TheJourney TowardRacialHealing
This phrase is embroidered on the side of a deep purple baseball cap that Presiding Bishop Michael Curry gave each bishop in our church. The phrase is a beautiful reminder of Bishop Michael’s legacy, which is helping us all remember to, as Yogi Berra said, “Keep the main thing the main thing.” His gift of preaching and determination to teach us about love has helped our Church become conscious of our mission as Christians in the world. He’s fond of encouraging us to go out and share the “loving, liberating, life-giving love of God, in Christ Jesus.
I really don’t have to look too long around this great diocese before I see you doing just that. In the pages that follow, you’ll see just how far our ministry reaches. From our companion diocese in Honduras to the empowering efforts of the Daughters of the King on a national and international level, and from the nurturing environment of Camp McDowell to each of our 86 parishes, our diocese is living out the call to love and serve.
There is a renewed energy, a buzz, in our diocese. Good things are happening! The momentum is palpable, especially as we advance our capital campaign, EquippingtheSaints . In the last few months, we have awarded 56 parishes a total of $267,000 in a second round of Renew and Refresh grants, walked in the footsteps of Jonathan Daniels, announced the Rev. Derrick Hill as the next Executive Director of Camp McDowell, welcomed hundreds of children to camps across the diocese, promoted our newest parish, Riverside in McCalla, and enjoyed three Episcopal Day @ the Park events with over 400 Episcopalians! There’s an old joke that says, “Jesus is coming. Look busy. just look busy; we are better than busy we are thriving. There is new life everywhere I turn, and I pray that God will use our capital campaign to sustain us.
TheEquippingtheSaintscampaign aims to raise $7.5 million for Congregational Vitality, Camp McDowell, and Racial Healing and Pilgrimage. As of this writing, we’ve received $4,447,764 in gifts and pledges 59% of our target. This is a remarkable start, but we have more work to do. Our hope is to build a fund that creates a capacity to continue ways of strengthening our churches for many years to come. We will need everyone’s best gift to reach this goal, and now is the time to give. Please consider making a gift or pledge, either online or through the mail, by December 1st.
When you give to the diocese, you Equip the Saints. Giving to this campaign will not only sustain ongoing ministries but also enable us to
begin the vital restoration of Good Shepherd in Montgomery and the renovation of Eppes Hall at Camp McDowell, which will significantly support Derrick Hill as he begins his tenure. Your gift will provide the resources we need to share the Gospel through planting churches, training leaders, raising up
Christian community attending your parish, volunteering for outreach ministries, leading in worship, teaching Sunday School there are a multitude of ways to share your gifts, and I appreciate each one. Together, we are building a future grounded in love, faith, and the hope we find in Jesus Christ.
Bishop G with diocesan youth at the baseball game in Montgomery.
Jesuscallsustogoandmakedisciples.
Ourcapitalcampaign,EquippingtheSaints , isabold visionforthefutureofourchurch. Thiscampaignwill expandourcapacitytosharetheGospelandtoequip saintsforGrowth,Formation,andReconciliation. Parishes,weneedyoursupport!
Wehavecreatedaresourcebrochurefor youtoshare specificsaboutthecampaignwithyourparish. Ifyou haveadditionalquestions,pleasecontactClaireCotten, Director ofMissionFundingfortheDiocese.Sheisavailabletoprovidemoreinformationandwouldlovetotalk withyou.Shecanbereachedat ccotten@dioala.org or 205.358.9237.
Scanto view the campaignbrochure.
Campaign Update
Thanks to your generous gifts, at the time of publication we have raised $4,447,764 , over half way toward meeting our goal of $7,500,000!
To keep updated on our campaign, learn more about our vision, and read the campaign devotional, please visit www.dioalasaints.org or scan the QR code.
What is the campaign timeline?
January 2024-late summer 2024: Private phase
Late summer 2024-January 2025: Public phase for parishes and individuals
February 2025: Diocesan-wide celebration at Convention 2024-2026: Pledge period
What are the campaign goals?
Total Campaign Goal:$7.5 Million
Equipping the Saints for Growth - Congregational Vitality & Leadership Development: $4 million
Equipping the Saints for Formation - Camp McDowell: $2.5 million
Equipping the Saints for Reconciliation - Racial Healing & Pilgrimage: $1 million
Enlarging theCircle: ARebirth inOpelika
By Harper Strom, Vestry Clerk and Rev. Dr. Larry C. Williams, Priest-in-charge
According to parochial report statistics, Emmanuel Church’s average Sunday attendance (ASA) in 2019 was 16. Emerging from the Covid pandemic in 2022, Emmanuel’s ASA grew to 19. The addition of a weekly Compline service on Thursdays in 2023, coupled with a shift from Morning Prayer to regular Eucharist celebrations, marked a turning point. By the end of 2023, Sunday worship attendance had risen to 29, and Compline attracted an average of 12 attendees. This brought the total average weekly attendance to 41, and the trend continued into 2024. Sunday worship now averages 38 attendees, while total weekly attendance has reached 57.
Rev. Larry Williams, appointed Priest-in-charge at Emmanuel by Bishop Glenda Curry on January 1, 2024, attributes this growth to Emmanuel’s commitment to “enlarging the circle,” both in worship and outreach. “Our focus
has been on inviting more people in and extending our reach beyond the church,” he explains.
A significant goal has been increasing volunteer involvement on Sunday mornings. Previously, finding volunteers for roles like altar guild members, greeters, lectors, eucharistic ministers, and choir members was challenging. However, since 2023, there has been a noticeable increase. Nearly 40 people now assist with the coffee hour following Sunday worship, highlighting a vibrant and engaged community.
The Vestry and staff had a productive retreat from May 3rd to 4th, 2024, facilitated by Mary M. MacGregor, former Canon for Congregational Vitality and Mission Amplification for the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. With Mary’s
guidance, the Vestry identified key focus areas: 1. Renovating and improving the parish hall and kitchen, and planning for potential campus expansion; 2. Revamping Emmanuel’s website, enhancing visitor engagement, hosting special events, expanding formation and education offerings, and improving parking; and 3. Expanding outreach opportunities. The retreat also led to the adoption of a new vision statement: “To be an inclusive community that fosters spiritual growth, outreach, and love for all people through Christ Jesus.”
Since the retreat, Emmanuel has established dedicated groups for Buildings and Grounds, Communications, Outreach, and Pastoral Care. The enthusiasm and dedication of the Vestry during the retreat were palpable, and we are grateful for Mary’s insightful leadership.
We are also focusing on expanding Christian Formation. Our Sunday morning Book Study and Tuesday morning Bible Study have been well-received. In 2023, a twelve-week Inquirer’s Class was introduced, with an average attendance of 16. Nine participants were presented to Bishop Curry for confirmation and reaffirmation. A similar group will be presented this fall on October 16th.
This past June marked the return of Vacation Bible School after more than a decade. Over four afternoons from 4:30-
7:30, children and adults came together for singing, Bible stories, arts and crafts, and meals. The VBS experience reinforced our sense of community, bringing 17 children and 20 adults together in a way that made God's presence felt by all. Looking ahead, the spirit of God is alive at Emmanuel. Our 2024 income is on track to double the total giving of 2022. With support from our Communications team and the Diocese, we are redeveloping our website to be more dynamic and engaging.
Additionally, the City of Opelika has generously supported the development of new entrance driveways, sidewalks, and handrails along 8th Street and 1st Avenue. This project, set to be completed by mid-September, represents a significant investment in our community infrastructure.
The Vestry has also welcomed new members, achieving compliance with our by-laws for a nine-member Vestry for the first time in years. We now have a part-time parish administrator, a part-time financial person, and a talented and energetic organist. With the gift of a Renew & Refresh 2.0 grant, we are exploring potential renovations of our Parish House and contemplating expansion.
God is clearly at work in our faith journey at Emmanuel Episcopal Church. As our name suggests, “God is with us.”
“God is
Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Opelika
is an ongoing story about what is possible through faith in Christ. Bishop Curry, Jordan Rippy and I began working with the parish in 2022. Immediately it became clear that we needed a plan to improve parish governance, make the physical plant more attractive and accessible, and develop a plan for growth. Since that time, with a combination of diocesan financial support, shared visioning, pastoral leadership from Rev. Larry Williams and energetic ministry from dozens of leaders from the parish, Emmanuel is growing and teeming with energy to share the good news of God in Christ.
Bishop Curry believes that every community in our state needs a thriving Episcopal parish, and Emmanuel is a living example about how the Lord can and will direct our work and our prayers to make that vision a reality.
with us.”
The Rev. Canon Geoff Evans
TheOrderofthe
DaughtersoftheKing
Workers forChrist and HisChurch
By Rosalind Fournier
During her time as associate rector at Christ Episcopal Church in Tuscaloosa, whenever Rev. Dr. Catherine Collier learned a parishioner was in crisis, she always knew one important call to make. She reached out to Christ Church’s chapter of the Daughters of the King. “I would call the Daughters and say, ‘I need you to pray for this person.’ It wasn’t 10 minutes before an email went out for everybody in the chapter to confidentially pray for them.”
Prayer is at the core of the Order of the Daughters of the King, an historically Episcopal order of women whose mission is the extension of Christ’s kingdom through prayer, service, and evangelism. The order dates to 1885 when Margaret Franklin, a parishioner at Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Manhattan, felt inspired to elevate her women’s Bible study to a more passionate and purposeful group of “workers for Christ
and His Church.” Today the order continues to carry out that mission, now with 20,300 members in four denominations and 1,545 chapters across the United States as well as 6,000 members in chapters abroad.
“It’s not a clergy person asking them to do this,” says the Rt. Rev. Dr. Glenda Curry, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, which alone boasts 34 chapters of Daughters and 748 members. “It’s a vocation they’ve adopted. It’s an outward and visible sign that the body of Christ is alive and well and doesn’t need anything other than to remember its vocation, which is to pray.”
This year, Daughters in Alabama were excited to see one of their own, Dr. Jane Searcy from the St. Margaret of Scotland Chapter at Christ Episcopal Church in Tuscaloosa, become president of the national chapter. Searcy says at its simplest, being a Daughter is “a framework within which you attempt to live your life. It life of prayer, service, and evangelism, and those are the vows we take.
BecomingaDaughteroftheKing
Women can become a member of the Order if they are communicants of the Episcopal Church, churches in communion with it, or churches in the historic episcopate but not in communion with it. Daughters take vows to uphold the Rule of Prayer, praying daily for the unity of the church; for the spread of Christ Kingdom; for the other women in the Order; and for the parish and clergy of the church to which the chapter belongs.
When a woman is called to the Order and takes her vows, it becomes an inextricable part of her life.
“When I first found out about the Daughters of the King, I teared up, Christopher, president of the Mary & Martha of Bethany Chapter at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Madison. “I said, ‘This is just what I ing for.’”
Susan Thompson, a member of the St. Catherine of Alexandria chapter at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Anniston, remembers a similar experience. After her husband passed away, she Continuedonpage26.
On September 1, 2024,
Dr. Jane Searcy became only the second Daughter of the King from Alabama to serve as president of the national Order and the first in more than 70 years. It was not a decision she took lightly.
“One of the past presidents called me and asked if I would stand for president,” she recalls, “and I just wasn’t
Don’t do it for the gold cross because that cross is pretty heavy. The cross worn by a Daughter keeps her within our rule of life, and this one in particular keeps me rightatthe center of it.”
Searcy’s journey to this moment in history is longand winding, but she sees its origin in a woman she met as a child. It was her grandparents’ neighbor, a woman whose children were all born with cerebral palsy. “In those days they were pretty much homebound, and I would spend a lot of time with them,” she recalls. “Their mother would sit in an old rocker and read the daily office of the
Dr. Jane Searcy with Bishop Glenda Curry.
Maravillosa,
Maravillosa Camp McDowell!
ByTheRev. JosiahRengers Chair of theCompanionDioceseCommittee
It’s not uncommon to see tear-streaked faces at the closing Eucharist after a long summer camp session at Wonderful, Wonderful Camp McDowell. God’s Backyard is where memories are made, friendships born, and massive amounts of candy consumed. It’s not unusual for exhausted kids and teens from across Alabama to be overcome with emotion during the last verses of “I’ll Fly Away”, or to see them hugging their new besties at the final passing of the Peace right before heading home.
But there was something different about the closing on June 21st. In addition to the normal sad and long goodbyes there were 14 students huddled together in sadness despite the bright camp tie-dyed shirts they all wore. These friends were especially sad to say goodbye because there is a good chance they might not ever come back as campers. In fact, this was a trip of a lifetime for all of them and for many their first time in America. These 14 students were the first ever exchange group to come to camp from our companion diocese of Honduras.
Churches like St. Thomas Huntsville, All Saints Birmingham and St. John’s Montgomery have been taking mission trips and medical brigades to Honduras for decades. Across the diocese we have been fostering relationships with our Episcopal Honduran friends, parishes, and schools since at least the 1990s. So, it was a natural fit three years ago when the Diocese of Alabama began a companion diocese relationship with the Diocese of Honduras.
It has been our goal since the beginning to lean into already established mission partnerships, establish new, broad opportunities across Alabama to serve in Honduras and to bring some of the gifts, skills, and passions of our Honduran compatriots to Alabama. And we are doing just that!
In 2023 we brought three young adults and the Honduras Canon to the Ordinary to Camp McDowell for our Vocare retreat. They learned how to host a similar retreat for their college students and young adults at home. Later in the year we learned of their need to install internet capabilities at their seven Episcopal schools across the country. The committee for our companion relationship not only funded this project and brought all the schools online, but we also collected used laptops and iPads from every region of Alabama and sent them to be refurbished and used by the local school children.
This year Bishop G and Bishop Allen (of Honduras) met and discussed more ways to draw our people closer together. And what is better at bringing folks of all ages and stages together than Wonderful, Wonderful Camp McDowell?!
We learned in April that two teens from each of the seven Episcopal schools in Honduras, a teacher (Gabriella) and one principal (Olga) had made the leap to sign up for camp. These are all students from
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big cities and no one had ever been to a summer camp or to Alabama. That changed quickly on June 12th. After a late-night arrival in Birmingham and a relaxed lunch at St. Luke’s in Mountain Brook away we went into the woods of Nauvoo.
It was big time. Our Honduran friends, all of whom speak excellent English, were set up with very considerate counselors and began the weeklong process of making new friends, swimming, hiking, learning, laughing, and forging a new relationship with their sweat glands. While the counselors and camp staff were amazing as usual, the students were most impressed with the other campers.
As Samuel Rodenzno later told me, “Everyone was so nice. They invited us to play basketball, they showed us how to play the evening games and they loved to play soccer, just like me!” Jorge Hernandez said something similar, “The best part of camp was making friends. People were so nice and welcoming. I wish I could stay at camp all summer!”
Across the country we see signs proudly proclaiming, The Episcopal Church Welcomes You!” According to our Honduran friends, that rings especially true at camp. Paola Gonzalez wrote, “It was so fun to make new friends. I loved the pasture party and the dance at Canteen. The other kids were so kind and wanted to know all about Honduras.”
Leaving camp, and after a long visit at the camp store we loaded up in church vans and met the Rev. Danny Whitehead of Fayette and Rev. Jeannie Randall of Huntsville for a local barbeque lunch. It was wonderful to hear everyone laugh, reminisce and reflect on their favorite moments of the week: swimming in the pool, canoeing through the canyon, making up skits, loading up on skittles, laughing at the counselors and eating the great camp food. They really liked the food. Especially the pizza.
Back in Birmingham they had to two days to rest, shop for souvenirs, and get to know our fair city. St. Stephen's, Birmingham; All Saints, Birmingham; and Holy Spirit, Alabaster all generously brought meals to share. Rev. Dillon Green, Tim Callahan and Lucian Cronkite played tour guides while Jen Manning coordinated all the logistics and became a part-time bus driver.
The committee for the companion relationship with Honduras is so proud to see this vision come to fruition. We are thankful for the many churches and volunteers who gave time, energy, and food to our weary travelers. We really appreciate the students and teachers who took a leap of faith traveling for the first time to Alabama. And we are most grateful to the administrators, staff and counselors of Camp McDowell who continue to change local and now international lives through their passion, enthusiasm, and tireless work. Or as my new friend Angel Alvarado kept saying, “We all just love Maravillosa, Maravillosa Camp McDowell!”
Most of my favorite stories about camp are about discovery and transformation. In different capacities, I’ve served many different camps for the last twenty years, and seen the life-giving, incarnational, deeply formative ministry that occurs.
There was the time the office manager let a camp dog out during evening vespers; unbeknownst to her one of our elementary campers was afraid of dogs. So I eyed the camper, eyeing the dog as 130 other people stood on benches singing songs with silly hand gestures and passionate faith claims. Yet after a bit, eyes darting between the worship leader and the dog, the camper hopped off his bench, gave three pats to the dog’s head and scampered quickly back up. He discovered courage.
Another weekend, at a different camp, families had gathered to enjoy camp together. A father relayed the following story: his son had been cripplingly afraid of the dark after a tragic incident had occurred in their hometown. He wouldn’t leave their house after dark and preferred the curtains be drawn at dusk so he wouldn’t be able to tell it was dark.
By Rev. Sarah Smith Halloran
The previous evening at camp, however, at dusk, the young son asked if his dad wanted to go outside with him, “C’mon dad, let’s go look at the stars.” When the father questioned him, the son said, “It’s safe here. This is camp.” Perhaps, too, it’s holy ground. Sanctuary.
At yet another camp, there was a young high schooler who didn’t seem to fit with his peers; he was quirky. He was, however, embraced by the camp community and when several counselors decided to shave their hair into mohawks on the last night of camp, the camper asked if they would do his too and they happily obliged. The next day, upon this discovery of, let’s say, unorthodoxy, as the Program Director, I lingered nearby his cabin when his parents came to pick him up, in case the
Continuedonthenextpage.
need to ease the haircut transition became necessary. His mom was first shocked, then thrilled. He was part of something. He had been embraced in all of his quirky glory, but he had also been shaped, as he learned about how to “do” community. He had been loved too much to let him continue in isolation.
These stories are small. Important. Significant. But small. I wonder if sometimes the camp community is misunderstood because of this smallness (though we have to acknowledge nothing about McDowell is small!) Perhaps one must be embedded to see that play is rarely simply play, silly hand gestures in worship are teaching prayer postures, the zeal for counter-cultural attire can foster a zeal for counter-cultural ways of being. Anglicans are rarely known for their theological treatises. I think this lies in the Anglican tendency to do theology rather than articulate it. The theme of incarnational living, of being the living body of Christ as the church, is certainly relevant to the mission of camp ministry.
In the few years I’ve been able to join the camp ministry of this diocese, I have witnessed the formational wonder that is wonderful, wonderful Camp McDowell. I was once told that summer camp is the best young adult ministry the institutional church offers, and that is absolutely true. You just need all the kids to make it happen. In the few years we’ve been serving at Camp McDowell in the summer, it has been wonderful to see the progression of summer staff – those who have come through and moved on, those who have come up, the way they’ve grown or tweaked or matured into the leaders they are. I won’t speculate about how many of them attend church weekly outside of camp, and I’m not certain how many use the leadership skills they’re finely honing in service to the insti-
Campers gather at the Rec Hall in Lower Camp for Bible stories.
tutional church, but you need only to spend a few minutes talking with them to know: they are living deeply into vocation and embodying our incarnational faith. Summer camp is not only the best, I would argue, but also the single most formative opportunity for young adults in the church. And of course, there’s summer camp at Clear Creek! From the creek to the pool, from Eppes Hall to the rec hall, from cabins to canteen, there are fewer opportunities that so deeply steep us in formation. Most mornings at camp begin with a program session: setting the theme and tone for the day. And then the rest of the day, the summer staff, along with every camper, get to teach one another, to discover together, through experiential learning, more about who God is, what God does, and how they get to be a part of that. What better setting for exploring the vastness of God’s creativity than a forest surrounded by so many different colors, textures, and smells? How much more deeply can we wonder to what God’s calls us than when our gifts, however unusual, are being celebrated? How might we more deeply understand God’s call to mission when we’re in an environment where it’s safe to practice telling our stories, and therefore God’s story?
One night this summer, we said compline around the pool. It wasn’t the best setup. It was hard to see and hear. But it sure felt like holy space. We reaffirmed our baptismal vows (or explored them if we hadn’t yet been baptized) with our feet in the water. Grace abounded, along with some splashing. I don’t know about you, but I sure hope the waters of my baptism leap and splash in unexpected ways, and that I might be continually reminded of whose I am. God’s story is alive and well y’all: I’ve heard it spoken, I’ve seen it lived, and I’ve seen the shining new chapters being written by the young peo- ple who make Camp McDowell so wonderful, wonderful.
Learn howCamp McDowell will benefit from theEquippingthe Saintscampaign by scanning theQRcode.
TheJourney Toward RacialHealing
By Breanna Carter, Missioner for Racial Healing and Pilgrimage
by andi rice
On a hot summer August day hundreds gathered at the Lowndes County courthouse square for the 27th Annual Jonathan Daniels and the Martyrs of Alabama Pilgrimage. As people arrived, you could see them greeting each other with hugs and smiles, finding a sense of belonging among familiar faces and newcomers alike. It felt like a family reunion, with many returning for another year and others experiencing the pilgrimage for the first time.
This year’s pilgrimage, we welcomed The Rt. Rev. Dr. Dorothy Sanders Wells as our guest preacher. She is the XI Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. Through a prophetic conversation with Bishop Curry, Bishop Wells recounted a story of a time when her father would work overtime so that he could take her to hotels and restaurants that as a young man he was unable to dine at or lodge in because of the color of his skin. Her father wanted her to "see the world differently," to have the opportunities he was denied.
As I sat there, I couldn't help but think about the young people in the room. That phrase, "see the world differently," made me wonder what kind of world our youth are seeing today. Are they witnessing a church that’s committed to healing and standing strong? Are they experiencing a churchthat is courageous?
Photography
Alongside the pilgrimage, 16 young people gathered at Church of the Ascension for Jonathan Daniels and the Martyrs of Alabama Pilgrimage. Youth from the Diocese of Alabama and the Diocese of New York worshipped together, connected through games, and learned more about Jonathan Daniels and Continuedonthenextpage.
the Martyrs of Alabama. During the pilgrimage Richard Morrisroe, who was shot on the day in 1965 when Episcopal seminarian Jonathan Myrick Daniels was shot and killed for his work of helping to register AfricanAmericans to vote, shared his witness with
the youth participants. One of the youth said afterward how inspiring it was to hear from someone who lived through such a pivotal moment in Civil Rights history.
Honoring the life and strong legacy of the Alabama martyrs and those known only to God will always be especially moving. Gathering in the courthouse where Jonathan’s murderer was acquitted, and sharing Holy Communion in a place once marked by injustice reminds us that the journey toward racial healing is ongoing.
Photo: Youthand facilitators fromthe Diocese of Alabama and theDiocese of NewYork.
Right: Bishop Glenda Curry of Alabama and Bishop Dorothy Sanders Wells of Mississippi held a prophetic conversation preceding the service of Holy Eucharist.
The
Left: Richard Morrisroe, who was shot on the day in 1965 when Episcopal seminarian Jonathan Myrick Daniels was shot and killed.
pilgrimage is held each year in August. Learn more about the pilgrimage and the impact of theEquipping theSaintscapital campaign on racial healing by scanning the QR code.
Duringtheservicewealsorecognizethe 14martyrsinadditiontoJonathan DanielswholosttheirlivesinAlabama duringthecivilrightsmovement:
ElmoreBolling
December4,1947,martyredinLowndesboro
WillieEdwards,Jr.
January23,1957,martyredinMontgomery
WilliamLewisMoore
April23,1963,martyredinAttalla
AddieMaeCollins
DeniseMcNair
CaroleRobertson
CynthiaWesley
September15,1963,martyredinBirmingham
VirgilLamarWare
September15,l963,martyredinBirmingham
JohnnyRobinson
September15,1963,martyredinBirmingham
JimmieLeeJackson
February26,1965,martyredinMarion
ViolaGregLiuzzo
March25,1965,martyrednearLowndesboro
TheRev.JamesReeb
September11,1965,martyredinSelma
WillieBrewster
September18,l965,martyredinAnniston
SamuelLeamonYounge,Jr.
January3,1966,martyredinTuskegee
andthoseknownonlytoGod.
The Lowndes County Courthouse in Hayneville.
Jonathan Daniels
Right:The Youth Department (YD) just finished up their Formation Retreat at Camp McDowell. The Youth Department is made up of twelve high schoolers from around the diocese who are elected by their peers at our annual EYC Convention.
TheYD plan and host several events throughout the year for the youth in our diocese. They are servant leaders who put a lot of time, energy, and love into creating engaging worship, program, and fellowship opportunities for the other youth in the diocese. During the Formation Retreat, theYD learned leadership skills, began planning for their upcoming events, and did a lot of community building.
TheYD Chair, Finola O’Halloran from Nativity Huntsville, said “This weekend the youth department got to know each other and formed as a working group. We learned our leadership styles and how to apply them and then got to use these skills to begin planning our upcoming events. We are looking forward to this year of leadership and gathering together!”
s summer draws to a close, we want to highlight some of the amazing things the youth of the diocese have been up to! Many of our young people served on staff at Special Session at Camp McDowell, Sawyerville DayCamp, Bethany’s Kids, Foothills Day Camp, and other service opportunities that were available bytheir parishes during summer break. We are so proud of the incredible work they have done this summer to spread joy and the love of Jesus throughout our diocese and beyond.
-JenManning, Missioner forYouth, Campus, &YoungAdult Ministries
InJuly, we hosted our firstJr. HighOutreachDay, partnering withEpiscopal Place inBirminghamto hosta day of fun!The7-9th graders served over 60 residents a cateredlunch fromTaziki’s andthen played games includinga longand energetic game ofBingo withexciting prizes!We hada fantastic day of fellowship, making connections, andspendingqualitytime together. EpiscopalPlace’s Executive Director, TimBlanton, saidthe residents arestilltalkingabout whata great time they hadand we can’t wait to goback!
TheYouthDepartment’s FallEvent, Dio (cesan) Daywillbe Sunday, October 13, atAllSaints EpiscopalChurch in Birmingham for all youth ingrades 7-12!
This year we are hosting a Fall Festival and all Episcopal churches inthe Diocese ofAlabama are invited and encouraged toattend and bring a friend!
We will have a costume contest, arts and crafts, games, and more!
There is nocost toattend the event, but we askthat you register to attend and have your parent/guardianelectronically signthe included waiver!
For questions or additional information, contact CanonTidwell,YDAdvisor and DioDayCoordinator, at alabamayouth@gmail.com.
DioDay FallFestivalfor 7-12th Grades:Sunday, October 13, 2-4pmin Birmingham
Christmas Conference for 9-12th Grades:December 28-30 at CampMcDowell
EYCConvention for 9-12th Grades:January31- Feb 1, 2025 inDecatur
Spring Conference for 9-12th Grades:April 4-6 2025, atCamp McDowell
moved to be close to her parents. “I was really feeling down in a valley at the time,” Thompson says. “Someone asked if I was interested in becoming a Daughter. There are things that God puts before you, and the timing was right, and I knew it. Every year it’s brought me closer to God.”
“AsaDaughter, youaresimplythefaceand handsandlegsofChrist toothers.”-JaneSearcy
Dr. Yolanda Seawright joined the St. Pauli Murray Chapter of the Daughters at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Tuskeg-
The following parishes in our diocese have chapters ofThe Order of the Daughters of the King. For more information about the Daughters, including how to start a chapter in your parish, contact one ofthe following:
Patti Whitaker: whitaker995@gmail.com
Miki Heaton: mikih6434@gmail.com
PamMeasel: pmeasel@outlook.com
years later, I stillloveit.”
Searcy concurs. “It’s not a busy-ness,” she says. “It’s a ministry of being. We focus on being who we are and whose we are rather than trying to do everything that’s out there to do. As a Daughter, you are simply the face and hands and legs of Christto others.”
PrayingforWays toServe
Daughters also follow a Rule of Service, a promise to pray for and act upon opportunities to help others. Some chapters come together for coordinated service events, like wrapping presents, hosting Christmas parties for daycare centers, or gathering essential supplies for people in need. They do so autonomously, never asking the wider congregation to contribute.
she says, “Jesus presents more opportunities than you know.”
Every Daughter wears a distinctive cross as an inward reminder of their vows and outward show of faith. It’s a modified Greek fleury cross bearing an inscription in Latin: Magnanimiter Crucem Sustine, or “With heart, mind, and spirit uphold and bear the cross.” Three letters at the base, “FHS,” stand for “For His Sake.” Daughters wear the cross every day; it is so sacred to the Order that upon her death, it is either buried with her, placed in an urn, or returned to the Order so it can be bestowed upon a new member.
Many Daughters cite the cross as a way of creating opportunities toshare their faith. “It happens everywhere,” Christopher says. “I might be in the store checking out, and people will say, ‘That’s a pretty cross; I’ve never seen one like that.’ It opens the door for me to evangelize a little and tell people
More often, however, service is a fulfillment of prayers to recognize need wherever it is. Christopher remembers an evening at the beach when she and her husband headed out for dinner at a local haunt. Outside the restaurant, she recognized an employee froma prior visit. She was sitting on a bench alone, crying. Christopher stopped to talk with her and asked if they could pray together, which If you keep your eyes open,
Canterbury Chapel, Tuscaloosa
Cathedral Church of the Advent, Birmingham
Christ Church, Albertville
Christ Church, Birmingham
Christ Church, Tuscaloosa
Church of the Ascension, Montgomery
Epiphany, Albertville
Grace, Anniston
Grace, Cullman
Holy Apostles, Pelham
Holy Comforter, Elmore
Holy Comforter, Gadsden
Nativity, Huntsville
Resurrection, Gadsden
St Alban’s, Birmingham
St Andrew’s, Milledgeville
St Andrew’s, Summerdale
St Dunstan’s, Auburn
St James, Alex City
St James, Livingston
St John’s, Wetumpka
St Luke’s, Birmingham
St Luke’s, Jacksonville
JaneSearcy,continuedfrompage13
The neighbor who hadreadthe daily office to Searcy when she was a child continued to influence the path she took. Thinking about the woman’s children with cerebral palsy, Searcy set out to earn a doctoral degree in Special Education and served as director of special-education services in thecity ofTuscaloosa for 20 years.
Searcy says the Order is a ministry of being, not doing. Through their faithfulness and approach to daily life, Daughters set a powerful example. “When people ask, ‘Why are you so happy? Why are you doing all this work for the community?’” she says. “That is evangelism. You don’t always tell it, you show it. We find the good and joy in the world just like my grandparents’ neighbor. She got up every morning to nurses and children who needed to be taken care of in every way, but she was joyful all the time, and it made me want to
St.Dunstan’s,AuburnTurns100YearsOld
Sunday, January 4, 1925. That’s the date when the still-being constructed building for Holy Innocents Episcopal Church held its first service in Auburn, Alabama. Today, we continue to worship in that very building, which was authorized in 1921. Holy Innocents is now known as St. Dunstan’s, having transitioned froma parish to a diocesan student center in 1957. In 2019, St. Dunstan’s ceased to be a student center and was reestablished as a parish. What seems like anending is often just thebeginning ofsomething new.
The vestry of St. Dunstan’s has formed a committee dedicated to honoring the history and heritage of both Holy Innocents and St. Dunstan’s. Since 1887, this location on Magnolia Avenue has been a place of thanksgiving, fellowship, study, prayer, and service to Christ. We are beginning preparations to celebrate the centennial of our building’s use as both Holy Innocents and St. Dunstan’s, recognizing its role as both a parish and a student center.
The formal centennial celebration will take place on Sunday, January 5, 2025, with a special Holy Eucharist close to the centennial date. We invite anyone who has been shaped by Holy Innocents and St. Dunstan’s to join us that morning or attend a celebration party that evening.
As we approach 2025, more information will be provided. To stay updated, sign up for our online newsletter, TheForge , at www.stdunstansauburn.org. Throughout 2025, we will share the history of Holy Innocents and St. Duns, featuring stories from former students and chaplains who lived out their faith in this building. We invite you to participate as we reflect on our past, learn from it, and celebrate our journey forward.
St Luke’s, Scottsboro
St Matthias, Tuscaloosa
St Michael and All Angels, Anniston
St Michael’s, Fayette
St Paul’s, Selma
St Peter’s, Talladega
St Philip’s, Ft Payne
St Simon Peter, Moody
St. Stephen’s, Huntsville
St Thomas, Huntsville
St Timothy, Athens
Trinity, Muscle Shoals
If you or someone you know attended Holy Innocents or St. Dunstan’s, we would love to hear your memories, see your photos, and reconnect you with the life of St. Dunstan’s. We have created a Facebook group called Alumni of St. Dunstan’s Auburn to collect memories and pictures. You can also contact the Rev. Thomas Joyner at thomas@stdunstansauburn.org to share your stories.
TheOrderofSaintZita atTrinity, Wetumpka
For the past several years the Junior Warden at Trinity, Wetumpka, has enjoyed a supporting cast that loves to perform all the dirty, menial work of buildings and grounds. This group wants no glory for their efforts, even preferring to remain anonymous. They call themselves the Order of Saint Zita after a 12th century scullery maid who was canonized for all of the menial labor she performed as a household maid. Her service to God was to perform whatever task assigned, as though it had been assigned directly by God.
This group at Trinity has no hierarchy, holds no offices, attends no meetings, files no reports; yet labors at all the thankless, dirty jobs necessary required in all churches, ensuring that the facilities function perfectly so that no one notices they have been done. Early every Friday morning, after a cup of coffee, finds the Order changing filters, trimming hedges, mopping floors, emptying trash and a thousand other lowly and humble chores. Begun by previous Junior Wardens and staffed by anonymous volunteers, who know the value of constant and recurring maintenance, the Order carries out all the drudgery work so that the Junior Warden’s lot is a little less burdensome.
- Warren Jones, Trinity ParishAdministrator
SaintZitawascanonizedin1696by PopeInnocentXII.Sheisthepatron ofhousekeepers,domesticworkers, serversandlostkeys.
SavetheDateforthe 135thECW
FallConference
Friday,October11,2024
The Alabama Diocesan Episcopal Church Women (ECW) will host its annual conference to foster fun and fellowship, as well as to elect and install the Diocesan Board. Each parish is asked to send two voting delegates to the business meeting. Information and registration forms are available from your Convocation Coordinator.
Our conference is open to everyone in the Diocese, and clergy are encouraged to attend. The Diocesan ECW would be honored to recognize and celebrate the selfless service of female clergy.
Each ECW group in the Diocese should provide a list of women who have passed away from October 1, 2023, through October 1, 2024, to be honored during the Memorial Roll Call. Once the lists are compiled, please forward the information to Diane Weatherford at dewbham@aol.com by September 15.
TheRev.DerrickHillJoinsCampMcDowell as
CEOandExecutiveDirector
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of The Rev. Derrick C. Hill as Camp McDowell’s new CEO and Executive Director. In this role, he will lead the staff, nurture relationships with the parishes of the Diocese, and steward Camp’s programs and ministries. Working closely with the Bishop, the Department of Camp McDowell, and the many people who have known God’s presence at the Camp, he will also develop a vision for Camp in the years to come.
Rev. Hill brings a wealth of experience in pastoral care, outreach, strategic planning, and adult formation, particularly through Christian education, parish leadership, diocesaninvolvement, andCursillo.
Since 2015, Rev. Hill has served as the Rector of St. Timothy's in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, following his role as Assistant to the Rector at St. Mary's-on-theHighlands in Birmingham. Before pursuing ordained ministry, Rev. Hill was deeply engaged in his parish's leadership, teaching classes, mentoring an EFM group, and serving as a member of the vestry and as a lay Eucharistic minister and visitor.
Rev. Hill's journey to ministry goes back to his early connection with Camp McDowell, which began during a vestry retreat with the Church of the Holy Cross. After that visit, he met his wife, Beverly, and their family became active members of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Cahaba Heights where he was later sponsored to seminary.
Born in Trussville, Alabama, Rev. Hill holds a Master of Divinity from the School of Theology at the University of the South. He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Auburn University and a master’s in public and private management from Birmingham-Southern College. Before entering the ministry, he workedas a civilengineer for 18 years.
In response to his appointment, Rev. Hill said, “I amexcited to accept Bishop Glenda Curry’s call to serve as the CEO and next Executive Director of Camp McDowell beginning January 2025.
SpecialSessionWrapsupWeek
“IfIwereabutterfly, I’dthankyouLordforgiving mewings.”
Special Session is an event so unique that words hardly do it justice. When talking about Special Session at Camp McDowell, prepare to be surprised, inspired, and transformed in ways you never imagined. Just as our favorite song says, “thank you Father for making me, me, not you, but me!” Our mission of Special Session is to know Christ in all people, through ministry to and with people of all abilities. Our vision is a vibrant, loving community where allGod’s childrenarecelebrated. This summer we welcomed 87 campers and over 83 volunteer youth and adult staff members to our week-long sessionat the beginning of June. Campers and staff alike experienced summer camp to the fullest, creating memories with old and new friends through time spent together in God’s backyard. We swam, fished, crafted, danced, sang, canoed, laughed, went to the farm, tested our secret agent
impact on our lives. With that being written, I realize the next CEO of the Camp will need to be innovative, willing to experiment, and not too connected with the way it has always been done. As CEO, I willlead with the ethos of the words ofthe Psalmist “hold on to what is good yet sing to the Lorda newsong.”
Please join us in welcoming Rev. Derrick C. Hill back to the Diocese of Alabama as
Exterior – Grounds
St. Thomas, Birmingham
St. Michael’s AllAngels, Anniston
The dioceseis pleasedtoannouncethe 2024Renew andRefresh parish grant awards. Wereceived56 applications, requestingamounts rangingfrom$1,200 for grass seedandshrubberytothe maximumgrant of $5,000.
Intotal, $267,020.55has beenawardedto parishes, witha project completiondeadline of December 31, 2024.
TheRenewandRefresh grants provide up to$5,000 for projects that enhancethe overallchurchcommunity. This year, the dioceseprioritizedprojects that focus on welcoming newpeople, particularlythose not currentlyattendinga church. Suggested grant proposals included efforts to createnew worship groups, fellowship opportunities, or other initiatives that connect morepeople withtheEpiscopal expressionof theGospel.
This financial support empowers churches toundertakeprojects that may have been delayed or deferred duetobudget constraints. As Bishop Curryoftensays, "a risingtidefloats all boats." By strengthening our parishes, wefortify our diocese, and inturn, theEpiscopal Churchas a whole.
St. Stephen’s, Eutaw
St. Matthew’s, Seale
St. Stephen’s, Smith Station
Messiah, Heflin
St. Andrew’s, Montevallo
Episcopal Place
Epiphany, Guntersville
St. Mary’s, Childersburg
St. Simon Peter, Pell City
St. Catherine’s, Chelsea
St. Timothy’s, Athens
St. Mary’s, Jasper
Holy Cross, Trussville
Christ Church, Fairfield
St. Joseph’s-on-the-Mountain, Mentone
Exterior – Building
Holy Spirit, Alabaster
St. Andrew’s, Sylacauga
St. Paul’s, Greensboro
Holy Apostles, Hoover Grace, Woodlawn
Christ Church, Fairfield
Signage
St. Thomas, Birmingham
St. Simon Peter, Pell City
Trinity, Demopolis
St. Paul’s, Greensboro
Grace, Pike Road
Holy Cross, Trussville
Grace, Anniston
Interior – Infrastructure
St. Alban’s, Hoover
St. Stephen’s, Smith Station
St. Michael’s, Fayette
Trinity Church, Alpine Trinity, Clanton
Canterbury, Tuscaloosa
Holy Comforter, Gadsden
Epiphany, Leeds
Emmanuel, Opelika
St. Michael’sAllAngels, Millbrook
St. Peter’s, Talladega
St. Luke’s, Jacksonville
St. Matthias, Tuscaloosa
St. Mark’s, Birmingham
Grace, Anniston
Interior Enhancements
Christ Church, Albertville
St. Francis, Indian Springs
St. Stephen’s, Smith Station
Trinity, Clanton
Canterbury, Tuscaloosa
Holy Spirit, Alabaster
St. Paul’s, Selma
Grace, Sheffield
St. Luke’s, Scottsboro
Christ Church, Fairfield
AV/Technology
Good Shepherd, Decatur
Christ Church, Albertville
Resurrection, Rainbow City
St. James, Alex City
St. Mark’s, Prattville
Holy Comforter, Montgomery
St. Andrew’s, Birmingham
Good Shepherd, Montgomery
St. Philip’s, Ft. Payne
Parking
Epiphany, Leeds
St. Peter’s, Talladega
Epiphany, Tallassee
St. Stephen’s, Huntsville
Programming
St. Dunstan’s, Auburn
St. Luke’s, Scottsboro
Grace, Pike Road
Community Outreach
St. Paul’s, Selma
St. Andrew’s, Prairieville
TheAbbey, Birmingham
Grace, Pike Road
ChurchoftheEpiphany, Guntersville,Donates HouseholdItems toGlobalTiesAlabama
"We, too, must carry ona lover's quarrelwiththe world, sothat when… we departthis life, weleavebehinda little more truth, a little morejustice, a little more peace, a little morebeauty, than would havebeenthere had we not caredenoughaboutthe humanracetoquarrel with it, not for what itis, but for whatit yet mightbe. On this day, let our prayer be:Oh, God, take our minds andthink throughthem, take our lips andspeakthroughthem, and take our hearts andsetthemon fire.”
With these words from William Sloane Coffin, the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany kicked off a collection of householditems tobenefitGlobal Ties Alabama.
One of the missions of Global Ties Alabama is to assist refugees in resettlement. Global Ties is one of only two organizations in Alabama which are affiliated with Episcopal Migration Ministries, the other being DwellMobile.
Epiphany has conducted this drive since 2018. Recipient agencies have included Bridge Refugee Services of East Tennessee and the Alabama InterfaithRefugee Partnership.
Beginning with a lay kickoff sermon on June 16 (the Sunday before World Refugee Day), the parish collected items in several categories: linens, paper products, cleaning products, bath products, and kitchen plates and cookware.
Most Americans are aware that many Afghan citizens assisted the United States as guides and interpreters. Most of them fled after the United States withdrew its forces from the country in 2021 and the Taliban took over. These Afghanis are, therefore, desperately in need of resettlement in the UnitedStates.
During the discussions we held between services about all things related to immigration we learned that Afghanis most value tea kettles and tea services. Tea is very important in the Afghan culture. One of our members donated five tea kettles and fivetea services!
With the support of the church’s Outreach Ministry, the donateditems were moved to the altar onJuly6. There were so many gifts that some remained behind in the parish hall so that on Sunday morning the priest and Eucharistic ministers could move aroundandadminister communion.
given us: of time, treasure, talent, and the freedomto use them. We ask your blessing on these people (the congregation) who, following the example of our brother Jesus, himself a refugee, and moved by the power of your Holy Spirit, have offered these gifts tothosewho have nothing, have offered hospitality for those in search of a home, and have offered welcome to the strangers in our midst. We ask your blessing on the gifts themselves, that they may serve our refugee neighbors well in their new homes. Finally, we ask your blessing on those who receive these gifts, that they may find a place of comfort and security in this new land. We ask these things with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in the love of your Son, Jesus. Amen .
Followingthesecondservice, parishioners moved the Donations backto the parish hallin preparation for transportationtoGlobal Ties.
Members of the parish’s Monday Morning Book Study volunteered to transport the donations to Global Ties’ offices in Huntsville on Monday July 8. As luck would have it, the day following our trip to Huntsville, Global Ties was resettlingan Afghan family!
On Sunday, July 7, Father Bob Blackwell offered this blessing over the gifts:
God in whose image we all are made, source of all good gifts, we offer thanks for the many advantages you have
The Rev. Bob Blackwell blesses the gifts.
Members of Epiphany drop off gifts at Global Ties Alabama.
HostedatDoubletree byHilton Decatur Riverfront, IngallsHarborPavilion, andPrincessTheatre
Look for details on certification, agenda, housing, and registration fees after October 1, 2024. Besuretocontact Liza LeeHorton at lhorton@dioala.org ifyour parish contactinformation has changed, as all communication will besent via emailand posted on theconvention website.
Join Us For Diocesan Day at Camp McDowell! Saturday, November 16th, 10:00am – 4:30pm
Join us for a day of your favorite activities in Lower Camp. In the morning, choose from hiking, canoeing, arts and crafts, or the ropes course. After lunch in Eppes Hall, the afternoon activity will be Episco-lympics! Bring a team, join one when you arrive, or cheer on the participants. We’ll end the day with worship in Ascension Chapel.
This fun day will support theEquippingtheSaintscampaign, which includes plans to revitalize Lower Camp. More information about the event and how to register will be available soon.
The EpiscopalChurch in The Diocese of Alabama Mailingaddress: CarpenterHouse, 521 North20th Street, Birmingham, AL 35203–2682 Bishop: TheRt. Rev. Glenda S. Curry, Assisting Bishop: TheRt. Rev. BrianN. Prior | TheAlabama EpiscopalianDebbieDonaldson, Editor and Art Director;Volume 109, Number 3;3rdQuarter, 2024;USPS 070-910 ; ISSN 1041-3316 Periodical postagepaid POSTMASTER: Pleasesend address corrections toLiza LeeHorton, TheAlabama Episcopalian, 521North20thStreet, Birmingham, AL, 35203-2682. The Alabama Episcopalian is publishedquarterly. Pleasesendstories and photographs (full color, at highest resolution possible) to Editor DebbieDonaldson, ddonaldson@dioala.org. Thesubmission deadlines for eachissueareFebruary 1, May 1, August 1, andNovember 1. Parishes andindividuals, pleasesendall address changes or additions toLiza LeeHorton, lhorton@dioala.org or Carpenter House, 521 North20thStreet, Birmingham, AL 35203–2682.
| www.dioala.org