August 17, 2022 | Volume 12, No. 32

The Lambeth Conference—as an introvert, I both looked forward to and dreaded attending. From meeting with other spouses of Bishops (via Zoom instead of in-person because of Covid), I learned that we would be broken into small groups of 8-10 with other spouses from around the globe. Which meant, I was sure, that I would have to hear the simple phrase that accelerates the hearts of introverts: Let’s go around and introduce ourselves.

 Because I am on the board for the Spouses Planning Group as their new tech person, I was asked to set up a WhatsApp group for spouses attending Lambeth, which turned out to be really helpful for a number of things from setting up a luncheon for what we termed the “mauve spouses”, the partners of gay and lesbian bishops who were uninvited to Lambeth (although four spouses did show up and were invited to tea by Caroline Welby, wife of the Archbishop of Canterbury) to tracking down a Bishop who had unintentionally left her vaccine card in an airport lounge at Heathrow.

Working with the app also helped me to acquaint myself with some of the spouses attending Lambeth. So, the first time I was asked to introduce myself, I was already familiar with a number of spouses.

The second time was when we began our spouses retreat and we were separated into small groups. “Table 26,” my badge read so I found my table and sat. At that point, there was only one other person at the table. By the time the retreat began, we’d been joined by two more spouses. We were the smallest small group at the Conference, which turned out to be a blessing for both me and Apollo, the husband of the first female Kenyan Bishop, who is also an introvert. Also in my group were Flora, the wife of a Bishop from Zimbabwe, and Steve, the husband of a Bishop in England. Interestingly, and we couldn’t discover another group that had a similar situation, Flora’s and Apollo’s spouses were in Frank’s small group.

Once the retreat was over, we fell into a more regular pattern for our remaining time at the Lambeth Conference. I found that what we did fit in well with the Five Marks of Mission, something talked about regularly around the Anglican Communion, though rarely in America.

Tell: To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom

Each day, a Plenary session or two would be held in the largest venue (Venue 1) in which both bishops and spouses were invited to attend. There, speakers would talk about the subject for the Lambeth Call that day. This varied from Mission and Evangelism to Christian Unity.

Teach: To teach, baptize and nurture new believers. 

Every morning, we would start the day with a Bible Exposition on the verses from I Peter that we were reading that day. This was for both bishops and spouses in Venue 1 and was usually led by Archbishop Justin Welby.

Tend: To respond to human need by loving service.

We would then break up into our small group Bible studies with the Bishops crossing the street to gather at the Parkwood Apartments in small groups and the spouses hurrying over to Venue 2 to gather at our round tables. Here we would look at the verses we had just heard about and speak to them in what became the favorite phrase at the Lambeth Conference: in my context. Because the gathered bishops and spouses were from more than 160 countries from around the world, the context for a spouse in South Sudan was different than the context for a spouse in Pakistan, which was different for a spouse in Malaysia, which was different from a spouse in America . . .

We were able to share within our small groups just how the verses from I Peter spoke to where we were from. We also heard testimonies from spouses around the Communion on everything from their personal relationships with God to the persecution they suffered for being Christian in a Muslim country. Each Bible Study ended with a different Diocese or Country entertaining us with Christian songs from their area in their language. Among those who sang were spouses from South Sudan, the DRC, and Ghana.

Transform: To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation.

While the bishops worked on these subjects in their Lambeth Calls sessions, spouses were offered a chance to attend what were called “Strengthening Sessions”. These were courses broken up into four sessions of three subjects: Personal Wholeness, Leadership, and Community Action.

As an introvert, I took that time to be alone and recharge my battery for the following day’s program. I did this with the knowledge that all sessions would be available to me online to “attend” once I returned home. In addition, on some days, bishops and spouses were given the time to attend panel discussions on everything from safe church to menstruation.

Treasure: To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

This was the subject we learned about on the day that we were invited to Lambeth Palace in London. After walking an outdoor prayer path and enjoying the gardens and lunch, we gathered to attend a short service as a tree was planted as part of what is known as The Communion Forest. This is a global initiative that will include local activities of forest protection, tree growing, and eco-system restoration that is to be undertaken by provinces, dioceses, and individual churches across the Anglican Communion in order to safeguard creation. Our Creation Care Commission will be working with this initiative in the Diocese of Georgia.

This is just a taste of the many things we were able to do together as bishops and spouses of the Anglican Communion. It was an eye-opening experience as the more than 1,100 of us ate together in the dining halls of the University of Kent and worshipped together at Canterbury Cathedral, taking away memories that will last a lifetime.

You can see more photos from the Lambeth Conference on Bishop Logue's Facebook page.

To learn more about the Lambeth Conference and events surrounding the conference, visit Episcopal News Service for their coverage of the conference.

The Very Rev. George Bull Salley, Jr. (1937-2022)

The Very Rev. George Bull Salley, Jr., a priest of the Episcopal Church, departed this life on August 10, 2022, in Savannah, GA at the age of 85. Salley was born in 1937 at his family’s farm near Orangeburg, South Carolina. After graduating high school in 1955, he attended Wofford College and the University of South Carolina, from which he graduated, magna cum laude, in 1959. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Chi Psi Fraternity, and the Euphradian Society. Salley served four years in U.S. Army Intelligence and then practiced as a CPA in Greenville and Spartanburg before responding to the call to the priesthood. In 1973, he graduated from St. Luke’s School of Theology of the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee and was ordained to the priesthood in 1974.

Salley served the Diocese of Upper South Carolina for 12 years. In 1985 he was called to Savannah to serve as rector of St. Michael and All Angels Church, where he stayed until retiring in 1999. He remained active in the priesthood for many years after retirement, serving as interim priest at St. George’s and the Collegiate Church of St. Paul the Apostle, both in Savannah. He served on numerous committees and commissions in both the Diocese of Upper South Carolina and the Diocese of Georgia and he served as Dean of the Savannah Convocation.

Salley was preceded in death by his beloved parents George Bull Salley and Martha Helen Council. He leaves behind his wife of 46 years, Anne Bizzell Salley, his daughter, Amy Salley, an attorney in Atlanta, and his son, Stephen Salley, an educator, who resides in Savannah with his wife, Elizabeth, and their daughters, Evelyn and Bridget.

Salley regarded death as the return of his physical body to the earth, from which it came, and the beginning of the next phase of life. He did not think of death as an “eternal rest”, but as being eternally joyful in the presence of God.

His Funeral Mass was held held on Monday, August 15, 2022, at the Collegiate Church of St. Paul the Apostle. Contributions in his memory can be made to the Collegiate Church of St. Paul the Apostle, St. Michael and All Angels Church, St. George’s Church, or the Second Harvest Food Bank, all of Savannah.

Racial Justice Georgia participates in annual pilgrimage

This past weekend members of Racial Justice Georgia, the diocesan racial justice and healing ministry (racialjusticega.org), participated in the Diocese of Alabama's Jonathan Daniels pilgrimage. Daniels was a White Episcopal seminarian who became active in the civil rights movement in Lowndes County, Alabama. He was shot and killed on August 20, 1965 while protecting other civil rights workers. This was the 25th anniversary of the pilgrimage, and it was a moving, inspiring, and hopeful event. The Racial Justice group also visited the Equal Justice Initiative's powerful museum and memorial in Montgomery, walked the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, and worshipped at St Paul's, Selma--which Daniels was instrumental in desegregating. 

Also, beginning in early June, churches in two convocations--Southeast: St Athanasius, Christ Church, Good Shepherd, Pennick; Augusta: St Alban's, St Mary's, St Paul's--have been participating in a Racial Justice Georgia pilot program of intentional interracial fellowship. Members of these historically/predominantly Black and historically/predominantly White churches meet every other week for meals, discussing what Becoming Beloved Community (https://www.episcopalchurch.org/beloved-community/) means in their local context. Next month, members of this pilot program will participate in the First Annual St. Anna Alexander pilgrimage.

This is a reminder that audits are due to the Diocese by September 1^st. If your congregation is running into challenges meeting that deadline, please reach out to Canon Easterlin to notify her. 

Per Diocesan Canon, congregations are required to submit an audit annually. You can review the language here. The referenced language is canon 9, section 4. 

Key considerations when conducting or planning for an audit: 

• Congregations with operating revenue of $500,000 or more shall be reviewed or audited by an independent Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
• Congregations with operating revenue less than $500,000 may be reviewed or audited by an independent CPA or, alternatively, may be reviewed by a person or committee knowledgeable in financial matters and chosen from within or outside the entity. Many congregations partner with each other to swap reviews. To facilitate the review, the Diocese has a checklist.
• Treasurers and bookkeepers are not allowed to review or audit the financial record of their entities. 
• In addition to submission of the checklist or audited statements, a memoranda should be issued by the auditors/reviewers detailing the internal controls and summary of recommended actions related to the financial protocols of the congregation. 

Please submit questions to Canon Easterlin at keasterlin@gaepiscopal.org. While daunting, this is an important part of governance and helps our congregations each year as they think through their financial health and stewardship. 

“Baptized for Life: A Lay Ministers’ Conference” will take place September 9-10 at Honey Creek! This conference is intended for any lay person in the Diocese who is in any active ministry in their congregation. Examples of such lay ministries include those who assist or lead worship, serve on the Vestry, serve on committees, teach Sunday School or lead youth activities, serve on the Altar Guild, care for the buildings and grounds, lead outreach activities, and more. This conference will be led by Dr. Lisa Kimball, the Vice President for Lifelong Learning and the James Maxwell Professor Chair of Lifelong Christian Formation at Virginia Theological Seminary. “Dr. Kimball has focused her teaching and research on lifelong, life-wide, and life-deep discipleship and Christian vocation…She is a passionate advocate for lay ministry, the full inclusion of all generations, digital literacy, and leaders who are confident teachers of the faith.” For more information about Dr. Kimball’s background and history, click here.

This conference will focus on the ministry of the laity, including its joys and challenges especially over the past two years. It will frame our various calls in the context of our Baptismal identity and the vows we make at Baptism, and will give participants an opportunity to think toward the future in their own specific contexts. 

There will also be time to rest, relax, worship together, and enjoy simply being together at Honey Creek! The event begins with Evening Prayer at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and ends at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Registration is available here. You may choose to register for a single or double occupancy lodge room. If you choose double occupancy, be sure to name your roommate in the registration.

Contact Joshua Varner, Canon for Program and Liturgy, at jvarner@gaepiscopal.org with any questions about this conference.

Happening #106 registration for candidates (participants) is now open! Happening, held at Honey Creek, is a weekend retreat for youth, led by youth. The weekend is focused on discovery and learning about yourself and your faith, all while enjoying fellowship and fun with youth from across the diocese. All youth and adults must follow the diocesan guidelines for youth events, which can be found here.

Who: Youth in 9-12 grade

When: November 17-20, 2022

How: Register here!

For more information, contact Happening Coordinator Sarah Brittany Greneker at sbgreneker@gmail.com.

Registration now open!

Each delegate, guest, and clergy spouse must register individually. This is an important step and is a necessary step in order to have the appropriate contact information for each person registered. Early bird registration is open until August 31.

To register for convention, click here.

Vendor Application

All exhibit requests are subject to approval by the Bishop's office. Applications are due no later than September 16, 2022. Vendor applications must be approved before registering for convention.

To fill out a vendor application, click here. 



Convention Reports

Convention reports that are to be printed in the convention booklet are due to Communications Manager Liz Williams by Friday, September 23. Email them to lwilliams@gaepiscopal.org.

Resolutions

Resolutions are due to the Secretary of Convention, Canon Katie Easterlin, by September 2, 2022, in order to be considered by the convention. The rules of Convention governing resolutions are found in the Canons of the Diocese of Georgia and are reproduced here for reference:

• Resolutions on non-budget items to be placed before Diocesan Convention, except those from Diocesan Council and Convention Committees, must be submitted to the Secretary of the Diocese in writing at least sixty days prior to said Convention.

• The Secretary will make the resolutions available to the convocations of the Diocese for study and response before the Convention and will provide for their publication in From the Field, at the latest, in the issue next preceding Convention. The Canons of the Diocese are coordinating to visit pre-Convention convocation meetings.

• Any proposed alteration or addition to the Canons proposed on the first day of the meeting of the Convention, shall be submitted in writing to the Chairperson of the Committee on Constitution and Canons at least sixty (60) days prior to the opening of the Convention. No such proposed alteration or addition shall be considered by the Convention until it has been referred to and reported upon by the Committee on Constitution and Canons. Every amendment or alteration proposed on any succeeding day of the Convention session shall be similarly referred and reported upon but may not be adopted without the consent of two-thirds of the delegates present. The Committee on Constitution and Canons may propose alterations on its own volition at any time. Changes approved at Convention shall go into effect immediately following the adjournment of that Convention.

• So that content and intent may be clearly understood, any resolution submitted, except those of a laudatory nature, shall be titled and include a summary of its content and purpose. Said summary shall be read when resolutions are presented for referral or vote.

A reminder that amendments to the Canons from last year's convention are due by August 15, 2022.

Mark your calendar for September 16 & 17 and make plans to attend the Celebration of Women's Ministries and the Daughters of the King Annual Meeting at Honey Creek! This will be the first diocesan-wide ECW meeting since 2019 and will be a great opportunity to see old friends and make new ones. The keynote speaker on Saturday morning will be the Rev. June Johnson from All Saints' on Tybee Island. 

There will be lots of time for catching up, lots of time to walk the labyrinth, Bible study, reflection, and sharing sessions. All are welcome to bring knitting, needlepoint, etc for peaceful aids while listening and sharing. 

The price of attending includes all meals and lodging from 3:00pm on Friday through 1:00pm on Saturday. New officers will be installed during the Eucharist at noon on Saturday. Registration forms can be found on the ECW webpage here.

Hosted by the Rev. Kevin Kelly from St. Michael and All Angels in Savannah, a new retreat focused around those dealing with addiction or mental health issues, either themselves or with a loved one, will be at Honey Creek. There will be a focus for those who have encountered these issues specifically during the pandemic. The retreat is intended to provide a safe space to talk about what's happening, to learn that no one has to face them alone, and that the Church is a place where we can be honest about it.

The retreat is begins on Friday, September 23rd and will conclude on Sunday, September 25th with a closing Eucharist at 11:00am.

For more information, contact the Rev. Kevin Kelly at kevink94@gmail.com. To register, click here.

The Brotherhood of St. Andrew Province IV is hosting a 24 hour Men's Retreat at the Cerveny Conference Center November 4-5, 2022. The theme for the retreat is Renew, Recharge, Rejoice.

National officers of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew will be leading the retreat. Mark the date on your calendar and join us for 24 hours of fellowship, fun, and information in the beautiful natural setting of north central Florida at the Diocese of Florida's camp and retreat center.

Registration forms will be made available after Labor Day on the Camp Weed/Cerveny Conference center website, wwww.campweed.org.

If you would like to have your submission considered for From the Field, it needs to be sent to Communications Manager Liz Williams (lwilliams@gaepiscopal.org) by noon on Tuesday.

Hurricane season officially begins on June 1, and the diocese will once again use AlertMedia to stay in contact with parishes who may be affected by natural disasters. 

Send your updated information of Clergy, Senior, and Junior Wardens to Liz Williams at lwilliams@gaepiscopal.org.

Christ Church on St. Simons Island held their Blessing of the Backpacks.

Students at St. Barnabas in Valdosta receive their backpack blessing.

Parishioners of Saint Paul's in Augusta enjoy a low country boil in the River Room as the congregation kicks off formation opportunities for the church year.

Members of King of Peace in Kingsland prepare the dinner for Missions for Camden's Sunday Supper Outreach Ministry.

Bishop Logue made his visitation to All Saints on Tybee Island on Sunday. Part of his visit included receiving Bettie Makel into the Episcopal Church on her 99th birthday (at right with her son, Dave) as well as more than 100 baby caps she knitted for a local hospital (left). Seven others were also received into the church.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Darien is seeking a part-time organist for Sunday worship and special occasion services. Hymns and service music are typically from the 1982 Episcopal Hymnal. There is also a Tuesday evening rehearsal requirement with the choir, all to total approximately 3-4 hours per week. Candidates should be familiar with an organ with 2 manuals and a pedal clavier, be music literate, and be willing to work collaboratively with the Rector and Music Director. Pay will be commensurate with experience. Interested parties should email their resume to standrew@darientel.net.

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.  

The 2022 one year prayer cycle is online here: 2022 Prayer Cycle.   

August 14 - 20

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Savannah, especially Christ Church, the Mother Church of Georgia. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Savannah, especially the Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and Ascension Lutheran Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Barthlomew (San Bartolomé) in San Cristobal. 

August 21 - 27

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Savannah, especially St. Francis of the Islands and St. John’s. We also pray for our ecumenical partners, especially the Lutheran congregations of Redeemer and St. Luke’s. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the congregations in San Francisco de Macorís, especially The Good Samartian (El Buen Samaritano), Jesus the Nazarene (Jesús Nazareno), and The Nativity (La Natividad).

Newly Revised 31-Day Prayer Cycles

We also offer 30-day prayer cycles for those who wish to pray daily for the clergy and clergy spouses: Diocesan Prayer Cycle and Clergy Spouses Prayer Cycle. (Updated 7/1/2022)

Bishop Logue will make his visitation to St. Michael's in Waynesboro on Sunday.

To view Bishop Logue's full visitation calendar, click here. (Updated for 2023 - 7/19/2022)

Pictured: Canon Lasch celebrated and preached at St. Augustine of Canterbury in Augusta on Sunday.

Communications Manager Liz Williams will be off next week.

The office's summer hours of operation include closing the office at noon on Fridays.



The best way to reach a staff member is via email as we will always get back with you promptly in many cases and in 24-72 hours when working on more pressing matters. Staff e-mails can be found here with a list of responsibilities so you know who to contact for what.

You may also reach diocesan staff by phone at (912) 236-4279.

Bishop Logue back to his old tricks now that his busy summer has concluded!