crosswalk the official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina
Januar y 2003
Great Gathering garners attention from national press By Peggy Van Antwerp Hill
What’s even better than ending up on the by-now-proverbial cover of the Rolling Stone? What else but seeing the Great Gathering of our diocese featured as the cover story for the November 24, 2002, issue of The Living Church. And then, one week later, opening up the December issue of Episcopal Life to read about that same event in an article entitled “Becoming mission-minded.” The Living Church is a national independent weekly magazine published by The Living Church Foundation, “presenting news and views of the Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion, along with articles on spirituality, Anglican heritage, and the application of Christianity in daily life.” Episcopal Life is the national monthly
newspaper of the Episcopal Church in the United States. So from coast to coast the word is out: Upper South Carolina is a diocese committed, in the words of our bishop, the Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr., to “reclaiming and proclaiming our identity as a missionary church.” The Living Church, quoting Bishop Henderson’s remarks at the Great Gathering, headlined its piece “Sleeping Giant No Longer.” “It was not business as usual,” the article said, “when members of the Diocese of Upper South Carolina gathered in Greenville on Oct. 25–26.” The cover photo, by Pam Steude, former Crosswalk editor and a member of St. Francis of Assisi, Chapin, is an engaging shot of our bishop explaining his episcopal attire to a group of rapt Great Gathering Children’s Center participants.
In Episcopal Life, Steude again captures this watershed event of the diocese in an informative story accompanied by a photo of Upper South Carolinians streaming into the Palmetto Expo Center in Greenville on October 26, 2002. Citing Bishop Henderson’s hope that “the experience would be a catalyst in the parishes and missions to energize people to go out and do the mission of the Church,” Steude also quotes Toni Sylvester, co-chair of the Great Gathering Planning Committee, to emphasize the fact that the event is “meant to be a beginning, Better than the Rolling Stone—The Living Church,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 November 24, 2002
Magnetic Church kicks off 2003 diocesan conferences
www.edusc.org
Visit our diocese online!
esan House (803-771-7800), cchilton@edusc.org.
PAID
CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Permit No. 848 Columbia, SC
THE MAGNETIC CHURCH CONFERENCE (January 24–25 and February 7–8) If the word evangelism brings to mind visions of Tammy Faye, or makes you feel a little uneasy (especially if you’re asked to “do” it), or sounds just plain inconsistent with being an Episcopalian, you’re not alone. In our society, unsavory visions of shady television evangelists often overshadow the true meaning of the word, which has no sinister overtones at all. In fact, loosely translated, evangelism means simply “telling the good news.” All right, you say, but that’s still something I’d be uncomfortable doing—I’ve never been good about that sort of thing. Let the extroverts take care of it. If you’re one of the many who are still uneasy or skepti-
cal about the “E” word, the Magnetic Church Conference has been designed just for you—to offer strategies and resources for practical, nonconfrontational evangelism that will help churches attract, welcome, and retain new members. Presented by Andrew D. Weeks, a life-long Anglican, this day-and-ahalf conference has proven to be effective in starting and re-energizing evangelism programs. A gifted lay evangelist and humorous, inspiring speaker, Weeks has designed this program to involve skeptics, stimulate activists, and engage the curious—to help everyone learn more about new member ministry. As he has done with Episcopal and other mainline Protestant churches across the country, he will invite us into his faith journey; guide us through this spiritually based, practical exploration of evangelism; and challenge us into new creative ministries, not more tasks. Registration forms are available in all church offices, on the diocesan Web site (www.edusc.org), or from Canon Carolyn Chilton at the Dioc-
Nonprofit Org. U.S. POSTAGE
Question: The Great Gathering’s over. What now? Answer: God knows what . . . , including many things not yet even imagined. But for the short haul, there’s a roster of conferences and workshops that will help keep the diocese focused on mission and offer resources to equip the saints for same. First up is The Magnetic Church Conference, to be held twice in the diocese, at St. Mary’s, Columbia, on January 24–25, 2003, and at St. James, Greenville, February 7–8. Registration materials are available in local church offices, on the diocesan Web site, www.edusc.org, or from Diocesan House (803-771-7800).
Also coming up are a Parochial Report Workshop, January 30, 2003, at All Saints, Clinton, and The Bishop’s Conference on Stewardship, May 2–3, 2003, at the Bishop Gravatt Center in Aiken. But let’s begin at the beginning . . . with . . .
Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina 1115 Marion Street Columbia, South Carolina 29201
By Peggy Van Antwerp Hill