4th Quarter Episcopalian 2022

THE EPISCOPAL

DIOCESE OF ALABAMA

FALL 2022

DEEP

ROOTS, NEW GROWTH:

Priorities for the Future of the Diocese of Alabama: Page 2

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VOL. 107, No. 4

Dear friends: By the end of 2022, Bishop Prior and I will have visited 77 parishes. We’ve worshipped with thousands of you, we’ve had countless conversations, and we’ve witnessed many, many moments of grace and healing.

Our diocese is a special place where the love of Jesus is tangible and real, and I am honored to be your bishop.

Through our travels and our work with all the various Diocesan departments, commissions, and ministries, a vision for the future of our diocese has taken shape. No matter where I go, I see four areas that represent both our strengths and challenges all at once. These four focus areas are: congregational vitality, leadership development, racial healing, and Camp McDowell.

Within our 87 parishes and three worshiping communities, most places are thriving with active Christian formation, significant outreach, and beautiful worship. Yet others struggle to balance the budget, attract new members, maintain their building, or hire the best clergy. I believe there is room for all our parishes to grow, and I want the diocese, meaning the staff at Carpenter House and each of our parishes, to work together to ensure that all parishes will thrive for the next 100 years.

Leadership development is a key aspect of congregational vitality. We must continue to recruit the best lay and ordained leaders and we must give them the skills they need to succeed. Early on in my ministry, I learned from so many wonderful clergy like Doug Carpenter, Bill Yon, Maggie Taylor, and Francis Walter.

I hope the young clergy would say they too are learning from their more senior peers. Who will come next?

Who will lead our parishes in 30 years? The church is always adapting, and I believe that church leadership will look differently in the future. Some parishes will be led by full-time clergy, some will be led by parttime retired clergy, and some will be led by well-trained lay people. I want to see our parishes become nimble enough to respond to whatever may come because they have the right people at the helm.

I’m excited to welcome Breanna Mitchell into her new leadership role as the Diocesan Missioner for Racial Healing and Pilgrimage. Hiring a full-time missioner, someone entirely dedicated to this work, is a significant step for our diocese. I’m proud of this growth, and I can’t wait to see where this new path will take us.

With racial healing as one of the four focus areas, I hope we will learn from our past, seek out education and transformation, and diversify our parishes.

Camp McDowell is our own little piece of God’s great backyard and a place where many of us have experienced life-changing worship and fellowship. McDowell has recovered well from the lowest point of the pandemic. Now is a wonderful time for us to dream together about what Camp might look like for the next two

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contents 2

Priorities for the Future of the Diocese of Alabama

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Congregational Vitality

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Leadership Vitaltiy

11 Racial Healing 13 Camp McDowell or three generations. How can it become even better, so that we can welcome more and more people into life with Jesus in this important place.

I invite each member of our diocese to find ways to engage with congregational vitality, leadership development, racial healing, and Camp McDowell. Our deep roots in these four areas give us grounding and strength. If we use the gifts God has given us wisely, we will grow in ways that allow us to more fully become the people and the church God created us to be.

Thinking about our ministry together brings me great joy, and I hope you feel the same way. I am, as always, grateful for the parishioners, clergy, and parishes that make up the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. I thank God for you in my prayers, and I hope I see you at church, soon.

Blessings,

16 Deep Roots, New Growth: Parish Covenant Pledges 18 Portrait of Bishop Curry Unveiled 19 The 20th Anniversary of First Class of Deacons 20 A Workshop in Anglican Identity 22 A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land 24 Diocesan Staff Update 25 Clergy News 25 Visitation Schedule 26 Around the Diocese 27 Diocesan Convention 28 Shared Ministries 31 News From Our Parishes

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Dear friends, Staci and I feel so blessed to be with you in Alabama.

Thank you for your gracious welcome and warm hospitality! It is wonderful to be near family and a place that is familiar, all the while enjoying almost daily new adventures.

As many of you know, Bishop G and I first met through my long-time soul brother Fran McKendree at AwakeningSoul.

Subsequently, I was blessed to walk with Bishop G as her coach during her onboarding as a new Bishop Diocesan.

Our time together has served us well as we have a number of similar professional experiences as leaders and complimentary working styles.

My work thus far is in full alignment with Bishop G’s four areas of focus:

Congregation Vitality: I am enjoying using my experience working with Bishop G and Canon Geoff Evans in clergy leadership transition and congregational development.

Leadership Development: I have had the blessing of being on retreat with both the diocesan staff and the governing bodies working on greater collaboration around the four focus areas.

Racial Healing: I have the privilege of walking with Bishop G and other leaders on our work of racial healing in our parishes, dioceses and serving as a host for those coming to Alabama on pilgrimage.

Camp McDowell: I am excited about the future of Camp McDowell as I continue to work closely with Bishop G, the camp staff, camp department and soon with the rest of the diocese on discerning the next season for camp.

I also have the good pleasure of sharing in the parish visitation schedule. It is wonderful to gather with so many faithful Episcopalians across Alabama who love Jesus and are sharing His love both in their parishes and in their community.

It truly is a blessing to serve as your Assisting Bishop!

-Bishop Brian

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Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.

They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.

It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious,

and it does not cease to bear fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

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Pictured: A group from the ARC of Jackson County meet daily at St. Luke’s, Scottsboro, and pack dozens of farm fresh eggs for the St. Luke’s food pantry. The eggs are donated by a parish member, and are from her farm.

Congregational vitality: Cultivating churches and Christian communities Deep roots: Our diocese is home to 87 parishes, worshipping communities, and college chaplaincies. Since 1830, our clergy and members have worked towards the mission of the church, “to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ” (BCP pg 8.55).

This work takes a different form at each of our parishes and reflects their unique circumstances. Some parishes welcome hundreds on Sunday mornings and others have the greatest impact at a contemplative prayer or healing service.

Some seek to serve a specific population like local students while others support those who are food insecure.

Some depict Biblical scenes in beauti-

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ful, ornate stained-glass windows and others offer clear windows to God’s creation. There is a place for everyone in the Episcopal Church in Alabama, and the diocese wants to support parishes as they proclaim the Gospel, equip the saints, and comfort those in need.

New growth: Let’s work together to ensure that the Episcopal Church in Alabama thrives for the next 100 years by striving for congregational vitality in every parish. Congregational vitality is achieved when your parish grows by becoming vital to your community. This may look different across our diocese.

What does congregational vitality look

like for your parish? No matter your context, the diocesan staff is here to help you discern your answer to that question, and we’re more committed than ever to finding ways to work with each parish to support its people and ministries. You can call on a diocesan staff member or a diocesan department or commission if you need support in creating a strategic plan; strengthening your children, youth, or young adult ministries; engaging in racial healing; enhancing stewardship; or modernizing communications—by God’s grace your congregation can grow by becoming vital to your community.

TOP TO BOTTOM:

TOP TO BOTTOM:

TOP TO BOTTOM:

Trinity Commons students at RevivAL 2022 in May. Several of these students helped lead prayer stations!

St. Paul’s, Selma held a Lenten Lunch series this year.

A Cursillo reunion group from Nativity, Huntsville served lunch to the Veterans at First Stop.

Ascension, Montgomery hosted their annual Lobster Fest in August. Proceeds benefited Ascension Day School and the FUMC Respite Ministry.

Cathedral Church of the Advent collected coats in October to support the children and women of Pathways, a ministry partner of the Women of the Advent.

Supported by funds from a diocesan outreach grant, St. Michael’s, Fayette has started a monthly Eucharist celebrated in Spanish.

Parishioners at Trinity, Clanton passed out beans and rice in August. Their Beans and Rice ministry has been feeding families for over 14 years.

St. Catherine’s, Chelsea held a Monster Mash for children with disabilities in their community, partially funded by a grant from the diocese.

A delicious "dinner on the grounds" was held at St. Andrew’s, Gallion (Prairieville) in October to welcome members and visitors following the morning service. (Photo courtesy of Tommy Campbell.)

“I believe there is room for all our parishes to grow, and I want us to work together to ensure that all parishes will thrive for the next 100 years.” - Bishop G dioala.org | 7

Congregational vitality by the numbers: A total of 30,500 members in 87 parishes 854 new members in the diocese* 228,625 total Sunday attendance in 2021* 3,262 communicants under 16 years of age* 332 confirmations, receptions, and reaffirmations in 2021*, a 25% increase from 2020 15 parishes have had either clergy or lay people trained to lead Being With courses. Developed by the Rev. Dr. Sam Wells, Being With is a short course designed for those exploring Christianity for the first time or those returning to church after a break.

10 parishes and ministries received a Diocesan Department of Mission and Outreach grant in 2022: the total given out was $35,500.

*Data is from the 2021 parochial report, filed with The Episcopal Church in May of 2022.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,

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“W h o m sh all I s en d , a n d wh o w il l g o f o r us ? ” A n d I s a i d “H e r e a m I ; se n d m e !”

- Isaiah 6:8

Leadership development: Raising and empowering leaders

Deep roots: For over 190 years, the Diocese of Alabama has nurtured and empowered lay and ordained leaders who have pastored our parishes with grace and faithfulness. This legacy of deep roots gives us the strong foundation on which we now stand. However, we are not immune to the changes in The Episcopal Church that are leading to a shortage of qualified ordained and lay worship leaders.

We need an infusion of new life.

New growth: We are responding to this challenge proactively and creatively. We’re recruiting postulants for holy orders by hosting Explorer’s Day for those interested in considering a call to ministry, and offering a short course for clergy on the discernment process so that they can better guide their parishioners. We’re also committed to supporting and strengthening our current clergy. Leading in Hope, a class for clergy who are newly ordained or new to our diocese, builds off our tradition of peer learning by incorporating new lessons on adaptive leadership and church growth and vitality.

The leadership of lay people is vital to a parish’s health. We continue to engage lay people in our diocesan departments and councils, and we’re working to offer new training on leading worship as a lay person. If you feel called to serve, either in an ordained capacity as a priest or deacon, or as a lay person, we encourage you to speak with your rector about possible leadership roles.

Pictured: Clergy from across the diocese joined Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, Bishop G, and Bishop Brian for breakfast before the revival on May 14, 2022. Hosted by Saint Stephens, Birmingham, the Alabama Diocesan ECW welcomed clergy and served breakfast at the event. dioala.org | 9

Leadership development by the numbers: 41.5 clergy training hours in the last 12 months 11 clergy in Leading in Hope, a program to develop adaptative leadership skills; they will receive 33 hours of training 18 postulants and candidates in formation for ordained ministry in 2022 24 hours of local formation for AIMs students in 2022 15 parishes have had 30 clergy or lay people trained to lead Being With courses 55 clergy and seminarians attended the clergy breakfast with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, held in conjunction with Revival 2022 32 people from 24 parishes attended Explorer’s Day, a gathering for lay people to learn more about the discernment process in the Diocese of Alabama. Another Explorer’s Day was held on Zoom on December 6.

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Racial healing: Creating Pathways to Reconciliation

Deep roots: Alabama is home to many sacred and historically significant spaces connected to slavery or the civil rights movement. More and more, people from inside and outside the diocese are looking to explore these important sites. For many years, the Committee for Truth, Justice, and Racial Reconciliation has hosted Seeing the Face of God in Each Other trainings and the Jonathan Daniels Day Pilgrimage. Daniels was detained in the County jail in Hayneville, Alabama, after being arrested in Fort Deposit for picketing white-only businesses. He was released, then shot and killed in front of a small grocery store in Hayneville. Every year in August, hundreds gather to walk the path that Jonathan walked, and to pray where he died.

Experiences like the pilgrimage crack open the toughest parts of our history so that we can learn, heal, and grow.

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New growth: All around the diocese, individuals and parishes are digging into the work of racial healing. Many have held book studies or Sacred Ground groups, a film- and readings-based dialogue series on race, grounded in faith. Some have pilgrimaged to Montgomery to see the Legacy Museum or the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. These are signs that we want to heal our divisions because we believe in unity, and we want to be one in the body of Christ. God is calling us into life together in a new way, and this is the time to learn from our history, look at our strengths and weaknesses, and find new ways to diversify our parishes and create beloved community.

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Racial healing by the numbers: 187 youth from across the diocese and from Hale County staffed Sawyerville Summer Camp, which aims to improve race relations in Alabama

29 youth participated in Person2Person, a pilgrimage to Montgomery for high school students over Martin Luther King weekend Seeing the Face of God in Each: This is an anti-racism training offered to church leaders in the spirit of hope and a positive vision of the unity that can only be achieved through Christ.

2021 – Seeing the Face of God in Each Other trained 31 people through 2 virtual events 2022 - Seeing the Face of God in Each Other trained 11 people during one in-person event. A second event will take place in December at St. Mark’s, Prattville 5 parishes participated in Sacred Ground groups 25th Anniversary Jonathan Daniels and Martyrs Pilgrimage: - Approximately 250 people participated this year at the first in-person event since 2019 - Postulants from Seminary of the Southwest attended the pilgrimage - 12 students and 4 staff participated at the Young Pilgrims Overnight Retreat

1st Missioner for Racial Healing and Pilgrimages hired by the diocese

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Camp mcdowell: Welcoming all to God’s backyard Deep Roots: Camp McDowell, this place we lovingly call “God’s back yard” has a long and rich history as a thinspace where we can experience the beauty and wonder of God’s creation. As one of the largest Episcopal Camp and Conference Centers in the nation, Camp McDowell has formed leaders across our diocese, this state, and the nation. Camp McDowell has also served as an entrance to the Episcopal Church for many guests over the years.

This makes it one of our greatest evangelical assets.

Camp McDowell’s director’s salary is furnished by the diocesan budget and thus by parish covenants. While Camp is funded by fees for housing and meals, it is nonetheless a vital part of our greater church, as Episcopalians from across the state come together to worship, work, and play.

New Growth: Camp is a beloved resource for parishes and the diocese, serving as a place where the young at heart can come together to build relationships, strengthen faith, practice stewardship, and have fun.

A team of staff and volunteers worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to keep Camp McDowell in peak shape both physically and financially. Thanks to their excellent stewardship, Camp is even more financially stable than it was pre-pandemic. This solid footing allows Camp to focus on providing camper scholarships. In Summer 2023, we’ll celebrate 100 years of summer camp!

Camp McDowell is a vital aspect of our diocesan identity, and what better way to celebrate it than by making camp accessible to all? Camp has instituted several changes in its fee structure in order to provide guests, and parishes in particular, with a broader range of price options. One such change in 2022 was the addition of discount pricing for parish retreats over particular weekends. This resulted in 62 Episcopal group bookings in 2022. As one of the largest Episcopal Camp and Conference Centers in the nation, Camp McDowell is excited to announce that we hosted the Province IV House of Bishops and the CREDO retreat for the first time in CY22. Both of these groups will be returning in the future, and we are scheduled to host the House of Bishops in the year ahead.

Camp welcomes groups of 1 to 800 guests. All parishes are encouraged to consider wonderful, wonderful Camp McDowell for their next parish retreat, vestry meeting, dioala.org | 15 or youth ministry event.

Camp mcdowell by the numbers: Camp has an annual budget of $3.8M Camp received over $93K in grants/gifts that enabled over 457 children and special-needs guests to bless Camp with their unique gifts and talents.

1,112 campers participated in 13 summer camp sessions in 2022 144 non-Episcopal groups booked space at Camp in 2022 62 Episcopal-connected group booking, including four Cursillo weekends, plus at least four additional planning events. Additionally, Vocare, Rites of Spring, Rite13, Christmas conference, the Commission on Ministry and several other groups meet at Camp each year.

Camp hosted more than 20 parish retreats last year Camp has 87 buildings on 1,140 acres, 770 beds , and 3 dining areas that can seat 800 The Environmental Center hosts approximately 9,000 guests per year in the 3 day/2 night residential environmental education program The Farm School hosts around 2,300 guests per year on our 5-acre working farm, as part of an immersive 3-day/2-night residential farm-to-table education program

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We are blessed with deep roots in the Diocese of Alabama.

In 2022 and 2023, our diocese will celebrate several important milestones: 50 years of St. Stephen’s in Birmingham, 150 years of the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, 20 years of deacons serving in our diocese, 30 Years of Sawyerville, and 100 years of Camp McDowell summer camps. Thanks be to God! All these milestones and more are made possible by combining our resources and working together. Rather than acting as 87 separate entities, we are strongest when we commit to working as a united, thriving diocese. One manifestation of that commitment is the annual covenant to the diocesan budget.

on the “unrestricted and undesignated income of each parish.” Our Diocesan Convention set these guidelines in 2000 and reaffirmed them in 2003.

WHY A VOLUNTARY, PROPORTIONAL COVENANT?

WHAT IS A PARISH COVENANT? All parishes are asked to give this annual gift to the diocese to fund our shared mission and ministries. It also allows the diocese to make a pledge to the budget of the General Convention so that we participate in that larger ministry. This system of giving is central to the organization of the Episcopal Church. Individuals give to their parishes, parishes give to their diocese, and the diocese gives to the Episcopal Church. Together--with our worship, service, and gifts--we make one church.

WHAT ARE THE COVENANT GUIDELINES? Just as the biblical standard of the tithe is 10%, there are guidelines for the parish covenant. Congregations with income less than $150,000 are asked to give 10%. Congregations with income greater than $150,000 are asked to give 15%. The percentage calculation should be based

In the Diocese of Alabama, parish covenants to the diocese are meant to mirror an individual's tithe to their church. In many other dioceses, covenants are mandatory and are thus called "assessments." By requesting a voluntary covenant, the Diocese of Alabama invites parishes into relationship with the diocese. Through the scriptures, proportional giving has been the foundation for our response to God for the gifts that we have received. The practicalities of budgeting and managing the gifts well require that the proportion or percentage be converted into a dollar amount. This calculation is an estimate but is necessary. It is for this reason we ask parishioners to estimate their pledge in dollars but stress the importance of beginning with a percentage of income. The system for funding our shared mission and ministry is the same. Each parish is asked to think first of their gift as a proportion of income and then to convert that figure into an estimate reported in dollars.

We hope your parish will prayerfully consider the request for covenants and respond generously. You can find this year’s covenant resources online at www.dioala.org/finance, which includes the previous section of this issue of The Episcopalian.

A copy has been mailed to each parish's clergy and leadership along with a request for their annual diocesan covenant. We hope the information adds guidance and inspiration to your parish’s conversation about its covenant. We look forward to receiving parish covenants no later than January 20, 2023 and to a new year with new opportunities to serve God and our neighbors.

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Portrait of Bishop Curry Unveiled at St. John’s, Montgomery

Newly restored windows in the nave at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Montgomery. Photo courtesy of St. John’s.

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n October 23, 2022, Bishop Glenda Curry presided over the re-dedication of the newly restored and renovated 100-year-old+ stained glass windows at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

At the reception following the re-dedication, a portrait of Bishop Curry was unveiled by St. John’s new rector, Rev. Dr. Duncan Johnston. The portrait is by renowned Alabama artist Marguerite Edwards.

Bishop Curry’s portrait is the seventh portrait of a bishop to hang in St. John’s “Hall of Bishops” in honor of Episcopal bishops who have a connection to St. John’s. Pictures of the newly renovated and restored St. John’s stained-glass windows and a brief history of the windows can be found by scanning this QR code: 18 | The Alabama Episcopalian

Bishop Curry and the Rev. Dr. Duncan Johnston during the unveiling of the portrait.

Photo dated November 2, 2002 at the ordination to the diaconate of Roland Ficken, Carolyn Foster, Robert Hart, Katherine Jacob, Mark LaGory, Janet Mason, Tom Osborne, Arthur Ray, Katy Smith, Adele Stockham, Mary Jane Taylor, and Louise Thibodaux.

Deacons in the Diocese of Alabama Celebrate 20 Years of Ministry

By The Venerable Rev. Marti Holmes

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t was November 2, 2002, and the atmosphere at the Cathedral Church of the Advent was one of excited anticipation.

The ordination of the first class of deacons in the Diocese of Alabama was soon to begin, and this “Deacon Dozen” were about to trailblaze a ministry that, after over 100 years, was being reinstituted.

Significant parish, diocesan, community, and global ministries have been created or strengthened because of their steadfast commitments and activism. Serving in the areas of prison ministry, Interfaith Council of Alabama, institutional chaplaincy, racial reconciliation, feeding ministries, special liturgies, housing initiatives, contemplative prayer, social justice advocacy, and community resource centers for underserved neighborhoods are just some areas of work that this small band of deacons have created, impacted, or continue to influence. Without local footsteps to follow, and at times facing challenges, they indeed have blazed a trail in servant leadership.

Six of the “Deacon Dozen” are still actively doing ministry in various forms in our diocese today (Carolyn Foster, Kathi Jacob, Mark LaGory, Tom Osborne, Katy Smith, and Lou Thibodaux). Two have fully retired from service (Robert Hart, Mary Jane Taylor). We miss those who have died, Janet Mason, Roland Ficken, Richard Ray, and Adele Stockham.

We thank God for each one of them, and congratulate them on their 20th Anniversary of ordination. dioala.org | 19

Teaching a Workshop in Anglican Identity in Guadalajara Above: 24 graduates, lay and clergy, of the 2022 Class of Viviendo la Identidad Anglicana, Living the Anglican Identity, at the Anglican cathedral of San Pablo, Guadalajara.

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uring the week 22-26 August, the Rev. Pamela Hosey Long taught a workshop in Anglican identity, using a program developed for Latino Episcopalians and other Anglicans. Viviendo la Identidad Anglicana [Living the Anglican Identity], known by its initials VIA, has been around since the 1990s, first designed and implemented by Christ Church Cathedral of Indianapolis under Rev. Dean William Tudor. Rev. Long served as the executive director from 2008 to 2011.

The program consists of an eight-part intensive program aimed at diocesan lay leaders; those leaders then return to their parishes and use the same program over a series of weeks to instruct local lay leaders. Essentially a lay-led program, VIA has been presented in dozens of Latino parishes in the United States, as well as Honduras, Mexico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico.

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Due to a lack of funding, the program had been idle for several years. But in May of 2022, the Rt. Rev. Ricardo Joel Gómez Omaya, bishop of the Diocese of the West in the Anglican Church of Mexico, invited Rev. Long to present the program to his new crop of clergy and lay leaders. Rev. Long had presented the program in 2011 at the diocesan seminary, when the bishop was still a parish priest, and he had taken the program as a participant.

With a new generation of clergy and lay leaders—many of whom were coming from Roman Catholic and Protestant churches in Mexico—the bishop felt it was time for a re-introduction of the workshop.

The curriculum covers 8 topics: Our Christian roots, the history of Anglicanism, the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, Baptism, Eucharist, authority and decision making and the Great Commission. The intensive nature

Rt. Rev. Ricardo Joel Gómez Osnaya preaches at the graduation mass, along with dean Rev. Diana Cabello and seminarian Adrián López Gómez.

of the program prompted one participant to describe it as “confirmation on steroids.”

The program took place over three days at the Anglican cathedral San Pablo (St. Paul) in Guadalajara, Mexico, and 24 lay and ordained participants from Region 1 (the deanery of Guadalajara) took part. One of the participants was Erica Martínez Andrade de Gómez, the wife of the bishop. They had both recently returned from the Lambeth Conference and were excited to talk about connections with other Latin American bishops and their wives. Señora de Gómez expressed her desire to form a youth exchange between the Diocese of the West and the Diocese of Alabama.

Some of the parishes in the diocese serve ex-pat Americans living in Guadalajara, Ajijic and Tlaquepaque.

Other parishes serve Mexican congregations, some of whom have members whose families have been Anglicans for several generations. Anglicanism grew in Mexico as an outgrowth of the liberal policies of the 19th century Reform movement, which drew its inspiration from the Enlightenment movements in Europe and the US. The first bishops in Mexico were missionary bishops from

TEC. The Mexican church became an independent province in 1980.

Bishop Gómez Osnaya has expressed interest in presenting the intensive diocesan program in other deaneries, as well as suggesting it to other bishops in Mexico.

The course took place over six hours daily for three days.

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Pilgrimage to the Holy Land: New Revelations with AFEDJ A Reflection by The Reverend Judy Quick

Deacon Quick (center) with two women from the vocational program of the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf.

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hy does the Holy Land draw me in? What is it about Jerusalem that holds my heart?

I’ve had the privilege of making the traditional pilgrimage to the Holy Land since the mid 1990’s, walking in the footsteps of Jesus in the Galilee and in Jerusalem, and worshipping in Bethlehem before that awful wall scarred the holy birthplace of our Lord.

I have touched the rock where Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac (the Dome of the Rock, Al Aqsa Mosque, now off limits to non-Muslims). I have prayed on Mount Nebo, where Moses looked over the Jordan, saw the promised land, but died before he could reach it.

The experiences of these pilgrimages to these ancient sacred sites formed a deeper appreciation and understanding of my faith.

Pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place – an inward journey, or a visit to ancient physical sites, or a surpris22 | The Alabama Episcopalian

ing encounter with Jesus in a school, a hospital, or a rehabilitation center.

Jesus is alive in the land of the Holy One through the humanitarian ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.

In October, board members of AFEDJ (the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem) visited schools, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers in Jordan, Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.

In the face of countless obstacles, Christian leaders of these institutions model the love of Christ in all that they are and all that they do to serve the disadvantaged and vulnerable of their society, Christians and Muslims.

We visited the inclusive Arab Episcopal School in Irbid, Jordan where blind students and teachers work with sighted students and teachers.

At the Princess Basma Center in Jerusalem, we

A classroom in the inclusive school.

witnessed mothers learning to care for their child with special needs. We met Mira, a young woman with cerebral palsy who had learned to walk with a walker at the Center. Mira convinced school authorities that her physical disability would not impede her ability to learn.

She plans to be an attorney to advocate for children with disabilities.

At the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf in Salt, Jordan, I found new meaning for the understanding of mission as the “touch”, touching others and allowing others to touch you. For deaf-blind students, literal touch is crucial for communication. I watched a teacher gently touch a deaf- blind boy; he responded by touching her.

Like Helen Keller at the well, touch begins true communication and understanding. I was reminded that this is the healing touch of Jesus.

The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem bears witness to the love and healing power of Jesus. Though part of a dwindling minority of Christians in the Holy Land, the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, under the leadership of

Archbishop Hosam Naoum, is building bridges of hope and understanding among all of the Abrahamic faiths. We saw hope in the Holy Land, a glimpse of God’s perfect shalom.

As you plan your next pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I invite you to consider visits to the amazing ministries of the Diocese. Also, you will soon have access to Bearing Witness, videos and study guides for parishes and dioceses to enlighten and inspire you. For additional resources, visit www.afedj.org.

The Reverend Judy Quick serves as a deacon in the Diocese of Alabama and is a Trustee of AFEDJ. She served on the Standing Commission for World Mission where she contributed to the writing of the Guiding Principles for World Mission and helped edit Becoming a World Where Love is the Way: Guiding Principles for World Mission. She serves on the National Speaker’s Bureau for Episcopal Relief & Development and is a member of GEMN, where she served as Vice President.

THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF JERUSALEM: OFFERING A CHRISTIAN WITNESS OF LOVE AND HOPE IN THE HOLY LAND

In addition to 27 parishes, the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem owns and operates more than two dozen humanitarian institutions – schools, hospitals, clinics, centers for children with disabilities, and homes for the elderly in Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. Many of the institutions are more than 100 years old and bear witness to the legacy of a sustained Christian presence in this conflict-torn region.

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Diocesan Staff Update

Breana Mitchell Becomes First Diocesan Missioner for Racial Healing and Pilgrimage

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he desire to look for God is universal. We may not always know that’s what we want, but I believe we’re all searching, and for many of us that means making a pilgrimage.

I read that last year 200 million people worldwide made some sort of spiritual pilgrimage. We come by our pilgrim credentials honestly, through our forefather Abram, who becomes Abraham when he realizes that with God nothing is impossible. Jesus actively invites the disciples saying, “Follow me, and come and see”. At the end of the Gospels, Jesus sends them out, saying “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” Paul travels constantly, so the idea of pilgrimage is divinely inspired, part of our core. As Presiding Bishop Michael Curry says, “Following Jesus began as a call to return to our earliest roots…as people of the Way, as disciples of Jesus.”

Our Diocese is rapidly becoming one of the leading destinations for those making a pilgrimage to understand the Civil Rights Movement. Last year around 500,000 people visited Montgomery, and many continued to on Selma and Hayneville. Our churches in those areas have received a growing number of requests for pilgrimage assistance, guidance, and education from other churches around the country, and we expect that number to grow.

To encourage us to live into our baptismal promises and God’s call, The Task Force for Becoming Beloved Community recommended we identify a Missioner of Racial Healing and Pilgrimage to encourage and help our parishes in this work. I am excited to announce that Bre Mitchell, someone known to us for her wonderful work with Sawyerville, has agreed to assume these responsibilities. She will be supporting the work of racial healing in parishes and diocesan initiatives. Bre is incredibly qualified and spiritually ready. I am delighted to have her gifts and talents focused on this ministry. Bre can be reached at bmitchell@ dioala.org. Please join me in welcoming her leadership.

Blessings, +G

Breanna Mitchell began working with the Sawyerville ministry in 2015 and served as Summer Learning Coordinator, Person2Person Coordinator, and Assistant Director prior to becoming Missioner for Racial Healing. She received her undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Studies from The University of Alabama and will graduate with an MBA from Louisiana State University in Shreveport in December.

When interviewed about her new position, Bre said “Improving race relations in Alabama, and in local communities, is a lifelong commitment I’ve made. I’m honored to be able to play a small part in working to see a world that looks more like Heaven.”

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Clergy News The Reverend Donavan Cain Named Rector of St. Thomas, Huntsville

R Above: Michael Sean Harber and Shari Bishop Harrison were ordained to the priesthood on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at Camp McDowell. Mike is serving at Holy Trinity, Auburn, and Shari is serving at Christ Church, Albertville.

ev. Donavan Cain has accepted the call as the eighth rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Huntsville. He has served as rector for the last nine years at All Saints Episcopal Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Prior to that he served for two years as the associate rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, and three years as the rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Paris, Kentucky, in the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington.

Fr. Donavan, his wife Audrey, and youngest daughter Aoife, will join the St. Thomas family on January 8, 2023.

They have two older daughters; Erin is in college at Eastern Kentucky University and Abby is a head recruitment specialist for a youth advocate program in Kentucky.

Bishop’s Visitation Schedule

You can also find future visitation dates for Bishop G and Bishop Brian on the diocesan website, www.dioala.org. For questions about Bishop G’s visitation schedule email lhorton@dioala.org. For questions about Bishop Brian’s visitation schedule email moeder@dioala.org.

Sunday, January 8, 2023 10:00am: Epiphany, Leeds/Bp. Curry 10:30am: Epiphany, Tallassee/Bp. Prior Wednesday, January 11, 2023 6:00pm: Christ Episcopal, Albertville: Celebration of New Ministry for Shari Harrison Sunday, January 15, 2023 9:30am: St. Mary’s, Childersburg/Bp. Prior 10:00am: Epiphany, Guntersville/Bp. Curry Sunday, January 22, 2023 10:00am: Christ Church, Fairfield/Bp. Curry Sunday, January 29, 2023 10:00am: St. Paul’s, Selma/Bp. Curry 10:30am: St. Luke’s, Jacksonville/Bp. Prior Sunday, February 5, 2023 10:00am: Holy Comforter, Gadsden/Bp. Prior 10:00am: St. Michael & All Angels, Anniston/Bp. Curry Sunday, February 12, 2023 10:00am: St. Stephen’s, Smiths Station/Bp. Curry Sunday, February 19, 2023 9:30am: St. Bartholomew’s, Florence/Bp. Curry 10:00am: Trinity, Bessemer Wednesday, February 22, 2023 - Ash Wednesday 9:30am: Episcopal Place/Bp. Curry 12:00pm: Advent, Birmingham/Bp. Curry 12:00pm: St. Alban’s, Hoover/Bp. Prior 6:00pm: Holy Cross, Trussville/Bp. Prior

Sunday, February 26, 2023 10:00am: St. Thomas, Birmingham/Bp. Curry Sunday, March 5, 2023 10:00am: Grace, Cullman/Bp. Prior 5:00pm: Calvary, Oneonta/Bp. Prior Sunday, March 19, 2023 10:00am: St. Joseph’s-on-the-mountain, Mentone/Bp. Curry Sunday, March 26, 2023 10:00am: St. John’s, Decatur/Bp. Curry Sunday, April 2, 2023 - Palm Sunday 10:00am: St. Andrew’s, Montevallo/Bp. Prior 10:00am: St. John’s, Montgomery/Bp. Curry Wednesday, April 5, 2023 12:00pm: St. Dunstan’s, Auburn/ Bp. Prior 6:00pm: St. Michael & All Angels, Millbrook/Bp. Curry Thursday, April 6, 2023 - Maundy Thursday 7:00pm: St. Matthew’s, Madison/Bp. Prior Friday, April 7, 2023 - Good Friday 11:00am: Good Shepherd, Decatur/Bp. Curry Saturday, April 8, 2023 – Holy Saturday 6:00pm: Ascension, Montgomery/Bp. Prior 6:00pm: St. Andrew’s, Birmingham/Bp. Curry Sunday, April 9, 2023 - Easter 9:00am: St. Wilfrid’s, Marion/Bp. Curry 10:00am: St. Peter’s, Talladega/Bp. Prior 11:15am: St. Paul’s, Greensboro/Bp. Curry

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Around the Diocese Jackson County Bar Celebrates the Red Mass

The Red Mass, held in the nave of St. Luke’s, Scottsboro.

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t. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Scottsboro hosted its tenth annual Red Mass for the Jackson County Bench and Bar on Friday, September 30th. The Hon. Gaines C. McCorquodale, Presiding Circuit Judge of the First Judicial Circuit, encompassing Clarke, Choctaw, and Washington Counties, Alabama, was the speaker. Judge McCorquodale preached a message about the Bar’s common duty of fidelity to the law, to the profession, and to the community. The group enjoyed lunch together after the service.

Among the guests were Judge Richard Minor and Judge Bill Cole of the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.

The Red Mass is based on the Roman Catholic service, which began nearly eight hundred years ago, and is celebrated annually at the start of the new term of court for judges, attorneys, law school professors, students, and government officials seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit for all who work for justice. The service originated in Europe during the High Middle Ages, and is named from the red vestments symbolizing the tongues of fire of the Holy Spirit that descended on the Apostles at Pentecost. In the United States, Red Mass was first held in 1877 at Saints Peter and Paul Church, Detroit, Michigan, and is now celebrated throughout the country, including at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Montgomery, Alabama, since 1975.

26 | The Alabama Episcopalian

The Honorable John Graham, circuit court judge in Jackson County, started the Red Mass tradition several years ago and coordinates it each year.

Around the Diocese Diocesan Convention 2023: February 2 – 4 Camp McDowell

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lans are well underway for our 193rd Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. We are returning to our own McDowell Camp & Conference Center gathering on Thursday evening, February 2, and departing midday Saturday the 4th.

This gathering of representatives from parishes, worshipping communities, and college campus centers transacts the necessary business of the Diocese, but most importantly, provides the opportunity for us to grow in our relationships as fellow Episcopalians and as the Body of Christ.

Each parish, worshipping community, and college campus ministry center needs to report and certify their delegation with the bishop’s office no later than December 15, 2022. This means many of you will need to select your delegation prior to your annual meeting. You can register your delegates by scanning the QR code below. It is no longer necessary to log into Access ACS. Most parishes have arranged for election of the delegates by the vestry. The Canons specify that the number of delegates, up to a maximum of 8, assigned each parish is based on the number of Confirmed Communicants in Good Standing reporting at the previous convention.

Again practically, this means the number of Confirmed Communicants in Good Standing reported in your 2021 Parochial Report. Note that failure to file in a timely fashion means the number from the last year reported is used.

Except for the initial letter about certification of delegates, all correspondence and materials will be sent electronically to individual delegates and to your parish

secretary-administrator.

Registration information, including lodging details, will be released after the December 15 certification deadline and will need to be completed by each delegate by January 15, 2023.

Registration, including lodging, will be available online.

Information will be available on this page and sent electronically to individual delegates and parish contacts as it becomes available. If you have questions, please contact the convention team in the bishop’s office at diocesanconvention@ dioala.org.

Thank you for helping us prepare for the 2023 Diocesan Convention.

Sincerely, Rob Morpeth, On Behalf of the Convention Team For Convention updates and links please scan this QR code:

Our 193rd Diocesan Convention will focus on the four priorities outlined on pages 2-17 in this issue of The Episcopalian: 1. Congregational vitality 2. Leadership development 3. Racial healing 4. Camp McDowell.

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Shared Ministries Youth Department Hosts “Dio Day”

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By Sarah Coleman Hornsby, Youth Department Chair

n October 8th, the Youth Department hosted our first event of the year at All Saints Episcopal Church in Homewood, Alabama. We chose to host Rise Against Hunger and call it Dio Day! This event was for all ages and encouraged those not in the age range of other Youth Department events to come and experience what our events are typically like.

We all gathered at All Saints and had icebreakers like any other event, and then dove in to start the process of packing the food. We decked out in gloves and hairnets, and we looked very fashionable if I do say myself. If you aren’t familiar with Rise Against Hunger, it is an international hunger relief organization that distributes food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable countries with their goal to end hunger by 2030. We packed packages of rice and soy along with other things. Each station had a different job and it was organized chaos. We danced around to “Mr. Bright-

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side” by The Killers while simultaneously carrying out our assigned jobs. Many hands make light work and because we had around 50 people come, we packaged nearly 20,000 meals! I certainly know that I’m anxiously awaiting the email to find out what country the meals were sent to.

This event meant a lot to me because it showed that I can help out around the world, all while having fun! Caitlin Martin ‘23 and this year’s Youth Department PR coordinator said “I loved getting to see all ages at our event! It was amazing to see the love of God in everyone there. I’m so thankful to be given this opportunity to give back to my community.”

Dio Day was a great first event of this year, and I am beyond excited for the rest! A big thanks to All Saints Episcopal Church for providing us with the space, and another big thanks to Abbi Pearman from Rise Against Hunger for helping us with everything.

Task Force for the Care of Creation Plants Trees at Camp McDowell

n Saturday, Oct. 2, 2022, representatives from the Diocesan Task Force for the Care of Creation met at Camp McDowell to start planting trees donated by St. Simon Peter Church in Pell City. This is an extension of the Communion Forest in Alabama. We prayed before planting that the Creator of all things and the source of life would cause our trees to grow that they may provide shade, become strong lungs of the earth, enhance the habitat of local wildlife, and create beauty for all to enjoy. We also prayed that our diocese would follow in our example and be inspired to plant more trees. Andrew Shea, Land and Resource Manag28 | The Alabama Episcopalian

er at Camp McDowell, instructed us how to plant. Those who helped plant trees included Anne Ness, Sara-Scott Wingo, D.R. Dunlap, Sarah Dunlap, and Michael Yancey. Other helpers who joined us were Sarah, Annie, and Scarlett Macon.

The Task Force invites all Alabama Episcopalians to plant as many trees as possible or to have them planted. We also ask that you record your planting with the Diocese by filling out the form provided at www. dioala.org/creation.

-The Rev. Sara-Scott Wingo, Chair of the Task Force for the Care of Creation

Shared Ministries

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Update on Clean Water for Uniontown

he residents of Uniontown, Alabama face the basic problem of having clean drinking water every day.

For over a decade, the Episcopal Church and other organizations have been shipping bottled water to this community to meet their daily drinking water needs, but this is not a long-term solution.

Now, we are introducing water filters that can be placed in a home and provide clean water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene. The filters will last for five years, and they remove everything one would want removed.

In August, we shared filters with 25 households at an event with dinner at a venue on the main street in Uniontown. In November we shared 15 more at a smaller event held in the home of Mr. Ben Eaton of the Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and Justice (BBC). We learned from our first attempt and made many improvements for the second. This time, we brought the filters pre-assembled

and did a demonstration of how it works. We saw the cloudy look of the water from Mr. Eaton’s faucet before pouring it into a filter and then the clear water that came out. Remarkable. We are planning another distribution before the Christmas holidays.

The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama has created a Task Force to work alongside Uniontown residents in this endeavor.

I’m excited to have the support of the broader diocese and to strengthen our relationship with the members of the BBC who have done so much good work already.

Thank you for your past support of the bottled water collection and look for more information from us as we stay diligent in this ministry. If you’d like to contribute to the cost of the water filters, you can give online at dioala. org and choose Uniontown Water Project from the dropdown list.

Faithfully, Memily Colvin

Abilities Coordinator Position at Bethany Summer Camp

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amp McDowell is looking for a positive, self-starting, and supportive team member to come live, work, and thrive in the beauty of God’s backyard! To apply, email a resume, cover letter, and three professional references to summercampdirector@campmcdowell.org. For more information scan the QR code below.

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Shared Ministries

What has Christianity got to do with a teenager’s world today?

How can the church speak to today’s youth?

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Happening points to an answer.

appening is a personal encounter with the living Christ as expressed in the traditions of the Episcopal Church. Hopefully, those who attend a Happening will join those who have gone before them in their desire to serve the Church, to continue in their commitment to Christ and to look for further opportunities to share with others what they have lived and learned.

Registration and staff applications are now open for Happening #82, March 3-5, 2023 at Grace Church, Pike Road. To learn more visit https://happeninginal.weebly.com/ 10th-12th grade youth can register by scanning the QR code to the right. For a youth or adult staff application contact Kristin Blackerby, kblackerby@dioala.org.

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What is Vocare?

ocare” is a form of a Latin word meaning “to call.”

The Vocare weekend is a renewal weekend addressed to young adults in the time when they face many serious decisions that set the direction for much of their adult life.

Registration and staff applications are now open for Vocare #23, March 3-5, 2023 at Camp McDowell. Vocare is a FREE spiritual renewal weekend addressed to young adults (ages 18-30ish) in the time when they face many serious decisions that set the direction for much of their adult life.

Learn more about Vocare in the Diocese of Alabama at www.dioala.org/vocare.

For a pilgrim application scan this code: For a staff application contact Kristin Blackerby, kblackerby@dioala.org.

30 | The Alabama Episcopalian

News From Our Parishes

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Diocesan Outreach Grant Supports Eucharist Celebrated in Spanish

he first Saturday in August of this year was a resurrection day for St. Michael’s in Fayette. That was when we once again began offering Eucharists celebrated in Spanish.

We had 21 participants in that first service – a great start after a hiatus of several years.

Earlier this year St. Michael’s received an Outreach Grant from the Diocese that we will use to further enhance our Hispanic Ministry. Restarting this once-a-month Eucharist in Spanish has been a blessing for our faith community here in Fayette and is evolving month to month. I am gradually learning “Liturgical Spanish”.

We have recruited an interpreter who was a tremendous help in the beginning and continues to pick up my slack when I am proclaiming the Gospel, preaching, and leading the Eucharistic prayer. Our Hispanic parishioners

say the Nicene Creed and the Prayers of the People in Spanish.

They have been very patient with me as I struggle to preside by gradually incorporating Spanish.

In turn, some of the parishioners who I thought spoke very little English are now engaging me in conversation. Of course, their English is much better than my Spanish. With their input we are hoping to start incorporating music into the service and providing Christian formation activities.

We have a Children’s Service every 5th Sunday and are inviting the children from the Spanish Service to participate. We invite anyone interested to join us as we celebrate La Eucharistia at Iglesia Episcopal de San Miguel.

-The Rev. Danny Whitehead, Rector of St. Michael’s, Fayette

Longest Night Prayer Vigil

St. Matthew’s In-the-Pines Hosts Thanksgiving Lunch

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n the Northern Hemisphere, December 21 is the longest night, the winter solstice. It marks the shortest day of the year, the official start of winter. For those for whom night-time means heightened loneliness, fear or abuse, this is the night most dreaded, when hope is most needed. Lift Up the Vulnerable (LUV) will hold our third-annual global Prayer Vigil to lift up those at-risk to human trafficking and oppression over the Longest Night, December 21 from 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 12/21 until 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, 12/22. Parishioners can sign-up to keep vigil one hour of the longest night — at home or with a small group — knowing that you are linking prayers with a global community in support of the most vulnerable in our world today. A meditation guide will be emailed to all who register. Or, join our first in person prayer vigil at St Lukes in Birmingham on the 21st from 5:30-6:30pm. This vigil will also be livestreamed. For more information visit https://saint-lukes.com.

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n November 20, the congregation of St. Matthew’s In-the-Pines, Seale hosted members of Seale United Methodist Church for a Thanksgiving pot luck.

The Rev. Donna Gafford is rector at St. Matthew’s and the Rev. Brady Baird is pastor at Seale UMC.

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The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama 521 North 20th Street Birmingham, AL 35203–2682

The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama Carpenter House 521 North 20th Street Birmingham, AL 35203–2682 Bishop: The Rt. Rev. Glenda S. Curry Assisting Bishop: The Rt. Rev. Brian N. Prior The Alabama Episcopalian Debbie Donaldson, Editor Miles G. Parsons, Art Director Volume 107, Number 4 Fall 2022 USPS 070-910 ISSN 1041-3316 Periodical postage paid POSTMASTER: Please send address corrections to Liza Lee Horton, The Alabama Episcopalian, 521 North 20th Street, Birmingham, AL, 35203-2682.

The Alabama Episcopalian is published four times a year: March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1. Please send stories and photographs (full color, at highest resolution possible) to Editor Debbie Donaldson, ddonaldson@dioala.org. The submission deadlines for each issue are February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. Parishes and individuals, please send all address changes or additions to Liza Lee Horton, lhorton@dioala.org or Carpenter House, 521 North 20th Street, Birmingham, AL 35203–2682.

Great things are happening in the Diocese of Alabama, and we would like to share them with you. Sign up here!

Keep up with the latest news from around our diocese between issues of The Alabama Episcopalian on our diocesan website, www.dioala. org. If you are not receiving our weekly enewsletter you can sign up by scanning the QR code on the left. You can opt out at any time.