October 5, 2022 | Volume 12, No. 40

Hurricane Ian left most of our diocese unscathed, but hit our neighbors in Florida. Episcopal Relief & Development has long contributed funds to disaster relief, including the Diocese of Georgia when we have had areas impacted by storms. 

ERD has the ability to get funds directly to dioceses affected by Hurricane Ian quickly, and we here in Georgia know how time is of the essence when dealing with the aftermath of a storm. If you would like to donate to ERD's hurricane relief fund, click here.

The Rev. Vernon Wiggins (1936-2022)

The people of the Diocese of Georgia mourn the death of the Rev. Eschol Vernon Wiggins, Jr., who died Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at home surrounded by his family. He was born in Garfield, Georgia on November 21, 1936. He was the son of the late Eschol Vernon Sr., and Hilda Boatright Wiggins and was preceded in death by his son, Barry Lewis Wiggins. Wiggins was a graduate of Cradock High School in Portsmouth, Virginia and Georgia College in Milledgeville.

He was retired from the US Forest Service where he worked in electronics. He also served as an instructor at many different schools including Macon Technical College. 

He and his wife of 68 years, Joan M. Wiggins had a son, Mark, and daughter, Amy, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Wiggins had a life-long passion for electronics and loved tinkering and building things. He was also a retired priest and served at Trinity Episcopal Church in Cochran. He was ordained to the priesthood on August 7, 2005 together with the Revs. Joy Fisher and George Porter. The three were raised up by Trinity in Cochran as a ministry team.

The funeral service was held Monday, October 3, at Trinity in Cochran with Bishop Logue officiating and Shayna Cranford, a seminarian from Trinity, preaching the sermon. Graveside services followed at Cedar Hill Cemetery with Bishop Logue officiating.

Convocation Council pre-Convention meeting dates

This year’s pre-Convention Convocation Council meetings will once again take place on Zoom. All Convention delegates and clergy are encouraged to attend. To follow existing canons, the vote taken at these meetings for a convocational representative on Diocesan Council will be limited to one clergy person and one vestry member from each congregation.

Convocation Council Meetings

Saturday, October 15:

10am - Southwestern Convocation

1pm - Albany Convocation

Sunday, October 16:

2pm - Savannah Convocation

4pm - Central Convocation

Saturday, October 22:

10am - Southeastern Convocation

Sunday October 23:

4pm - Augusta Convocation

For more information, contact Canon Loren Lasch at llasch@gaepiscopal.org.

RJGA Pilgrimage to Pennick

Members of churches in two convocations--Augusta and Southeast--have been participating in a five-month pilot program of interracial fellowship, organized by Racial Justice Georgia (RJGA) , the diocesan racial justice and healing ministry. This past weekend, members of the program participated in the St. Anna Alexander pilgrimage, which RJGA is establishing as an annual event. The pilgrimage journeys to sites in Glynn and McIntosh counties where St Anna faithfully labored and ministered in the aftermath of slavery and in the face of Jim Crow. It was a moving, inspiring weekend, culminating in a worship service at Good Shepherd, Pennick, the church she founded and served. Save next year's dates--September 22-24--and plan to attend!

Christ Church Frederica hosts Icon Workshop

Christ Church Frederica on St. Simons Island hosted the 5th annual icon writing workshop. St. William Catholic Church graciously provided a beautiful space for the group of 24 participants and 2 instructors, as the parish hall at Christ Church is under construction. Episcopalians from across the Diocese were joined by participants from Lutheran, Catholic, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches.

The instructor, Kara Gillette, was accompanied by her husband Christian. The Gillettes traveled from Boise, Idaho to lead the retreat, while others joined from South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky. The group worked Monday through Friday and closed the workshop on Friday afternoon with a Eucharist and Blessing of the Icons at St. Ignatius Chapel. The participants choose to write one of two icons, Jesus Christ Pantocrator or The Woman at the Well. The group looks forward to gathering next year, September 18-22, for another retreat. 

Discovering the Holy land: a pilgrimage led by the Very Rev. William and Mary Willoughby

Join the Very Rev. William and Mary Willoughby from St. Paul the Apostle in Savanah on an 8 day pilgrimage to the Holy land. Beginning on January 12, 2023, participants will have the opportunity to see some of the most well-known and beautiful places in the world. 

Price in based on amount of participants, and registration due by October 30, 2022. For more information, contact Dean Willoughby at frwwiii@gmail.com.

Click here for full itinerary.

Click here for registration form.

Registration now open!

Each delegate, guest, and clergy spouse must register individually. This is an important and is a necessary step in order to have the appropriate contact information for each person registered. Parish administrators may register a delegation, but will need to use the delegate's cell number and email address in the registration. 

To register for convention, click here. If you are receiving an error message when you click on the link, switch to a different browser.



Convention Reports

Convention reports that are to be printed in the convention booklet are now due. Email them to Communications Manager Liz Williams at lwilliams@gaepiscopal.org.

Elections

The following have accepted a nomination to run for a position in the Diocese. Please note that we are electing deputies for the next General Convention, which will be held in 2024 in Kentucky. 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 8.

This year's Nominations Chair is Ms. Katie Grant from Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta. We will elect persons to the following:

Board of Officers of the Corporation – 1 lay person

Church Disciplinary Board – 2 clergy persons & 1 lay person

Clergy

The Rev. Eric Biddy

Diocesan Council – 1 lay person or clergy

Clergy

The Rev. Terri Degenhardt

The Rev. Ri Lamb

Standing Committee – 1 lay person & 1 priest

Clergy

The Rev. Becky Rowell

Lay

Molly Stevenson

Trustee of the University of the South – 1 lay person

Whit Davis

General Convention Deputies – 4 clergy deputies and 4 clergy alternates; 4 lay deputies and 4 lay alternates 

Clergy

The Rev. Michael Chaney

The Rev. Ted Clarkson

The Very Rev. Al Crumpton

The Rev. Leeann Culbreath

Archdeacon Yvette Owens

The Rev. Kelly Steele

Lay

Cissy Bowden

Jody Grant

Molly Stevenson

Liz Williams

To make a nomination, click here.

Once nominated, nominees will need to fill out the nominee form that can be found here.

To view full nominee bios, click here.

Zeal and devotion drives founding new missions

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 establishing of new missions in the diocese in the late 1800s.

Missionary work resulted in sustained growth of the Episcopal Church in Georgia in the decades following the American Civil War. During Bishop John Beckwith’s 23 years as Bishop of Georgia, he averaged a little more than one new congregation every year as he added 22 congregations and five missions. Realizing that the state of Georgia was too big for one person to handle alone, Beckwith made administrative changes to enable the expansion. At the Diocesan Convention of 1870, a new canon was adopted which established four missionary districts. This relieved the Bishop of the sole responsibility for stimulating, establishing, and maintaining new missions.

One typical example was in Hawkinsville. Dr. and Mrs. Golding were Episcopalians who moved to town in 1862. They spoke with some other families and together asked the Convocation Dean, the Rev. H.K. Rees of St. Paul’s, Macon, if he could assist. They first gathered at Wimberly’s Hall on Commerce Street. Ministers from Macon came at intervals to hold these services and a Sunday school was organized. Bishop John Beckwith was one of the first to give to your building fund. They built a 24 by 50 foot plain frame building. The chancel and vestry rooms would come later. The Rev. H.K. Rees built the altar by hand.

In January of 1872, Bishop Beckwith wrote in his journal that he gave his canonical consent to organizing the Parish of St. Luke’s, Hawkinsville adding that, “A little band of faithful churchmen…have here labored against great difficulties with unflagging zeal to form a congregation and build a church. God has blessed their efforts, and I had the privilege of ministering to them in their own neat building…. Their zeal and devotion are worthy of imitation.”

This pattern of Episcopalians moving to town, beginning to meet on their own, and then asking for some diocesan assistance was common. Financing the missionary efforts became an ongoing problem. It was readily apparent that the parish clergy were too busy with parochial duties to give effective missionary service on a regular basis. The Diocese assigned and paid the compensation for a mission minister-in-charge for these stations. By 1880 the Diocese had established a Board of Missions with responsibility for the ambitious missionary operations. This group consisted of the Bishop, the four Deans, and four laymen who apportioned monies to “the feeble Parishes and Mission Stations.” 

By 1890, the Diocese supported eleven missionaries in addition to the Diocesan Missionary to further the work of church planting across the state. That November, Bishop Beckwith fell ill and was sick enough that he authorized the Standing Committee to act on his behalf. He died two weeks later, on November 23, at the age of 59. At that time, there were 50% more baptized members of the Episcopal Church than when he was consecrated as the second Bishop of Georgia. He and his wife, Ella, are buried in Savannah’s Bonaventure Cemetery.

Pictured: The Good Shepherd window at St. Luke's in Hawkinsville is dedicated to Bishop Beckwith (top); Bishop Beckwith's grave in Savannah's Bonaventure Cemetery (bottom). The articles in this series are also online here: Bicentennial of the Diocese of Georgia

We are now lifting the mandatory mask mandate at youth events; masks are now optional. As each event gets closer, we reserve the right to reinstate the mandate depending on the current covid rates in the diocese.

New Beginnings #58 will meet October 14-16, 2022 at Honey Creek! This conference is for youth in grades 7-9 and is led by youth who have previously attended either New Beginnings or Happening. 

Registration is open for all participants, using this link. If you are not certain that your registration successfully went through, email Canon Varner at jvarner@gaepiscopal.org and ask!

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.

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.

The Rev. Glenn Palmer at Holy Comforter in Martinez blesses Sadie Lou during the annual

Blessing of the Animals.

The Rev. Mike Gumulauskas was installed as Rector of St. Cyprian's in Darien on Sunday and two hours later as the Rector of St. Andrew's in Darien.

A reception for both Darien congregations (see below) followed the two liturgies.

The Rev. Richard Nelson with some furry friends at Calvary in Americus at the Blessing of the Animals.

The Rev. Galen Mirate blesses the four-legged friend of Henry Rutledge at St. Paul's in Albany.

The Rev. Susan Gage blesses some four-legged friends of St. Barnabas and Christ the King in Valdosta. 

St. Francis of the Islands in Savannah is seeking to hire a new part-time Parish Administrator. Job duties include welcoming people to the parish office, general office support, worship bulletin preparation, and accounting. Qualified candidates should have solid computer skills, including experience with MS Office Suite. Interested individuals can find a more detailed job posting at the following link: https://bit.ly/stfrancisparishadmin.

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.     

October 2 - 8

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Statesboro, Trinity. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Statesboro, especially St. Matthew’s Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for The Annunciation (La Annunciación) in Santiago. 

October 9 - 15

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregations in Thomasville, All Saints, Good Shepherd, and St. Thomas and for their work at the Oak Street Episcopal Mission. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Thomasville, especially St. Augustine’s Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for St. Luke (San Lucas) in Santiago. 

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)

This Wednesday through Friday Bishop Logue is at Sewanee for a meeting of the bishops of the owning dioceses at the School of Theology and for the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the University of the South. On Sunday, he will preach at St. John's in Savannah.

To view Bishop Logue's full visitation calendar, click here. (Updated for 2023 - 8/30/2022)

Pictured: Bishop Logue with the Rev. Mike Gumulaukas at his installation.

Canon Lasch will be celebrating and preaching at Grace in Waycross on Sunday.

Executive Assistant to the Bishop Maggie Lyons is on maternity leave.

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.

The Rev. Eric Biddy at Saint Paul's in Augusta gets some assistance with the Blessing of the Animals from Saint Aiden of Lindisbark, Biddy's faithful furry companion.