Temporary publication schedule change: Coastline will be published once each month during June and July. Publication dates are June 16 and July 14. The next deadline for submissions is July 9. Thank you.

There is more than one Independence Day in the United States. Juneteenth or Emancipation Day is celebrated by African Americans on the 19th of June each year. Although slaves had been freed by Abraham Lincoln when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, there were 250,000 slaves in Texas that were not aware of this, and no one was in a rush to tell them. It wasn’t until Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, rode into Galveston, Texas, with news the war had ended that the enslaved knew they were free. Since then it has been celebrated as Juneteenth.

No one is exactly sure why slaves in Texas were not told they were free. It is speculated that news traveled slowly, or that slave owners purposely suppressed the news. Others say the messenger was murdered to prevent the information from being relayed. Still, others say that the government delayed the message to Texas in order to get one more cotton harvest out of the slaves. Many believe Lincoln’s Proclamation was not enforceable in rebel states before the end of the war. Texas is such a large state that some slaves were not freed until the news reached them in 1868.

Additionally, Episcopal News Service published this article, which contains more details on the significance of Juneteenth and upcoming ways to participate in related events.

Answering the call to ordained ministry does not always come in the form of becoming a parish priest. For Mark Juchter, the path to priesthood led him to the ministry of military chaplaincy.

Meet the Rev. Mark Juchter, who serves as Wing Chaplain at Tyndall Air Force Base located just east of Panama City, Florida. Chaplain Juchter was commissioned in 2002 as a chaplain candidate while attending seminary at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois. He graduated seminary and was ordained in 2003. He served churches in Pennsylvania and Hawaii and was reappointed as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) Reserve chaplain in 2006. He served as an IMA with the 15th Airlift Wing, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, until entering active duty in September 2008, serving first at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, followed by the Air Force Chaplain Corps College (AFCCC), Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama. Prior to his time as an instructor, Chaplain Juchter attended the Army Family Life Training Program, an Air Force Institute of Technology program, at Fort Hood, Texas, graduating with a Masters in Marriage and Family. Chaplain Juchter is endorsed and ordained by the Episcopal Church (USA).

The link below leads to a Q&A with Chaplain Juchter in which he describes what a military chaplain does, the process to become a chaplain, and what drew him to this particular vocation.

Raise the Roof Project is a 10-year-old shared ministry between Dauphin Way United Methodist Church and St. Paul’s, Mobile. Beloved Community Outreach Center is a new ministry project of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast that started in November of 2020. Due to COVID-19, Raise the Roof is not operating at its full capacity, and as a new ministry Beloved Community Outreach Center is still working on getting to know the Mobile community. Together, along with friends and neighbors like you, we are sharing in a weeklong celebration of giving and receiving love, Sunday, June 20-Thursday, June 24!

Is a member of your congregation attending Troy University this fall? The Troy University Canterbury Club at St. Mark's Episcopal Church would love to make contact before the academic year begins. Canterbury Club is a diverse, non-judgmental community of faith that is open to ALL. Please ask interested students to get in touch with the St. Mark's church office (334-566-2619, stmarksofficetroy@gmail.com ) or facebook.com/TroyCanterburyClub to let us know how we can support and enrich their time in Troy!

Please note: The Duvall Center (diocesan office) will be closed on the following dates:

*Previously scheduled for June 25.

Saturday, June 19, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CDT, online

Hosted by the Commission on Racial Justice and Reconciliation. Join us for a virtual interactive workshop that will provide insights into the causes and effects of racism. We explore unconscious bias, prejudice, white privilege, and ways to work together to Become the Beloved Community. This offering is required for those in parish leadership (such as vestries) and at the diocesan level (including serving on commissions, committees, agencies, boards, etc.). It also qualifies for 8 hours of clergy training/education for those who complete the day course.

The event is limited to not more than twenty-five (25) participants. There is no fee to participate but it requires the commitment to be engaged the full day.

Getaway by the Bay is an opportunity for friends, families, couples, and individuals to visit Beckwith for a 4 day/3 night retreat, July 8-11. Your getaway will begin with dinner Thursday evening through breakfast Sunday morning. Come enjoy a change from your own home, and experience the peace and beauty of God’s front yard and Weeks Bay. Make it your own special retreat! Walk Beckwith's grounds, read a book on the porch, swim, canoe and kayak on the bay, fish, get creative in arts and crafts, play Pickleball, etc. There will be group meals, cookouts, opportunities to picnic, and more.

July 1 - First Thursdays, now through October, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. CDT

Come out for St. Peter's Bon Secour yearly fish fry, held every first Thursday during the months of June through October!

July 11, August 8, September 12, at St. Matthew's, Chipley

Beginning Sunday, July 11, 2021, during fellowship following the nine o’clock a.m. service at St. Matthew’s, Chipley, Florida, the Reverend Deborah Kempson-Thompson will lead an inquirer’s discussion group for those seeking information about the Episcopal Church or desiring an opportunity to refresh their knowledge and share their faith experiences. The inquirer's discussion group is open to all parishioners and the community at large. The group will meet on the second Sundays in July, August, and September for about an hour in the fellowship hall—we expect to close the sessions with prayer no later than 11:15 a.m.

St. Francis of Assisi, Gulf Breeze, is seeking a new church sexton. More details.

Christ Church Parish, Pensacola, is seeking a part-time A/V Technician. More details.

Dean Joy Blaylock has created a reference sheet of frequently asked questions regarding the newly established lay leader offerings from the School for Ministry.

These resources, recorded as part of the 2021 Episcopal Evangelism Audioconference, aim to help the whole church – from people merely interested in evangelism to those who identify as “evangelists” – embrace the ministry and practice of evangelism, and discern where God is leading.

What’s Included:

Nine podcast/audio episodes: six in English and three in Spanish. Each podcast episode contains three 18-minute talks led by leaders on evangelism and discipleship. Learn more about our presenters here. Listen to the podcast episodes here.

Eight video recordings, (six in English, two in Spanish,) of the corresponding Coffee Hour Conversations with our presenters which were hosted over Zoom.

Look for more information here: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/evangelism-matters/

2021 cycles of prayer are available on our website at www.diocgc.org/cycle-of-prayer.

Coastline is a publication of the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast, published on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month.

SUBMIT AN ARTICLE - due the Friday prior to publication date.

SUBMIT AN EVENT - posted on our website as received.

Direct inquiries to communications@diocgc.org.