DIOCESAN DIGEST
DIOCESE OF EAST CAROLINA
DIOCESAN DIGEST
The Diocese of East Carolina 705 Doctors Drive Kinston, NC 28501
Phone: (252) 522-0885
Website: www.diocese-eastcarolina.org
Bishop
The Rt Rev Robert Skirving
Editorial Director
Sara Tavela, Coordinator of Communications
Contributors in this Issue
Bishop Rob Skirving; the Maxwell Center; Goldsboro Tourism Resource Library; Bishop Search Committee; St Paul’s, Wilmington Communications Team; Deacon Cheryl Wagoner; Danielle Reaves; Church of the Servant, Wilmington; St. Paul’s, Edenton; St. Thomas, Ahoskie; St. Thomas, Windsor; the Clark family; John Koch; Mary Beth Bradberry; Mindy Furrer; Emily Gowdy Canady; Juniper LaNunziata; Vicar Rahim Brown; La Sagrada Familia, Newton Grove; and Sara Tavela
Submissions
All submission ideas are welcome and considered for publication. Visit www.diocese-eastcarolina.org/ communication-submissions/ to submit your idea.
Subscriptions
Visit www diocese-eastcarolina org/news/ and click to subscribe to our publications.
Letters to the Editor
Send letters to the Editor to communications@dioceseeastcarolina.org Spring 2025
N O T E F R O M T H E E D I T O R
Blessings to you, and welcome to our spring issue of the Digest!
This issue of the Diocesan Digest centers on the many ways our diocese is stepping into new seasons of ministry, leadership, and purpose. From ordinations and celebrations of new ministry, to our bishop search, to a new gathering place for convention, to major gifts and new leadership that open fresh opportunities for mission, the stories here all reflect a church in motion discerning, responding, and beingrenewed
I hope you enjoy this edition of the Digest, and may the Spirit continue to guide us in our shared life as the Diocese of East Carolina Happy reading!
InChrist, Sara
Sharingourstories, SharingourlifeinChrist.
Get Ready for Convention
We’re gathering this fall in a brand-new location
Diocesan Profile Out Now
Explore the newly released snapshot of our diocesan life and ministries as we search for our next bishop
Celebrating Ordinations & New Ministries
Welcoming new leaders and honoring sacred callings across the diocese
Trinity Center Celebrates $1 Million Gift in Soundings
A major, celebrated moment of gratitude for Trinity Center
A Year of Grace and Growth with The Well
Reflecting on a year of spiritual formation, connection, and transformation
CONVENTION
Mark your calendars our annual convention will be held on Friday and Saturday, November 14–15, 2025. We’re especially excited to announce, for the first time publicly, that this year ’ s Convention will take place at The Maxwell Center in Goldsboro. This beautiful and modern venue offers a wonderful and functional setting for our time together, and we ’ re looking forward to all that this new location will make possible (including delicious local BBQ!).
As a friendly reminder to congregations, if your congregation has not yet submitted its Certificate of Delegate Election, please do so as soon as possible. This information is essential for ensuring that all elected delegates are properly registered and represented.
As additional details come together for convention, they will be shared directly with all canonically resident clergy and elected delegates. We’re looking forward to a meaningful and spirit-filled gathering this November.
A Prayer for Discernment
Gracious and loving God, guide the hearts and minds of those among us who will search for a new bishop to lead the Diocese of East Carolina, that we may listen carefully to discern your will and call a bishop who will love and serve your people in all the communities of this diocese and lead us forward in new ways in our ministries and service to you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
TRINITY CENTER CELEBRATES $1
MILLION GIFT IN SOUNDINGS
The spring 2025 special edition of Soundings is a celebration of legacy, mission, and momentum at Trinity Center. At the heart of this issue is a transformational $1 million legacy gift from the estate of Dr. Richard Clark—an act of profound generosity that reflects a lifelong love of nature, family, and community. This extraordinary gift not only honors Dr. Clark’s memory but also ensures that others may find peace, inspiration, and connection at Trinity Center for years to come.
This special issue dives into Dr. Clark’s remarkable life story from his early love of geology and outdoor adventure to a distinguished career in medicine and his deep ties to the North Carolina coast. Through heartfelt words, readers are invited to learn more about the man whose legacy helps shape the future of Trinity Center.
By Juniper LaNunziata and
This year, we embraced a new chapter as The Well’s leadership passed to co-ministers Vicar Rahim Brown and Juniper LaNunziata. It’s been a journey of patience, experimentation, and faith especially when, at our first meeting, only Rahim and Juniper showed up.
Gone are the days of drawing students to a church building for meals and programs. Instead, Juniper and Rahim brought our ministry to campus, setting up "office hours" in ECU’s Main Campus Student Center offering counsel with no strings attached. Students began stopping by, some staying for hours, wrestling with faith, life, and belonging. Some students decided to join us for meetings; others didn’t. Either way, every moment together has been fruitful!
Vicar Rahim Brown
Only a handful of them were already connected to the Episcopal or Lutheran traditions; many more are Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, or have no religious background. By honoring the complexity of religious affiliation in the 21st century, we ’ ve made space for students to find their own way to be a member of the Well. Believers, skeptics, and unbelievers alike are welcome here a non-judgmental community for the exploration of Christian faith.
We’re always finding new ways to serve the larger ECU community. Beyond our longstanding presence of Ashes to Go on Ash Wednesday, we ’ ve introduced a “take a prayer, leave a prayer ” board, where students, staff, and faculty share deeply personal hopes and struggles. And at semester’s end, our students make hundreds of “ exam survival kits” small tangible reminders to their peers of God’s love and acceptance even as academia grinds on.
This year has been full of surprises, grace, and growth. We can’t wait to see what’s next.
