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June 16, 2021
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Volume 11, No. 41
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Back to the Creek Retreat for Youth!
Grades 6-12
Cost: $125
Registration Opens Next Week!
At the end of July, after a hiatus of almost 17 months, the Diocese is excited to start offering in-person gatherings for youth at Honey Creek! Our first event will take place Friday, July 30 - Sunday, August 1 and will be for youth in Grades 6-12. This "Back to the Creek Retreat" will allow our young people to take a break before their school year begins. Because Covid-19 is still a risk, participant numbers will be limited for this event. Smaller numbers will enable everyone to spread out in the dorms and during worship and other activities. Sign up quickly when registration opens next week!
Please contact Canon Varner at jvarner@gaepiscopal.org with questions about this event! We strongly encourage all participants who are able to do so to get vaccinated before the event!
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The Rev. Ed Williams (1932-2021)
The people of the Diocese of Georgia mourn the death of the Rev. Ed Williams, deacon at St. Mark's, Brunswick who died at home in Hospice care. "Deacon Ed was such a dear man who exuded the love of God we know through Jesus every where he went," Bishop Frank Logue said. "I recall discussing with him my work in starting a new church, and Deacon Ed telling me that 'we can never argue anyone to Christ; We must love them to Christ as Christ has loved us.' That is how he lived his life, loving others as Christ loved him."
Ed was born May 28, 1932 in Wilmington, Delaware to Edward Satterfield Williams, Sr. and Kathleen Maguyre Williams. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he proudly served his country until his retirement as Master Chief Operations Specialist, NATC Glynco, Georgia on March 1, 1971. The years following his Navy career, Ed pursued a career in insurance until 1985 when he completed his Certified Financial Planning education and practiced as Financial Security Services, Inc. until he retired in 2014.
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| | Shortly before his death, dozens of golf carts and cars paraded by Deacon Ed's home in celebration of his 89th birthday. |
The highlight of his many careers was his Ordination as Vocational Deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia in 2000. Deacon Ed served his Lord and his fellow man, living his faith and teaching by example, until his death. He was active at St. Mark's, Cursillo, The Deacons' School for Ministry and served as Chairman of the Diocesan Deacon Council. His booming voice dismissing the St. Mark's congregation after Sunday service was easily recognized and loved.
He leaves behind his wife, Bobbi, 9 children, 37 grandchildren, and 18 great grandchildren. It would be impossible to know just how many lives he touched during his life. He adored his family and was so proud of each of them. He was sensitive to the needs of others and wept for them. He laughed and made friends easily and was always ready to encourage and support. He will be sadly missed.
A Celebration of Ed's life, with Military Honors, will be held at St. Mark's Episcopal Church on Saturday, June 19th at 2 PM.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 900 Gloucester Street, Brunswick, GA 31520 or GHC Hospice, 777 Gloucester Street, Suite 303, Brunswick, GA 31520.
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COVID-19 Impact Assistance Grants
In response to the impacts of the global pandemic, the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church offered grants of up to $40,000 to assist with either diocesan financial shortfalls or congregational needs. Knowing the immense emotional and financial impact the pandemic has had on our communities, the Diocese applied for a grant and will dedicate all funds received to our congregations through an internal grant process.
Looking at the immediate needs of our congregations, the purpose of the funds are for the following:
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Church budget gaps due to reduced giving
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Small capital improvement needs
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Installed or improved internet or streaming infrastructure
Grants will be approved based on need and availability and will be distributed for no larger than $3,000. Applications will be reviewed in July and we hope to get the approved funds out quickly.
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Susan Gage to be ordained to Transitional Diaconate
God willing and the people consenting, Bishop Logue will ordain Susan Gage to the Sacred Order of Deacons at 11 a.m. on June 26 at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Thomasville. She graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in May.
The ordination will comply with the guidelines set forth in Phase 2. You can still participate in the service by watching the livestream. To view the ordination of Susan Gage, visit the St. Thomas Facebook page.
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Associate Priest called to St. Peter's, Savannah
 Originally from Dallas, Texas, The Reverend David Wantland headed east to study at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, where he received a B.A. in French Literature. Those studies took him to some unlikely places, from working in the European Parliament in Brussels to interning at an eco-village microfinance fund in Dakar, Senegal. Along the way, David became an Episcopalian and received a call to ministry (on a rooftop in the middle of Dakar. Go figure). David received his Master of Divinity from Duke University Divinity School and completed a Diploma in Anglican Studies at The Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. Coming to St. Peter's from Houston Texas, David most recently served as Associate Rector at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church from 2017-2021. There, he oversaw liturgy, young adults ministry, interfaith ministry, communications, and disaster response. David brings a passion for connecting our common worship of God with our mission in the world and he is excited to join in the worship and mission of St. Peter's. When not at church, David can be found getting lost on a run, convincing someone to let him garden with them, or finding a climbing wall to fall off. And he's always looking for an excuse to speak French! David comes to St. Peter's with his husband, Colby, both of whom are thrilled to make their home in Savannah.
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Leadership Development Programs evaluate 10 years of ministry
In March, the leaders of our Leadership Development Programs (Church Development Institute, Emotional Intelligence, Conflict Resolution, and Peer Coaching) were tasked by Bishop Logue to evaluate how those programs have impacted parishes and the Diocese over the 10 years they have been in place. The assessment consisted of three phases: survey the previous participants of CDI, review parochial data between churches who participated in CDI and those who have not, and one-on-one interviews with clergy that have participated in any of the leadership development programs.
The survey to past CDI participants went out in March, and asked questions about satisfaction with the program, relevancy to church experiences, cost of the program, and worth of investment. Most responses were positive and supported the work of CDI. When looking at the parochial data of parishes, the group used Average Sunday Attendance (ASA), baptisms, confirmations, and receptions as key metrics to measure success of leadership programs. Additional information included the location of churches relative to county seat and area.
Increased Vitality Shown
Those churches that did participate in CDI had a Vitality Index of 8% (baptisms + confirmations + receptions divided by ASA), versus a 5% index for those churches who did not participate (an increase of 8%). Those churches that participated in CDI experienced a Vitality index (baptisms + confirmations + receptions divided by ASA for the years of the study) of 8% as compared to those churches that did not participate at 5% (and 80% improvement). As the Rev. Walter Hobgood stated in his report to Diocesan Council, the findings are not cause and effect, but there is a clear correlation between CDI and church growth.
The third tier of evaluation will be the interviews with clergy, which will begin later this summer. We are grateful to the evaluations team for their ongoing work in this process.
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Book Your Hotel for Convention
The 200th Convention for the Diocese of Georgia will be held at the Jekyll Island Convention Center on November 4-6, 2021. As it is the same weekend as the Shrimp & Grits festival, we encourage you to go ahead and book your hotel rooms now. Registration for the Convention will be available soon.
 Hamton Inn & Suites Jekyll Island
200 S. Beachview Drive
Jekyll Island, GA 31527
(912)635-3733
Group Name: Episcopal Diocese of GA
To book online, click here.
Holiday Inn Resort Jekyll Island
701 Beachview Drive N
Jekyll Island, GA 31527
(912)635-2211
Group Name: Episcopal Diocese of GA
Group Code: EDG
To book online, click here.
Stay at Honey Creek
Rooms are also available at Honey Creek. For rates and reservation information, contact GeorgeAnne Youngner at georgeanne@honeycreek.org or call at (912)265-9218.
To prepay for your island pass, visit https://www.jekyllisland.com/visiting/parking or call (912)635-3636.
The group rate for hotels is only available for a limited time, so we encourage you to make reservations as soon as possible.
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Family Camp Sessions Two & Three on deck
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| | Verity, Leila, and Fiona Sullivan during Saturday morning worship at Session One |
There is limited space left for Session Two, which takes place June 18-20, and registration closes either at the end of this week or when the spaces are filled, whichever comes first. There is more space still available for Session Three, July 16-18. Sign up now and join us at Honey Creek for a Family Camp weekend!
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Open Positions Around the Diocese
Pianist/Music Director at St. Patrick's
St. Patrick's Episcopal Church in Pooler, GA seeks a permanent pianist/music director to support and enhance the worship of the congregation. The pianist will need to provide accurate and supportive accompaniment as we sing praise to God, observing the liturgical year. Someone with experience in a liturgical church is helpful, as well as someone who has experience playing service music. Without such experience, those with the desire and ability to learn are also welcome. Extra services include: Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. Please send resumé to the Rev. Karen C. Barfield at kclaybarfield@gmail.com. For the full description, click here.
Part-Time Youth Minister at Church of the Holy Comforter
Church of the Holy Comforter is looking for our next great youth minister. This is a part-time position, mentoring our youth in grades 6 - 12. Previous experience in working with youth or Christian Education or a background in teaching is a plus. Holy Comforter is an inclusive church located in Martinez, GA. We are looking for someone who is a self-starter but can also work collaboratively with others. And a sense of humor is always a blessing! Please send your resume to the rector, The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Taylor at pastor@holycomforterchurch.org.
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Across the Diocese
The Rev. Ashton Williston at Christ Church Frederica on St. Simons Island offers a dog treat to a four-legged parishioner during a drive-thru communion.
 The Rev. Ted Clarkson baptizes Wellington Patterson at Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta.Dwala Nobles from Good Shepherd in Pennick presented a program about Deaconess Anna Alexander in connection with the Deacon's Retreat.
The Rev. Cynthia Taylor gets some jubilant assistance with the dismissal at Church of the Holy Comforter in Martinez.
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Prayers for Weekly Liturgies
Our one-year prayer cycle combines prayers for every congregation in the Diocese of Georgia with prayers for our ecumenical partners and for our Companion Diocese of The Dominican Republic.
June 13 - 19
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Moultrie, St. Margaret of Scotland. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Moultrie, especially Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for Holy Spirit (Espíritu Santo) in Las Carreras.
June 20 - June 26
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Quitman, St. James. We also pray for our ecumenical partners, especially St. Jude Catholic Church in Glennville. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the St. Peter the Apostle (San Pedro Apostól) in Los Conucos.
Additional Prayer Cycles
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Diocesan Office Update and News
On 2 PM this Saturday, Bishop Frank Logue will officiate the funeral for the Rev. Ed Williams, deacon at St. Mark's, Brunswick, with the Rev. Alan Akridge, preaching. At 2 PM this Sunday, Bishop Frank Logue will officiate at Christ the King, Valdosta, with the Rev. Galen Mirate preaching for the final liturgy in their current church building. The Holy Eucharist will conclude with Bishop Logue deconsecrating the building and the congregation processing the less than two blocks to their new building in downtown Valdosta. Bishop Logue, Canon Loren Lasch, Canon Joshua Varner, and Communications Manager Liz Williams will serve this weekend at Honey Creek as the camp staff for the second session of Family Camp. Canon Easterlin and Daniel Garrick are working on the final prep for the auditors, who will be on site next week.
You may reach diocesan staff by phone at (912) 236-4279.
Staff e-mails can be found here.
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Let Us Know!
What are you doing to keep community right now? Are you gathering for virtual coffee hours, delivering groceries to your neighbors - let us know! Send any updates or photos to our Communications Manager Liz Williams at lwilliams@gaepiscopal.org. We want to hear from you!
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Celebrating 50 Years
The Rev. Sue Gahagan looks on as Bishop Frank Logue blesses the Rev. Liam Collins at the 7 am Holy Eucharist at the Collegiate Church of St. Paul, Savannah, on June 11, which was the 25th anniversary of Collins' reception as a priest in the Episcopal Church. The next day, June 12, marked the 50th anniversary of Collins' ordination as a Roman Catholic priest.
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