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September 28, 2022 | Volume 12, No. 39

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Reminder: Update your AlertMedia information

Hurricane Ian is expected to hit our diocese this week, and we will once again use AlertMedia as the main form of communication for clergy and wardens. AlertMedia gives diocesan staff the ability to easily send out a text or email message to our contact list to check in regarding the safety and well-being of our diocese.

Getting information on our people and our churches as soon as it is safe to check in, assists in responding to needs after a storm. If any clergy or wardens need to update their contact information, they can log in here or contact Communications Manager Liz Williams at lwilliams@gaepiscopal.org

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2022 Full-time Priests' Salary Survey

A survey of the compensation for priests serving in full-time positions in a single parish is posted at left and on the diocesan website to assist vestries as we enter the time of year to plan congregational budgets. This is the twelfth year that the salary survey has been published by the Diocese. 

 

The 33 priests on the two charts are only a portion of those serving our 68 congregations. These priests work full time in a single parish. Many of our congregations are served by part-time priests, who are often bi-vocational or retired. For comparison purposes, the archived surveys from 2011-2022 each remain online in the Reference Library at the diocesan website.


A Note on Priest's Compensation


The salary listed will appear 15% higher than pay for most other individuals as priests must pay that amount for SECA (the self-employment version of FICA or Social Security) out of the listed compensation in addition to state and federal taxes. The compensation data in the chart reflects the combined total of salary, housing, and an offset for half of SECA. For clergy in a rectory or vicarage, the value of that provided housing is included in the compensation figure and can lead to a compensation figure that seems out of line with other priests in similar calls. To assist in setting salaries, the diocesan staff works with vestries in a new call to consider salaries in neighboring dioceses around the Diocese of Georgia. We also consider other salaries in the town by comparing to salaries in the school system (available at www.open.georgia.gov). Depending on the complexity of the congregation, the salaries of teachers, assistant principals, and principals with a master’s degree is instructive as these are local salaries with similar benefits.

A Note on Benefits


A large factor in determining a congregation's ability to pay a full-time priest is the cost of health insurance and other benefits. The clergy salary survey does not reflect the great range from a priest whose insurance is covered fully by the spouse's employer to those receiving full family coverage through the congregation. The Diocese moved to a standard of a high deductible insurance plan with a Health Savings Account to contain costs as much as possible.

 

Here are the charts showing this year's survey:


Full-time priest salary survey 2022

Priest associate salary survey 2022

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The Rev. Kit Brinson to retire

The Rev. Kit Brinson of Grace Episcopal Church in Waycross celebrates her last Sunday Eucharist this week before retiring. Raised in Waynesboro, Georgia, Brinson's family joined the Episcopal Church when she was twelve years old. Her parents were drawn to the openness and inclusivity of the church. She learned to love the liturgy and find comfort in it. Each year we celebrate God’s presence with us and the fulfillment of God’s promises in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.


Brinson worked thirty years in education as a Special Education teacher and School Psychologist. She loved putting the pieces together to determine how students learned and how she could best help them achieve their potential.


She studied at The University of the South School of Theology and was ordained a priest in September of 2007. Brinson came to Grace after serving at St. Michael’s in Waynesboro as their interim priest and at St. Mary Magdalene in Louisville.

Her emphasis in parish ministry is on love – the love we receive from God and the love we are called on to share with others. She often says that we are the hands, hearts, and feet of Christ, so we are to minister to others in need. We are the family of God!


Brinson has been honored to serve at Grace. She describes herself as a hands-on priest, working with feeding people in line at Mary Street Mission. She has joined grieving people in the community in our GriefShare sessions. The holiday offerings of Easter services, Christmas Eve and Blue Christmas have touched many people.


Brinson looks forward to volunteering more in the community in her retirement. She doesn't believe God is ready for her retirement, maybe just a repurposing to serve other folks.

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Convention 2022 Updates

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

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.

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The Beloved Invader who planted churches

As we approach the bicentennial of our founding in 2023, we will share the story of the Diocese of Georgia. This week we remember Anson Green Phelps Dodge, Jr.

The young son of a wealthy New York City family, Anson Green Phelps Dodge, Jr. (1860-1898) was sent south after the American Civil War to tour the family’s timber property on St. Simons Island. He was so horrified by the Union Army’s treatment of the building of Christ Church near Fort Frederica, that he sought Holy Orders to address the problem personally. On his return to New York, Dodge entered the General Theological Seminary to prepare to spend his life pastoring and rebuilding Christ Church as a religious community, in addition to rebuilding its building.

The young Dodge fell in love with his younger first cousin, Ellen. Their marriage in 1880 created a scandal. Eventually, the family agreed to the match. The couple planned an ambitious trip around the world as their honeymoon journey. In India, Ellen contracted cholera and died. Devastated by her death, Anson had his wife embalmed and placed in an ebony casket which he buried under the altar at Frederica on his return to the Georgia coast. In time, he remarried. His second wife, Anna Gould Dodge, gave birth to a son. Their son also died tragically when he fell from a carriage at the age of three. 


While much of his story is told in Eugenia Price’s historical novel, The Beloved Invader, what is not so clear from the novel is his energy in riding out from St. Simons preaching to all he could gather along the coast, regardless of race, and forming them into congregations. His foundations clearly stand out in the old list of the Diocese of Georgia, because he was deeply affected by the Latin and Greek fathers of the first four centuries of the Church.

Thus, he dedicated his new congregations to St. Ignatius, St. Cyprian, St. Ambrose, St. Perpetua, St. Athanasius, as well as to the Messiah, Transfiguration, and St. Andrew. He founded six chapels along the Satilla River. He worked as far inland as Waycross, founding the Church of St. Ambrose there.


His family fortune allowed him to financially underwrite a priest to serve some of these congregations and assist him in his work. He also restored life at what is now Christ Church in St. Marys, St. Andrew’s in Darien, (which had been burnt to the ground), and St. Mark’s in Brunswick.



Lovely Lane Chapel, now at Epworth, the Methodist Conference Center, is the church he built for the mill workers in St. Simon’s Village. His concern for the church led him to build a dorm still in use at General Theological Seminary in New York City, and a cathedral in India, which was destroyed in the India-Pakistan war. His last work was to found an orphanage in his home for boys. That work goes on as a significant endowment providing for the education of poor boys. He died at the age of 38. 



Pictured: An icon-style painting by Louise Shipps that hangs in Diocesan House in Savannah (top); A stained glass window at Christ Church Frederica (bottom). The articles in this series are also online here: Bicentennial of the Diocese of Georgia

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Register for New Beginnings - October 14-16

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.

Register Now!

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!

Register for Happening #106 - November 17-20

Register Now!

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.

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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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Across the diocese

The Rev. DeWayne Cope, Rector of St. Athanasius in Brunswick, reads a lesson at Good Shepherd in Pennick. The congregation gathered for their 128th anniversary and celebration of the ministry of the Rev. Canon Julian Clarke and the Rev. John Butin as they step away from their leadership of Good Shpeherd.

The youth and children at Saint Paul's in Augusta created signs for their cheer station for participants of the Ironman, which goes right by the church on Sunday afternoon.

Clergy gathered at Honey Creek Monday-Wednesday to engage with the Gospel of Matthew under the tutelage of Dr. Kathy Grieb.

The acolyte team at Christ Church in Savannah included three grandchildren of Georgia bishop the Rt. Rev. Albert Rhett Stuart as well as a grandson of the Rt. Rev. Paul Lambert, resigned Bishop Suffragan of Dallas. They were the crucifer, torch bearer, Gospel bearer, and banner bearer. Bishop Benhase is also with the team as is his son, daughter in law and grandson.

36 youth representing 5 churches from the Augusta Convocation and area Episcopal churches met to restart Cornerstone for the Central Savannah River Area. The program had been on hold and had their first gathering last week.

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Job Positions Around the Diocese

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.

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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.    


September 25 - October 1

In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Swainsboro, Good Shepherd. We also pray for our ecumenical partners in Swainsboro, especially Holy Trinity Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for Emmanuel (Emmanuel) in Santiago. 


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. 


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)

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Diocesan Office Update and News

This week, Bishop Logue and Canon Varner will be at the Clergy Conference at Honey Creek Monday through Wednesday. 

On Sunday, Bishop Logue makes his visitation to St. Andrew's and St. Cyprian's in Darien.


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


Pictured: Bishop Logue with Archdeacon Yvette Owens at Good Shepherd in Pennick.




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.

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Marked as Christ's own forever

The 10th Bishop of Georgia, the Rt. Rev. Scott Benhase, holds his first grandchild, Chance Kelly Benhase, after Chance's baptism at Christ Church in Savannah on Sunday.

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