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June 1, 2022 | Volume 12, No. 22

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"Let your light shine" - Convention 2022

"Who are we not to be fabulous?" 


We know Jesus, crucified and resurrected who brings new life, healing, and a peace beyond understanding. There is no reason for the Episcopal Church to be a well-kept secret.


We as individuals and as congregations have the light of Christ within us and we share that light with others. Jesus knew that his followers might shrink back from using their full selves and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit they bring to the needs of a hurting world and so in the Sermon on the Mount, he said,


"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16).


As individuals and as congregations, we are to let our light so shine that others will give glory to God. At this November's 201st Convention of the Diocese of Georgia, this theme will guide us as we share ideas from your siblings around central and south Georgia. Not everything that works for another church in its community will be right for you. But cross-pollination has been fruitful for us in recent years through projects taken on for our Church Development Institute (now Leading with Grace) as well as in sharing ideas from Invite-Welcome-Connect. 


There is a lot of wisdom in the Diocese of Georgia and we'll share our experiences so that we might more fully share the Light of Christ with our communities.


+Frank

Bishop of Georgia

Diocese of Georgia Elections at this Convention


Nominations will open in September, and this year we will also be electing clergy and lay deputies for General Convention. The slate of elections is provided here so you can begin discerning whether to stand for election or to speak to someone you wish to nominate. The Nominations Chair is Katie Grant from Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta.


The following positions will be up for election this year. 


BOARD of OFFICERS of THE CORPORATION

1 lay person

The Board of Officers is charged with the oversight of the investments and disbursements of those funds entrusted to it through wills, deeds, and other trust instruments. The board meets quarterly. The person elected at Convention 2022 will serve through the Convention in 2029.

CHURCH DISCIPLINARY BOARD

1 lay person & 2 clergy

Previously known as "The Ecclesiastical Trial Court," the Disciplinary Board of the Diocese of Georgia is vested with jurisdiction to hear and determine all proceedings in which a priest or deacon has been charged with one or more offense specified in the canons of the Episcopal Church. It meets only when necessary. 1 lay person and 2 clergy for a term of three years through Convention 2025.

DIOCESAN COUNCIL - 1 lay person or clergy

Council's responsibilities are to carry out the policies, programs and directions of Convention; to deal with contingencies as they arise; and to assist the bishop in developing the ministry of the diocese. It carries out the duties of Convention between Conventions. Council generally has four overnight meetings a year in various parts of the diocese. Person elected at 2022 Diocesan Convention will serve through Convention of 2025.

STANDING COMMITTEE - 1 layperson & 1 priest

The Standing Committee is the bishop's Council of Advice. In the absence of a bishop, the Standing Committee would act as the Ecclesiastical Authority for those purposes declared by General Convention. The Standing Committee must approve all ordinations and any financial indebtedness of parishes. It usually meets four times a year at the same time as the Commission on Ministry and in various locations throughout the diocese. Persons elected will serve a four-year term through Convention 2026.

TRUSTEE of the UNIVERSITY of the SOUTH

1 layperson

The board meets in Sewanee, TN, early in October each year. The two laypersons and one priest who serve on the board from the Diocese of Georgia are to represent the university to the diocese. One lay person will be elected for a three-year term to serve through Convention 2025.

GENERAL CONVENTION DEPUTIES & ALTERNATES

4 lay deputies, 4 clergy deputies

4 lay alternates, 4 clergy alternates

The General Convention is the governing body of The Episcopal Church that meets every three years. The next session of the General Convention will be in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2024. All eight deputies and the first alternates both lay and ordained travel to the convention. Additional alternates are elected in case deputies find they are unable to attend prior to the convention's start.
The Province IV Synod is comprised of the General Convention Deputies of the twenty dioceses in nine Southeastern states. Those elected to serve as deputies or alternates must be able to travel for the Province IV Synod.

Process to propose amendments to Canons


During the 2021 Diocesan Convention that met in November, delegates considered a package of changes to the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese. After passing two amendments and postponing a third, the Convention passed the resolution on a first reading. The proposed changes will come before the Convention this November.


Bishop Logue is appointing a Task Group to shepherd the process this year, allowing time for due consideration and a a way to propose additional amendments. The Constitution and Canons as voted on by Convention in 2021 can be viewed here.


The Constitution and Canons as voted on by Convention in 2021, with all changes tracked from the previous version, can be viewed here.


Propose amendments online

The Diocese will use a Google Form to facilitate the collection of proposed amendments to the Canons. Any member of the clergy or delegate to Convention (2021 delegates remain in effect until a congregation names new delegates) may propose an amendment using this form: Proposed Amendments to Canons.


If you have any questions, please contact Canon Loren Lasch at llasch@gaepiscopal.org.

Convention 2022 Accommodations

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Hotel

Two hotel options for the 2022 diocesan convention have been secured, one in downtown Savannah and one in midtown Savannah.


Both hotel blocks will expire on October 11, 2022.


DOWNTOWN

Courtyard by Marriott - $199+tax + $20 valet

415 West Liberty St. Savannah, Georgia 31401

912.644.6880


Click here to reserve your room at the Courtyard by Marriott

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MIDTOWN

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott - $159+tax + $5 per day parking

5801 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31405

912-298-0800  


Click here to reserve your room at the Fairfield Inn & Suites

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Saint Paul's Church and the Founding of Augusta

As we approach the bicentennial of our founding in 2023, we will share the story of the Diocese of Georgia. This week we remember the beginning of Saint Paul's in Augusta.


James Edward Oglethorpe sent a party up the Savannah River in 1735 to build a fort as a refuge for settlers living near the first set of rapids. Oglethorpe named Fort Augusta for the princess who would become the mother of George III. In time, the trading post prospered. In April of 1750, the people who lived and traded in this area erected a church. Noting that their friendship with the indigenous population was “sometimes precarious,” they built the church under the shelter of the Fort.

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The Trustees of the Colony of Georgia meeting in London shortly thereafter sent to Augusta the Rev. Jonathan Copp, a Connecticut native and clergyman of the Church of England. He left London in 1751 with window glass, church furniture, and a deed to 300 acres of land to cultivate for his support. We are told that he arrived full of enthusiasm, “with much the same temperament as St. Mark.”


There is a letter from Lambeth Palace in Saint Paul’s founding documents as the Archbishop of Canterbury was concerned that Mr. Cobb may not get his 20 pounds per year salary as it is based on voluntary contributions. The Archbishop feared that as there were no church wardens in Augusta how could the church function and the priest get paid? They needed strong lay leaders.


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The first report from Mr. Copp came six months later when he asked for a transfer to a church in South Carolina. He did say that 80-100 people a week attend divine worship and he had baptized 30 from both Georgia and South Carolina. But he added, “Here we have been under continual fears and apprehensions of being murdered and destroyed by the [native inhabitants] there being no one within 140 miles capable of lending us any assistance in times of danger—so far are we situated in the wild, uncultivated wilderness.” He was not granted the transfer for three years.

Three more clergymen would come and go by the time the Revolutionary War ended. When the dust cleared from that conflict, there was no minister, and no church, as Saint Paul’s was burned, the parish records, and silver communion set lost. It would be five years before the church lands were sold and a new Saint Paul’s Church built. Saint Paul’s was planted in Augusta 72 years before there was a Diocese of Georgia and 90 years before there was an Episcopal Bishop of Georgia.



Pictured above: The drawing of the original Saint Paul's; Saint Paul's after the Great Augusta fire.

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Shop Now (and sign up!) for Summer Camp

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Summer Camp starts in two and a half weeks and preparations are in full swing for our children and youth to arrive at the Creek. And now you can be part of the camp experience! By purchasing camp supplies from our Honey Creek Camp Wish List on Amazon, you can help our counselors have the materials they need for everything from Archery and Arts & Crafts to Pool Time, Music, Worship, and more. 


Many of the items on our list are clearly intended for a specific purpose, but some are more general purpose, such as computer adapters that allow the projection of song words in Bishops’ Hall or flashlights and extra batteries for our counselors. Whether or not youth from your family or your congregation are coming, please take the time to support Summer Camp to the best of your ability! Click the link above or here to access our wish list: https://amzn.to/3LCCS5u. You can also scan this QR Code if you would prefer.

If you haven’t had time to sign up for summer camp yet, do so now! Remember that scholarship is always available. Financial concerns should never keep any of our young people from attending camp. Please contact Canon Varner at jvarner@gaepiscopal.org with questions about scholarship. For all other camp questions, contact our Camp Director, Karen Bell at karenmackenziebell@gmail.com


Our Summer Camp Schedule is below. All registrations are at www.honeycreek.org/camps 

  • High School Camp (completed grades 9-12): June 12-18 
  • Camp St. Peter (completed grades 6-8): June 19-25
  • Camp St. Joseph & Mary (completed grades 3-5): June 26-July 2
  • Family Camp (families of all types and sizes): July 8-10


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We want to hear from you!

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.

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REMINDER: Update your AlertMedia information

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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.

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Across the diocese

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Members of the St. Anne's, Tifton EYC work on their construction skills for their summer mission trip by building a picnic table.

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King of Peace in Kingsland has long had issues with beavers, and recently worked to create a way to deter beavers from building a dam and blocking the culvert that drains the swampy area. A group including the senior and junior wardens researched a device from the Beaver Institute and put it in place with the hopes that the water will continue to flow, but with less beaver infringement.

Deacon John Warner 2022

The Rev. John Warner, Deacon at St. Augustine of Canterbury in Augusta, received the Employee of the Quarter award from Georgia Military College where he is an adjunct professor.

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The Rev. Ri Lamb, Deacon blesses newly married Kirby Gregory and Brenda Doss on Sunday at St. John & St. Mark's in Albany.

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Job Positions Around the Diocese

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.


The Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta is searching for a Director of Student Ministries. A resource size parish with a pre-pandemic ASA of 500, The Church of the Good Shepherd is seeking a full-time youth minister. The DSM has responsibility for all aspects of youth ministry and Christian formation for parish youth from middle school through high school, which includes Sunday School, Youth Group, mission trips, and other youth activities. A detailed job description can be found here. For further information, please contact the Rev. Ted H. Clarkson, Interim Rector at tclarkson@goodshepherd-augusta.org or call (912)230-9388.


St. Augustine of Canterbury in Augusta is looking for a Parish Administrator. For more information, contact the Rev. Jim Said at jim@st-augustines.org.

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


May 29 - June 4

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Louisville, St. Mary Magdalene. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Louisville, especially St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the congregations in La Romana, especially The Encarnation (La Encarnación) and All Saints (Todos los Santos).


June 5 - 11

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Martinez, Holy Comforter and Our Savior. We also pray for our ecumenical partners, especially St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in Grovetown. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for Christ Resurrected (Cristo Resucitado) in La Vega. 


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 3/1/2022)

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Diocesan Office Update and News

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Bishop Logue will make his visitation to Holy Nativity on St. Simons Island on Sunday.


To view Bishop Logue's full visitation calendar, click here. (Updated 4/4/2022)


Pictured: Bishop Logue giving the children's sermon at St. Matthew's in Fitzgerald.




The staff will be touring the Georgia Southern Savannah Campus on Friday morning in preparation for diocesan convention.


On Saturday, Bishop Logue will join Bishop Rob Wright of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta in speaking to the Deacons of the Dioceses of Georgia and Atlanta via Zoom as they gathered together in person this weekend for a retreat. Canon Lasch will celebrate the Eucharist at the Deacon's Retreat on Sunday.


Canon Varner will be at Honey Creek during the month of June to assist Camp Director Karen Bell with summer camp.


The office will begin the summer hours of operation, which will mean that the office will be closed on Fridays after lunch.



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.

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Happy Anniversary!

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This past Monday marked the second anniversary of Bishop Logue's ordination and consecration as the 11th Bishop of the Diocese of Georgia.

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