November 10, 2021 | Volume 11, No. 61

Delegates hold hands as Bishop Frank Logue offers a closing prayer and blessing.

Over 250 Episcopalians from South and Central Georgia gathered together, in person and online, for the 200th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia last weekend. The Holy Spirit was at work in the Golden Isles, and not just in the gale force winds that accompanied us throughout the Convention! During our gathering we attended to the work of the Diocese, passing the annual budget, provisionally passing proposed changes to the Constitution and Canons, and hearing reports about ministry across the Diocese throughout the past year. (Pictured here is the Convention Eucharist in a tent at Honey Creek).

We had the joy of recognizing three remarkable lay persons through the Deacons’, Deans’, and Bishop’s Awards. Through videos shared with Convention we saw how God continually gave the growth in our congregations and individual lives, even in the midst of global pandemic. Bishop Logue shared the joyful news that the Honey Creek Bond debt has been fully repaid, and Honey Creek’s Executive Director shared how God has been at work in the “parish hall of the Diocese” for members of the Diocese and those in the larger community.

On Friday evening we gathered together for a beautiful service of Holy Eucharist at Honey Creek, with inspired words from Bishop Logue encouraging us all to strive for faithfulness, even in the midst of adversity, by taking just the next small step needed to do what God calls us to do. We capped off the evening with a shared meal and some of the finest dancing seen this side of Heaven.

Dr. Clemontine F. Washington, a Convention Guest from St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Savannah said “The convention was spiritually and socially uplifting. The business sessions provided updated and insights into the operation of the Diocese. I am so pleased that I was able to attend. Bishop Logue made everyone feel comfortable and relaxed as he presided over the business of the convention.”

The joy of being together, mostly in person, as a Diocese once again was palpable. We look forward to seeing how God continues to give the growth in the days, weeks, months, and years to come!

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend Diocesan Convention either in-person or online. The generous spirit shown by so many allowed us to have a successful gathering despite the cold and wet weather and the need for Covid precautions. We are already looking forward to next year’s Convention!

As we prepare for the 201st Convention of the Diocese of Georgia, we want to take a moment to pause and learn from this year’s event, and for that, we need your feedback. If you attended the Convention, please click this link,

https://bit.ly/GAConventionSurvey.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

The Canons of the Episcopal Church require a bishop's address be given at each diocesan convention, which gives the convention a report on the State of the Diocese. In his address Bishop Logue said, "While we are doing better than we feared we might when sheltering in place began, no church in the Diocese is back to typical attendance."

He added that while most congregations are experiencing only a slight reduction in income, "A third of us have been hit harder. We are doing pretty well, but as the Body of Christ, when any are hurting, it affects us all." He went on to name several of the ways the Diocese offered assistance to congregations in need.

The bishop also reported to convention that on November 1, 2021 the Diocesan staff sent out checks to every bondholder paying off the bonds in full, together with the final interest payment. Bishop Logue announced that the 2% additional assessment is working and we are on track to be debt free by the end of 2023.

The full Bishop's Address is online here: gaepiscopal.org/bishopsaddress2021/

"Life can offer clear next steps" Bishop Logue said in his sermon for the Convention Eucharist. "A hurricane hits. The roof is damaged. We know what to do. We get tarps to secure the roof and call the insurance company. We check on our neighbors."

He added, "Then there are the rest of the times in life, too many situations to name. The problem is so big, the obstacles are unfamiliar, the path is unclear. This is more like what we face in the church now. Here is the church. Here is the steeple. When we open the doors, we discover less people than before the pandemic. More than last month, but half where we were last year. What now?"

In the sermon, he told of a time when he experienced God teaching him how we just take the next faithful step we can see. "God takes our next faithful step and blesses it and gives us the next step and the next and whatever growth looks like in our hearts, in our lives, in our churches, that is a gift from God.

Click here to read the convention sermon: God gave the growth

After passing two amendments and postponing a third, the 200th convention passed a package of changes to the Diocese of Georgia’s Constitution and Canons on a first reading. A Task Group of Diocesan Council drafted the changes which were approved by Council and recommended by the Committee on Constitution and Canons. None of the changes goes into effect unless the package of changes is approved on a second reading at the convention in 2022. (Pictured above, the Rev. Leeann Culbreath offers an amendment to the proposed canonical changes).

The Amendments

An amendment put forward by the Very Rev. Tom Purdy and a group of co-signers, would modify the change to Convocation Council. In the changes proposed by the Task Group, those meetings would move from being comprised on one clergy person and one vestry member from each congregation to all voting delegates (clergy and lay) from each congregation. As that would provide disproportionate numbers of voters per congregation, the amendment passed would still limit the vote at those meetings for a convocational representative to Diocesan Council to be one clergy vote and one lay vote from each congregation.

A second amendment put forth by the Revs. Leeann Culbreath and Nathan Wilson adds the Creation Care Commission as a canonical commission of the Diocese of Georgia. The commission, created by Bishop Benhase, has no current standing in the canons.

A third amendment put forward by the Rev. Ian Lasch and a group of co-signers added more specifics to the canons on the election of a bishop. These were largely eliminated in the proposed canons. The convention approved a motion to postpone consideration of the proposed amendment until the next convention, with the intent of having the task group study the amendment and make recommendations.

The path forward

Approval on the first reading gives an additional year for consideration for the package of changes to the constitution and canons. Bishop Logue will work with Diocesan Council on authorizing and charging a Task Group for the coming year. That group will have time for due consideration of the package of changes. Additionally, the Bishop and Council will provide an orderly process to consider any proposed changes in the next convention in such a way as to allow passage of the second reading of the constitutional changes with further amendment to the canons. Please keep the Bishop, Council, and the Task Group in your prayers as we continue this work between conventions.

Bishop Award honoree Mark Forssell is pictured above showing his certificate as he is pictured with his wife, Shirley, and the delegation from St. Peter's, Savannah.

Since 2011, the Diocese honors three persons in convention. The deacons of the Diocese present a Deacons’ Award, honoring a lay person with exceptional service to their community. This year, the deacons selected Sherrie Hatch, a parishioner of St. Luke's, Hawkinsville. Among her ministries, Sherrie has been working in the local community to set up blessing boxes. There are currently four blessing boxes in Hawkinsville these boxes like the take a book leave a book concept, but the twist is that with these boxes are that they are sponsored by a group, a local church, civic club etc. They help to keep the boxes full of non-perishable foods and toilet sundry’s for those in need to come and get as they need.

The Deans of the six convocations offer their Deans’ Award to honor a lay person for exceptional service to their congregation. The Deans selected Beverly Thompson of the Church of the Annunciation, Vidalia. A member of the congregation since 1980, she has been involved in and led many lay groups. She presently serves as a Eucharistic Minister, a Lector, a Sunday Morning Collection Counter, and on the Vestry, as a member and as Clerk to the Vestry. She has been Clerk to the Vestry several times and has also served as chair of the Episcopal Church Women, Adult Christian Education Program and Daughters of the King. She was Senior Warden through a time of clergy transition and a delegate to Diocesan Convention many times. She just completed a three-year term on Diocesan Council.

The Bishop’s Award honors a lay person for exceptional service to the Diocese of Georgia. This year, Bishop Logue honored Mark Forssell, a parishioner of St. Peter's Savannah and a dedicated member of the Honey Creek Commission. In bestowing. the honor in convention, Bishop Logue said, "I saw his passion for using the Honey Creek Bond Sale to get the stakeholders of the Diocese to invest in our sacred ground. Then I watched his steady work in seeing that we remained in the black." he then added, "There are so many people to thank for this effort, but as we achieve this milestone in which we have honored the trust placed in us by the bond holders, I find myself especially grateful for Mark and feel myself blessed to get to bestow this honor on him."

Convention began on Thursday with Evening Prayer at St. Mark's, Brunswick. Bishop Logue officiated and the Very Rev. Tom Purdy, Dean of Southeast Convocation preached. In his sermon, Dean Purdy said, "We need to figure out how the Church – the Body of Christ – can regain its voice in a way that effectively shapes the world around us – shapes it in ways it so desperately needs as we bring the kingdom to bear on earth as it is in heaven."

To read the Very Rev. Tom Purdy's full sermon visit https://gaepiscopal.org/convention2021ep/

An album of photos is located on Facebook, with the same photos also in an album on the photo site Flickr for those who prefer not to use the social media site.

Flickr.com album of convention

Facebook album of convention

As Bishop Logue shared with the convention, we are responsible for faithfulness to God and then rely on God to bless our efforts. Five videos helped draw out this theme of convention: God Gave the Growth. On Friday, the Rev. Lonnie Lacy told of how his viral video created for an online talent show revealed how demanding leading a church in pandemic had been for clergy and lay persons across the country (Click here for Viral Video Revelations). Then Dr. Bertice Berry shared what came from considering how to use her gifts in pandemic led to a story telling ministry (click here for Stories to Tell).

On Saturday, a video of Holy Cross, Thomson, shared how offering online options in pandemic led to renewed energy (click here for Holy Cross), while a second video shared how St. Mark's, Woodbine, did not offer anything online, but returned in person as soon as they could and also have experienced new life (Click here for St. Mark's). The final video was from St. John's, Bainbridge, whose Little Free Food Pantry has led to more connections in the community than imagined when they started that ministry (linked above).

Canon Katie Easterlin is taking a sabbatical from November 8th- December 7th. During that time, she will be unavailable and unable to check email. Please reach out to the following:

Health Insurance/Benefits: Daniel Garrick, Assistant Administrator, dgarrick@gaepiscopal.org

Financials: The Rt. Rev. Frank Logue, Bishop, bishop@gaepiscopal.org

General Support: Canon Loren Lasch, Canon to the Ordinary, llasch@gaepiscopal.org

For Payables and Receivables: Daniel Garrick, Assistant Administrator, dgarrick@gaepiscopal.org and Maggie Lyons, Executive Assistant to the Bishop, mlyons@gapepiscopal.org.

Church Pension Group Contact Numbers

CPG Medical- (800) 480-9967

CPG Pension- (866) 802-6333

Health Advocate- (866) 695-8622

EAP- (866) 395-7794

Property and Casual - (800) 293-3525 (client services) (800) 223-5705 (claims)

We wish Canon Easterlin a joyful and restful sabbatical and look forward to her return in December!

The Honey Creek Commission held its annual Silent Auction online. The silent auction went live ahead of convention and stayed online through just before midnight on Friday. In total, the auction raised $8,980 before Commission Chair Jay Lacy added a twenty dollar bill to bring the total to an even $9,000. Julius Ariail won the raffle for a Yeti Backflip Cooler. The funds surpassed the goal of $6,000 for the Honey Creek Future Fund. Pictured above, Charles Whiting of Grace Cafe at Christ Church Valdosta talks with Honey Creek Commission members Brad Sandbach and Beth Baker during the reception in Stuart Hall at Honey Creek after the Convention Eucharist.

The following persons were elected by convention.



BOARD of OFFICERS of THE CORPORATION

Leslie Lambert

CHURCH DISCIPLINARY BOARD

Lay

Sam Colville

Laura Wheaton

Clergy

The Rev. Geri Nelson, Deacon

The Rev. Joe Bowden

The Rev. Katie Knoll Lenon

DIOCESAN COUNCIL

The Rev. Kelly Steele

STANDING COMMITTEE

Lay

Elise Miller

Clergy

The Rev. Walter Hobgood

TRUSTEE of the UNIVERSITY of the SOUTH

Val Crumpton

The clergy of the Diocese of Georgia gathered for the 200th Convention.