April 20, 2022 | Volume 12, No. 16 | |
An Authentic History of Our Diocese |
As we approach the bicentennial of our founding in 2023, we will share the story of the Diocese of Georgia. Looking back on our Centennial Celebration on April 22, 1923, the tone was laudatory. The fourth Bishop of Georgia, the Rt. Rev. Frederick Focke Reese (pictured here in the bishop's chair that was in the sanctuary at Christ Church, Savannah) preached a sermon that praised his predecessors with words that made them seem so heroic as to not be real:
Speaking of Bishop Stephen Elliott, Jr. he said, "Of distinguished lineage, with a handsome and impressive appearance, with a mind richly endowed and stored with large learning, a disposition benign and gracious, a temper patient and well poised, he was naturally a leader among his fellows, and he gave himself and all that he had without stint to the Church."
He described Bishop John W. Beckwith saying, "He was a fatherly Bishop and meekly ruled as remembering mercy. Endowed by nature with a marvelous voice that ranged throughout the whole realm of human emotions, Bishop Beckwith's reading was so impressive that, as I have heard people say, they crowded to hear him read the service which was to them as a benediction."
And finally, he said of Bishop C.K. Nelson, "He came to us in the full vigor of his manhood. With robust physical health and mental vigor, a stalwart and handsome presence and a zeal and industry in service that knew no limit, he gave himself to the Church in the Diocese in missionary labors."
Starting next Wednesday, April 27, we will offer an article each week sharing our history through the people and events that have shaped the Episcopal Church in Georgia. All history is, of course, interpretive as one selects what to tell and how. In this series, Bishop Frank Logue, will share the good and the bad, with both sometimes seen in the same person or event.
When possible, these articles will rely on quotations from contemporary accounts or the person’s own words to assist in sharing history the way those who lived it told their story. Along the way, we reveal some abiding characteristics of our Diocese, in resilience and adaptability, together with where we have changed, in seeing the image of God in all people.
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Mourning the loss of two clergy spouses | |
The people of the Diocese of Georgia mourn the deaths of two clergy spouses who died in Holy Week - Dave Clark and David Ronn. | |
David Mercer Clark "Dave" died on Tuesday April 12. Born in 1943 in McRae, he grew up in Manchester, Georgia. He graduated from Millsaps College where he also played on the football team. He and the Rev. Stella Mingea Clark, a deacon, were married 56 years. The two have two children, Daniel and Jennifer, and four granddaughters, Mackenzie and Reagan Clark, Raini and Phoebe Singleton. Dave embodied servant leadership. He was a driving force behind the Men in Blue, the Men's Group at Christ Church in Valdosta (he is pictured here in the blue shirt when the church dedicated the shed for their grilling area in his honor). He served for 45 years as the President of the Lowndes High School Touchdown Club, and was a member of the Valdosta Homebuilders Association, a Boy Scout Troop leader, a little League ball coach, an Elk's Lodge member, a Mason in the Lakeland Lodge and a member of many other social and community groups. He was a member and active layman at Christ Episcopal Church in Valdosta for over 45 years serving on several committees related to the future of the Church and Honey Creek. He organized to build a Habitat House in 24 hours and dedicated it in memory of his son, Michael. A memorial service will be held at Christ Church on Saturday April 23 at 2 pm. The Rev. Jim Elliott will officiate. Interment will be in the church memorial garden. The family has requested donations to the Michael Clark Scholarship Fund at Christ Church.
David Ronn died on Easter Sunday. Married since 1971 to the Rev. Denise Ronn, he was an active and beloved member of the clergy spouse group in the Diocese of Georgia. The two have been attending the Church of the Ascension in Cartersville in retirement. Funeral plans have not yet been set. We will have give a full notice in next Wednesday's From the Field.
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The Rev. Michael Gumulauskas called to Darien | |
The Rev. Michael Gumulauskas was ordained as a Deacon in The Episcopal Church in 2018 in the Diocese of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He will graduate from Virginia Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree in May, 2022. God willing, Mike will be ordained into the priesthood on June 11, 2022 in the Diocese of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Through spiritual resurrection, Mike believes that God saved him. This fuels his call and he is compelled to share the love of Christ and serve all people. Mike is excited to join St. Andrew's and St. Cyprian's congregations in growing in faith and serving the people of McIntosh County.
Gumulauskas is married to LeeAnn. They have three children, MyKenzi (18), Ezekiel (7), and Boaz (4).
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New Summer Camp plans include Family Camp | |
After a two-year break, we are thrilled to have Summer Camp back again! However, because of this disruption, our registrations and our counselor applications are lower this year than in the past. For that reason, we have decided to hold only one session for each age range, rather than two for each younger group, as had been our pattern in recent years. What this means is that the first three sessions of camp will be held as planned, but the sessions that would have taken place in July will not be held. The few campers who had previously registered for those sessions will have the opportunity to either transfer their registration to the first session, or to receive a full refund.
The good news in this is that we now have the opportunity to offer Family Camp again. Last year’s weekend sessions were quite popular, and so during the weekend of July 8-10, we will offer Family Camp for families of all types, grandparents and children, friends coming back to camp together, individuals coming on their own, or any other combinations!
Our updated Summer Camp Schedule is below:
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This is the eighth and final week of 1Book1Diocese for Lent as we read Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans.
Questions for every week of the study
Each week, the group may use the following prompts as an icebreaker:
- How have you seen or experienced God’s love in the previous week?
- Put another away, what has been Godly or what was your moment closest to Christ?
After working through the questions for the week, close with the following questions as time permits:
- What stood out to you in the section you read?
- What reinforced your existing opinions of the Bible and what challenged them?
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Week 8 - Discuss The Letter, Church Stories, and Epilogue
What’s your reaction when you hear that the Bible says, “slaves obey your masters” and “wives submit to your husbands”? Did you know the context previously? Does context change your thinking?
How has the apostle Paul been regarded in your faith community? Is he held in as high esteem as Christ or is he largely ignored? Do you see his words as illuminating, brilliant, problematic, sexist, outdated, timeless—or perhaps all of the above?
Which Bible story changed the most for you after reading this book? What parts of the Bible are you inspired to explore in more depth?
Rachel says, “If the biggest story we can imagine is about God’s loving and redemptive work in the world, then our lives will be shaped by that epic.” What does it mean for our lives to be shaped by the story of Scripture?
The full reading guide can be found here.
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Holy Week Across the Diocese | |
Members at Grovetown Episcopal Lutheran Mission gather together on Holy Wednesday for a meal. | |
Saint Paul's in Augusta held a special liturgies for children in Holy Week. Pictured here is the foot-washing on Maundy Thursday. | |
The Agape Meal in Holy Week at King of Peace in Kingsland. | |
St. Athanasius in Brunswick and Good Shepherd in Pennick held a joint Easter Vigil service at Good Shepherd. Pictured l-r: The Revs. DeWayne Cope and John Butin, and the Rev. Canon Julian Clark. | |
St. John & St. Mark's and St. Paul's in Albany held a joint Easter Vigil at St. Paul's.
Pictured l-r: The Revs. Leeann Culbreath, Ri Lamb, and Galen Mirate
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Epiphany in Savannah celebrates Easter Vigil at Front Porch Improv. | |
The Easter Vigil at Christ Church in Savannah begins on the front porch of the church. | |
The Rev. Lonnie Lacy marks the baptizand as Christ's own forever after his baptism at St. Anne's in Tifton. | |
Looking effortlessly like a magazine cover, Clayton Penhallegon stands with St. John's in Bainbridge in the background (at left), and the Revs. RV Cate and Tommy Townsend are pictured together at Holy Nativity on St. Simons Island. | |
Parishioners at Christ Church Frederica on St. Simons Island wait joyfully for the 8 am Eucharist to conclude on Easter Sunday so that they can attend the 9:15 am liturgy. | |
The Rev. Susan Gage celebrates the Holy Eucharist at the outdoor altar at St. Barnabas in Valdosta on her first Easter as a priest. | |
The Rev. Hallock Martin (left) at St. Matthew's in Fitzgerald and the entryway into St. John's in Savannah on Easter morning. | |
Acolytes Hannah Grace Hutchings, Evan Ariail, and Amy Ariail stand ready to process on easter at St. Thomas in Thomasville. | |
The choir at St. Augustine of Canterbury (left) and members of Christ Church in Dublin on Easter morning (right). | |
St. Peter's in Savannah had a full choir loft that included a brass quartet and a timpani (not pictured) on Easter Sunday. | |
At the Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta, their Organist/Choirmaster, Jim Nord, stands ready to process with the choir on Easter. | |
Members of Annunciation in Vidalia (left) flower the cross on Easter Sunday. The Rev. DeWayne Cope with some of the youngest members of St. Athanasius in Brunswick on Easter Sunday (right). | |
The altar party at Church of Our Savior in Martinez. | |
Easter egg hunts around the congregations of the Diocese added some fun for children. At left, egg hunters at St. Mark's in Brunswick, and at right, the prize egg is found at St. George's in Savannah. | |
A group photo before the Easter Egg Hunt at St. Thomas Isle of Hope in Savannah. | |
The Rev. Richard Nelson with children ready for the Easter Egg hunt at Calvary in Americus. | |
Boy Scout Troop 10 with Easter decorations at Holy Comforter in Martinez. | |
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. | |
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.
April 17 – 23
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our congregation in Fitzgerald, St. Matthew’s, and for our ecumenical partners in Fitzgerald, especially St. William’s Catholic Church. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for the congregations in Haina, especially St. John the Evangelist (San Juan Evangelista) and St. Mark (San Marcos).
April 24 - April 30
In our diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for our Grovetown Episcopal-Lutheran Mission, and our ecumenical partners in the Catholic churches in Cuthbert and Donalsonville—St. Luke's and the Church of the Incarnation. In our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic, we pray for Christ the Liberator (Cristo Libertador) in Hato Mayor.
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 | |
Bishop Logue will make his visitation to St. Mark's in Brunswick on Sunday. Next week he will be at Camp McDowell in the Diocese of Alabama for Province IV House of Bishops and and then the Province IV Synod meeting in preparation for General Convention.
To view Bishop Logue's full visitation calendar, click here. (Updated 4/4/2022)
Canon Varner will be on retreat Saturday, April 23 through Thursday, April 28.
Liz Williams will be at Camp McDowell April 27-29 for Province IV Synod with other members of the Diocese of Georgia deputation for General Convention.
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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Sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism and
marked as Christ's own forever
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Easter Sunday was an extra special occasion for the parishioners of the Spanish language mass at St. Paul the Apostle in Savannah as the Rev. Leonel Polanco baptized nine persons! | | | | |