos instruye en Mateo 5:14: “Ustedes son la luz del mundo. Una ciudad en lo alto de una colina no puede esconderse”. En otras palabras, no solo el Salvador es la luz del mundo, sino que nosotros también. Somos llamados a llevar la luz de Cristo de nuestra adoración al mundo.

Las velas encendidas en Grace Church, Ocala

Mientras, al mundo llevamos nuestra comisión como “la sal de la tierra” (Mateo 5:13). Hay referencias adicionales en la Biblia que se refieren a la sal como “pura y sagrada” (Éxodo 30:35b) y

mencionan su uso por Eliseo en la oración de sanidad que proclama: “Así dice el Señor: ‘¡Yo purifico esta agua para que nunca más cause muerte ni esterilidad!’” (2 Reyes 2:21b). Un uso moderno de la sal en los servicios episcopales envuelve sal consagrada añadida a agua consagrada para producir agua bendita, los que simboliza sus propiedades purificadoras y limpiadoras. Los expertos seculares enumeran la sal como un agente limpiador superior a los químicos. Por ejemplo, la Asociación de Perforadores Profesionales recomienda enjuagar con agua salada pura por encima de cualquier solución química para limpiar las perforaciones en las orejas. El uso simbólico de la luz y la sal nos lleva a nuestro llamado a conectar a la gente con la única luz purificadora y limpiadora verdadera: Jesucristo.

Acólito Graham Hill, St. Gabriel’s, Titusville

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

O U R A N G L I CA N H E R I TA G E

he 2020 theme for the 51st Annual Diocesan Convention of the Diocese of Central Florida is “Light of the World, Salt of the Earth.” Our Anglican worship includes symbolism pointing to both elements.

“During the entrance processional, acolytes carry candles into the sanctuary, symbolic of the ancient world when candles were used to lead processions, shed light and for reading,” Kimberling added. “To me, this is also the light of Christ’s Spirit entering the sanctuary. These candles are used to illuminate the Bible during the reading of the Gospel from the center of the sanctuary. At the end of the service, the processional candles exit the church in what I refer to as ‘the light of Christ going out unto the world.’”

Jesus is the light of the world and calls us to be that light as well, shining into a world in desperate need of illumination and guidance. In our services, we use visual symbols of Jesus’ light, his light in us and his light carried out into the world.

5:12). Additional references in the Bible refer to salt as “pure and holy” (Ex. 30:35b) and mention its use by Elisha in healing prayer announcing, “Thus says the Lord, I have made this water wholesome; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it” (2 Kings 2: 21b). A modern-day use of salt in Episcopal services involves consecrated salt added to consecrated water to produce holy water, symbolizing its purifying and cleansing properties. Secular experts list salt as a superior cleansing agent over chemicals. For example, the Association of Professional Piercers recommends pure sea saltwater rinse above any chemical solution to clean ear piercings.

As The Rt. Rev. Brewer pointed The symbolic uses of light and salt all point back out in his column on page 3, Jesus to our call to connect people to the one true light instructs us in Matthew 5:14, “‘You Candles lit on the altar at Vaughan Kimberling, head and cleansing purifier, Jesus Christ. are the Grace Church, Ocala verger of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal light of the Church in Titusville, provides world. A city built on a leadership and training to the acolytes, who hill cannot be hid.’ In are the carriers of the candlelight in Episcopal other words, not only is services. “When you serve God as an acolyte,” he the Savior the light of said, “you are doing so much more than carrying the world, but we are as a flame to the altar candles. You symbolically well.” We are called to are bringing the symbol of holy illumination or carry Christ’s light from the light of Christ’s Spirit into the sanctuary and our worship service out worship service. When the acolytes light the into the world. epistle candle (on the altar to the congregation’s right), this represents the apostolic light of the While out in the world, early church. When they light the gospel candle we carry out our (to the left) this represents the immutable commission as “the gospel of Jesus Christ going forth in the midst of salt of the earth” (Matt. our worship. Acolyte Graham Hill, St. Gabriel’s, Titusville

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

www.cfdiocese.org

D I O C E S A N CA L E N D A R

Pinder Celebration Packs Cathedral

The Rev. Canon Nelson Wardell Pinder is a man well loved. On Jan. 4, friends, family and many others jammed the sanctuary and overflow room at The Cathedral Church of St. Luke in downtown Orlando for a celebration to honor this man who has done so much for residents of Central Florida and the city of Orlando. Pinder arrived in Central Florida in 1959 at age 27 and soon after, became a leader in the civil rights movement here. He later worked with municipal officials for equal pay for city and school employees. “This man, Nelson, is a friend of everybody,” said The Most Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church, placing one hand on Pinder’s back and holding the honoree’s hand with the other. “That’s why we came out today. He reminds us of Jesus.” In a sometimes fiery message sprinkled with humor, Curry ran the gamut from St. John the Baptist to Nelson Mandela and Clint Eastwood to showcase Pinder’s kindness, strength and brilliance. The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer said, “Nelson was one of the first clergy I met. We served on some commissions together. Ever since, I have continued to be extraordinarily grateful for the unfolding legacy of what he has been able to accomplish, the kind of laboratory for social justice that St. John the Baptist became, the raising up of a generation of leaders who proudly called themselves ‘Pinder’s kids,’ who are still in Central Florida making an extraordinary difference in the lives of this community.” Dignitaries in attendance included Bishop Bill Skilton, retired suffragan bishop of South Carolina, former assistant bishop of Dominican Republic and international chaplain for The Order of the Daughters of the King; and Bishop Lloyd Allen of The Episcopal Church of Honduras, the Diocese of Central Florida’s sister diocese. www.cfdiocese.org

BISHOP BREWER’S VISITATION SCHEDULE Sun, Jan 12

New Smyrna Beach, St. Peter the Fisherman

Sun, Jan 26

Orlando, Cathedral (Annual Meeting)

Sun, Feb 2

Bartow, Holy Trinity

Sun, Feb 9

Orlando, St. John the Baptist

Wed, Feb 12

Vero Beach, St. Edward's School

Sat, Feb 15

DeLand, St. Barnabas (Diocesan Altar Guild Annual Meeting)

Sun, Feb 16

Orange City, St. Jude’s

Sun, Feb 23

Winter Haven, St. Paul’s

Sun, Mar 1

DeLand, St. Barnabas

Sun, Mar 8

Lakeland, All Saints’

Sun, Mar 22

Okahumpka, Corpus Christi

Sun, Mar 29

Vero Beach, St. Augustine of Canterbury

Sat, Apr 4

New York City, Resurrection (Daughters of the King 135th Anniversary)

Thu, Apr 9

Orlando, St. John the Baptist (Maundy Thursday)

Fri, Apr 10

Orlando, Cathedral (Good Friday)

Sun, Apr 12

Orlando, Cathedral (Easter Sunday)

Sun, Apr 19

Sebastian, St. Elizabeth’s

Sun, Apr 26

Winter Park, All Saints

Sun, May 3

Vero Beach, Trinity

Sun, May 10

Apopka, Holy Spirit

Sun, May 17

Orlando, Ascension

Sun, May 31

Maitland, Good Shepherd

DEACON ORDINATIONS Mon, Jan 27, 7 p.m. Orlando, Cathedral

TRANSITIONS “You are the salt of the earth; ... You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matt. 5:13a, 14-17

The Rev. Rob Griffith

Dec. 2019

Bishop Brewer’s visitation dates are subject to change.

Rector, Church of the Holy Spirit, Apopka

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

Rector, Hope Church, Melbourne

The Rev. Deborah Vann, retired Sept. 2019 The Rev. Elizabeth Nelson, retired Dec. 2019 Rector, St. Francis of Assisi, Lake Placid

Central Florida EPISCOPALIAN

•

Jan / Feb 2020

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

Non-Profit Organization

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

51st Annual Diocesan Convention

—MATTHEW 5:13-16

“You are the salt of the earth. … You are the light of the world. ... Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Friday, January 24, and Saturday, January 25, 2020

Friday, January 24

Convention Eucharist Organization of Convention All Saints Academy, Pou Chapel 5001 FL-540, Winter Haven, FL 33880

Fellowship Dinner Nora Mayo Hall 500 3rd St NW Winter Haven, FL 33881

Saturday, January 25

51st Annual Diocesan Convention Nora Mayo Hall

Central CFE Florida

EPISCOPALIAN Volume 122, No.1 / Jan - Feb 2020

4 What is Congregational Development? 5 Return to Camp Wingmann for Their 90th Anniversary of Ministry 9 Miracle at St. Mary’s, Belleview 20 Evangelism’s Fresh Focus 22 Heisler Embracing New Role ‘Out Front’