September 1, 2021
Volume 11, No. 52
IN THIS ISSUE
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Happening #104 to be POSTPONED
Happening #104 will be postponed to November 19-21 at Honey Creek. Happening is a youth event for 10th through 12th graders, and was originally scheduled for September.

Our hope when we put this on the calendar several months ago was that we could hold Happening at that time. However, given the resurgence of COVID-19, driven by the Delta variant, and all the public health risks that come with that, we have decided that we need to postpone Happening. In making this shift we are trying both to keep our young people as safe as possible while still offering an amazing experience to our participants. 

The Youth COVID-19 Guidelines will still be in effect for the new date.

The Youth Ministry website, youth.georgiaepiscopal.org, is updated with the new dates, and will continue to be updated, as will the Georgia Happening website, as we move closer to our Happening date! 

Remember the BEST is yet to come!

Registration for the new dates is open! To register as a Participant, click here.

To view the new guidelines for overnight youth events, click here.


Convention Corner

Registration

Register Individually
Each delegate must register individually. This is important step will assist us to populate our new ACS Realm DataBase and is a necessary step with that system to use a separate email address for each person registered.

To register for Convention, click here.
Please note that registration is needed for each individual instead of a group registration.

To fill out the vendor application, click hereAll exhibit requests are subject to approval by the Bishop's office. Applications are due no later than October 1, 2021. Vendor applications must be approved before registering for convention.

Resolutions

Resolutions are due to the Secretary of Convention, 
Canon Katie Easterlin, by September 4, 2021, 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.
As a reminder, the task force for Constitutions and Canons is working on recommendations for changes to the canons. The comment period ended on August 28. To view their work, click here.


Nominations 

Nominations for positions on Diocesan committees are now open. Delegates will vote on each position during the 200th Convention.

The following positions are up for election. Be sure to get permission before nominating someone other than yourself. For full descriptions of each position, click here.

BOARD of OFFICERS of THE CORPORATION - 1 lay person
CHURCH DISCIPLINARY BOARD - 3 clergy persons & 2 lay persons
DIOCESAN COUNCIL - 1 lay person or clergy person
STANDING COMMITTEE - 1 lay person & 1 priest
TRUSTEE of the UNIVERSITY of the SOUTH - 1 lay person

To submit a nomination click here.

Once nominated, the nominee will need to fill out this form.

To view the current list of nominations, click here.

To be included in the printed convention booklet, nominations must be submitted by September 24. Nominations are open until they are closed on the floor of convention and will continue to be updated in From the Field and online until November 1.

Clergy Transitions

The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.has accepted a call to serve as Interim Rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Valdosta. 

David was ordained a presbyter in 1998 after having served as a Baptist pastor as well as a college and seminary teacher (New Testament and Greek) for more than thirty years. His ministry in the Episcopal church has been divided primarily into two phases: planting a new congregation in The Diocese of Virginia and intentional interim ministry prior to retirement in October 2016. After retirement, David served as Priest-in-Charge at Our Savior in Martinez. He lived in the Diocese of Georgia for six years previous to that while serving interims in Alabama, New Jersey, and Virginia.

David enjoys fishing, hiking (especially waterfall trails), cooking, reading, writing, and spending time with his family, which includes his son, Ben, his daughter, Katie, their spouses, and three children.

David says "Bishop Frank and I have church planting as part of our shared background. That shared commitment was the beginning of our friendship. We served together on The Advisory Group on Church Planting for the Episcopal Church. It is a delight to be back again serving in The Diocese of Georgia. This diocese feels like my spiritual home."

The Rev. Craig A. Dolack has accepted a call to serve as the next Rector of St. Luke's in Hawkinsville. Craig was previously in Savannah where he has served as Priest Associate at St. George's Episcopal Church. Craig has served parishes in the Dioceses of Georgia and Southwest Virginia, and was ordained to the priesthood by the late Bishop Henry I. Louttit on behalf of the Diocese of Hawaii. He holds a B.A. from North Carolina State University, and is a graduate of The School of Theology, The University of the South (Sewanee). 

Prior to attending seminary, Craig served in the U.S. Army in military intelligence. He is an avid outdoorsman, enjoys spending time with his two sons, and is a self described "soccer nut."

Craig will begin serving full-time at St. Luke's in November and will reside in Hawkinsville. He will be present on Sunday, Oct. 17 for the bishop's visitation to meet the congregation.



Remember how to spot the scam


Once again, we have seen a new burst of scam calls, emails, and texts across the diocese from clergy to parishioners or what would look like an communication from Bishop Logue. Please remember to check the source of the communication before responding. The phone number may look familiar or the email address may seem legitimate, but know that clergy and lay leaders will never ask for money, donations, or "gifts" via text or an unrecognized email address. If you have questions about the validity of an ask, delete immediately or reach out to the church office or diocesan office directly. 


Christmas in October for Clergy Spouses


To register for the clergy spouse conference, contact GeorgeAnne at georgeanne@honeycreek.org  
or visit honeycreek.org.

A Word About Deacons
Each week we will have a submission from a deacon that will explore topics like what a deacon is, what they do, their history, and other stories.


The Rev. Patti Davis was ordained a Deacon on June 19, 1999 in the Diocese of Southern Virginia and presently serves at Christ Church, Savannah. After completing EFM and a course at the Virginia Institute for Spiritual Direction, she felt God asking for more commitment.And then there was a parishioner in a nursing home who always found ways to keep her coming back to visit --- a tube of toothpaste here, a pair of slacks hemmed there. But mostly Patti couldn't wait to get out of there! And then one day as she was leaving, she glanced in a room and saw an old woman trying to reach a glass of water on the bedside table. "I can do that," she thought. She went in and held the glass for the woman, who then put her head on her pillow and said, "I was so thirsty." It wasn't until Patti got all the way out to her car that she realized she had just given Jesus a drink of water. And so began the journey that was to become ordination. In Southern Virginia she served as Archdeacon for 6 years and was awarded the John Hines Award for preaching from VTS in 2006.

Coming to Savannah was coming home for Patti as she grew up on Isle of Hope. In Savannah she continues her ministry as a nursing home chaplain at Riverview Health and Rehab, making pastoral visits, leading a Hymn Sing, enlisting residents to pack bags of toiletries for Emmaus House, and introducing area priests to her congregation there through a monthly communion service. In thinking about her ministry as a Deacon, she says, "It's important to know that I don't bring Jesus to the residents there. Jesus is already there; my job is simply to find him and point him out to others.... and offer him a glass of water."

The Rev. Victor Moreno ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests
 
The Rev. Victor Moreno was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests on Saturday, August 28 at 11:00 am at The Collegiate Church of St. Paul in Savannah. The service was streamed on St. Paul's Facebook page, found here.





  


New Banner needed for All Saints Chapel in Sewanee
 
The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia is one of twenty-eight constituent dioceses that affirms and strengthens the Episcopal identity of Sewanee: The University of the South. The Episcopal University houses the College of Art and Sciences, School of Letters, Sewanee Writers' and Young Writers' Conferences, The Chorale Institute, Sewanee Environmental Institute, and the Summer Music Festival. Nestled away from the main campus along Tennessee Avenue is The School of Theology where budding seminarians are prepared for life in ordained and lay ministry. In addition to the regular curriculum, The School of Theology also runs key continuing education and self-development programs for lay persons and clergy that include The Beecken Center, Education for Ministry (EfM), Invite Welcome Connect, Sewanee Ministry Collaborative and the SUMMA Student Theological Debate Society for high school students.

Each Sewanee diocese has a banner that is hung along the corridors inside All Saints Chapel located on the main University campus. The Diocese of Georgia's existing banner at the Chapel needs to be changed in order to reflect the Diocesan seal rather than the Coat of Arms (learn more about our two emblems here).


The clergy in the Diocese of Georgia bought a banner with the diocesan seal and gave it to the Diocese at Bishop Frank Logue's consecration in May 2020. Trevor Floyd arranged having that banner created for us with beautiful stitching by Juliet Hemingray. Trevor has also done another diocese's banner for All Saints Chapel and will work with the University on making sure that the Diocese of Georgia's banner will meet the standards of the University and be installed properly. The cost of the banner is also reduced since the design work has already been done.

The Sewanee Trustees would like to appeal to the Sewanee Alumni and friends of Sewanee to consider contributing towards the purchase and installation of the new banner at All Saints Chapel. Donations can be made to the Diocese of Georgia with indication that it is for the "Sewanee Banner" and sent to Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, 18 E 34th St, Savannah, GA 31401. The Diocese will inform you when our fundraising goal is met. If any excess funds remain, these will go towards the Sewanee School of Theology Scholarship Fund that supports seminarians in residence.

Register for the Fall Clergy Conference
 
The Fall Clergy Conference will be held
 Monday, September 27 - Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at Honey Creek.  We will begin with dinner on Monday and end after lunch on Wednesday. 

We hope this time apart with one another will be a period of rest and refreshment, and will provide opportunities for in-depth conversation among colleagues. We will also be learning about three offerings that you can bring back to your congregations, for little to no cost: Sacred Ground, Transforming Questions, and Sharing Faith Dinners. 

The registration link for Clergy Conference can be found here.

Across the Diocese
  
Youth from Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta enjoyed a weekend of outdoor activities on their mountain youth retreat.
  


The Stitchers of Love, a group of knitters and crocheters at Christ Episcopal Church in Valdosta, GA, are making Prayer Squares and Pocket Prayer Shawls for the COVID patients at South Georgia Medical Center and the hospice patients at Hospice of South Georgia and Langdale Hospice House. Christ Church members Deacon and Chaplain Nancy Sartin and Licensed Master Social Worker Molly Ferrier deliver the handiwork to those in need. Midway through the project, the group has delivered 94 items to date with a goal of 150. Deacon Patricia Marks and Julia Ariail work in partnership to facilitate projects.


St. Patrick's in Albany blessed and installed a new Little Free Library on their campus. It was a donation by the Lynch family in memory of their aunt "Kiki" Kathy Hudgens Hitchcock, who was an educator for over 40 years.

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.  

The 2021 one year prayer cycle is online here: 2021 Prayer Cycle

September 5 - 11
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Savannah, especially St. Thomas Isle of Hope and St. Matthew's. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Savannah, especially Holy Spirit Lutheran Church and St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the congregations in San Pedro de Marorís, especially The Good Shepherd (El Buen Pastor), St. Stephen (San Esteban), and Holy Cross (Santa Cruz).

September 12 - 18
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Savannah, especially St. Peter's and Epiphany. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Savannah, especially Messiah Lutheran Church and St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Matthew (San Matías) in Santana.

Additional 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.

Diocesan Office Update and News

The Diocesan Office will be closed on Monday, September 6 in observance of Labor Day.

Canon Easterlin will be in Valdosta on Wednesday and Thursday to meet with Christ the King.

Bishop Logue will officiate the funeral for the Rev. Freeman G. Cross, Jr. this Saturday at 11:00am at St. Paul's in Albany. On Sunday he will make his visitation to St. John's in Bainbridge for an outdoor Eucharist at 9:00am.

To view Bishop Logue's full visitation calendar, click here. (Updated 8/31/2021)

You may reach diocesan staff by phone at (912) 236-4279. Given staff schedules of meetings and travel, 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.

Let Us Know!

What are you doing to keep community right now? Send any updates or photos to our Communications Manager Liz Williams at lwilliams@gaepiscopal.org. We want to hear from you!

All Smiles
Say cheese! The clergy present for the ordination of the Rev. Victor Moreno on Saturday.

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